Opened in 2001, The Apartheid Museum is a visit back through the unsettling past of South Africa and apartheid system. With the museum's innovative structure, visitors in a sense relive the magnitude of the apartheid upon entering. By viewing the exhibits throughout the space, visitors learn about apartheid through video footage, text panels and photographs. The apartheid system had a lingering effect on the South African people, and a trip to the museum is a glimpse into part of what has so clearly defined the culture.
Plenty of other museums are also worth exploring. The Mandela House is great stop in the line of Johannesburg history. It was built in 1945, and Nelson Mandela moved in a year later and lived there until 1962 when he was sent to prison. The house's exhibits are now open to curious visitors. The Johannesburg Zoo features both endangered species like the White Rhino and family favorites like giraffes. And the Museum Africa has artifacts and exhibits that celebrate the history of the country from its early beginnings.
No trip to South Africa is complete without a visit to the Rosebank Rooftop Market, with over 600 street vendors that take up shop every Sunday from 9am to 5pm. The market has real South African influence, so whether you're looking for art or furniture or jewelry to take home with you, there's no better place to get mementos than from the people at the center of the city's society.