Kruger House

Kruger House is the home where Paul Kruger, president of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, lived with his wife Gezina from 1884 until he left Pretoria on 29 May 1900, just before British troops arrived. It opened as a museum in 1934 and is now run by Ditsong Museums of South Africa. It is a short stop, but a good one for anyone trying to make sense of the Boer republics and the war that ended them.

What to expect

The house has been furnished to look as it did in Kruger’s time, with original pieces and period furniture. It was one of the first homes in Pretoria with electric light. On the verandah are two stone lions, a gift from the mining magnate Barney Barnato in 1896. Two display halls cover Kruger’s journeys in Europe and his exile, and his state railway coach stands in the grounds.

The museum also takes in a 1932 building that was once the Bantu Commissioner’s Office, known as gaMohle, where the pass laws were enforced. It adds a harder chapter to a site otherwise centred on one man.

Practical details

The address is 60 WF Nkomo Street (formerly Church Street), Pretoria Central. Ditsong lists it as open daily, closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday, but its own pages give different hours, so confirm before you go. Telephone 012 492 5731 or email kruger@ditsong.org.za. Parking is free.

Good to know

An hour is enough for most visitors. Spend a minute on the long front porch, which became known as the spot where Kruger liked to sit. Keep to daylight hours and the usual city-centre caution on foot.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: Ditsong Museums of South Africa, Ditsong Museums of South Africa, museums list, Wikipedia.