Stand on President Brand Street and the city shows you its own history in a single walk: public buildings from the Orange Free State years, museums behind old facades, and a rose city's worth of trees overhead. Bloemfontein is the Free State's capital and the country's judicial capital, and it wears that role quietly.
This guide suits travellers passing through central South Africa, cricket followers, and anyone interested in the Anglo-Boer War or in a night at a telescope. It covers the sights, museums and open spaces within and just outside the city, plus how to string them together in a day.
Top things to do in Bloemfontein
1. Naval Hill and Franklin Game Reserve
A hill above the centre of the city, topped by a reserve with various wild animals, none of them dangerous. A driving circuit weaves around the edge of the hill, so you can see the animals without leaving the car.
You can also park near the observatory and walk or picnic. It is open daily from 8AM to 5PM and entry is free.
2. National Women's Monument
The monument commemorates the suffering of Boer women and children who died in British concentration camps during the Second Boer War. It stands on the outskirts of the city.
It pairs naturally with the Anglo-Boer War Museum, which is on Monument Road, so plan them as one visit.
3. Anglo-Boer War Museum
A museum dedicated to the Anglo-Boer Wars of 1899 to 1902, on Monument Road. It gives the context for the National Women's Monument nearby.
Allow time for both in the same outing rather than treating the monument as a quick stop.
4. Oliewenhuis Art Museum
An art museum in a restored Cape-Dutch style house and gardens on Harry Smith Street. It hosts changing temporary displays of contemporary art and photography, with a more traditional permanent exhibition upstairs.
There is a cafe in the sculpture garden at the back, which makes it a good retreat from the city's shopping malls. Entrance is free. It is open Monday to Friday 8AM to 5PM and Saturday 10AM to 5PM.
5. National Museum
The city's general museum on Aliwal Street, and home to the Florisbad skull. Entrance is R5.
It is open Monday to Friday 8AM to 5PM, Saturday 10AM to 5PM and Sunday noon to 5:30PM, so it works on a weekend afternoon when other sights are closed.
6. National Botanical Garden
A 70-hectare park on Rayton Road, off Dan Pienaar Drive, holding about 400 species of plants, largely native to the Free State and Northern Cape Provinces and Lesotho. Birds, mammals and reptiles live in the park as well.
It is open daily 8AM to 6PM and the entrance fee is R10. Go in the morning if you want cooler walking.
7. Boyden Observatory
An astronomical research observatory on Mazelspoort Road, where you can explore the southern skies under dark and clear Free State conditions.
Contact the observatory before you go to arrange your visit, and combine it with the Naval Hill area if you are already on that side of town.
8. Presidency Museum
The former residence of presidents of the Orange Free State Republic, on President Brand Street, restored to what it would have been at the turn of the century.
It is open Tuesday to Friday 10AM to 12:15PM and 1PM to 4PM. Pair it with a walk along President Brand Street and its other museums.
9. Queens Fort Military Museum
A museum on Church Street with exhibitions on the two Boer wars and the apartheid struggle.
It keeps the same hours as the Presidency Museum, Tuesday to Friday 10AM to 12:15PM and 1PM to 4PM, so the two fit into one weekday.
10. SA Armour Museum
On the grounds of Tempe Military Base west of town, this museum exhibits items dealing specifically with military armour, across an indoor area, an outdoor area and a reference library. Exhibits include South African-built riot control vehicles from the apartheid era and old Soviet tanks captured in Angola.
To get there, follow Nelson Mandela (R64) west towards the N1 and watch for the sign.
11. Mangaung Oval
The cricket ground on Att Horak Street in Willows, home to the Knights team representing the Free State province.
Check whether a match falls on your dates before you build a day around it.
12. City Zoo
The zoo sits just behind the Waterfront shopping mall. It is home to a stuffed liger, a cross between a lion and a tiger bred at the zoo in the 1930s.
Combine it with a stop at the Waterfront, which is right next door.
13. Soetdoring Nature Reserve
A Free State nature reserve on the main Bultfontein road, with open plains, wooded areas and a dam. Its lions are held in a small enclosure in the middle of the park, and the enclosure is large enough that you are not guaranteed to see them.
There are no dangerous animals in the main park, so walking is allowed, and a one-day hiking trail follows the Modder River, easy enough for families with young children. The reserve closes at 6PM and costs R20 per car.
14. Fire Station Museum
At Erlich Park Fire Station on Church Street, this museum holds vintage fire engines, cars, bikes, steam engines and ox wagons.
Visits are by appointment, so arrange yours before travelling out.
15. Choet Visser Rugby Museum
A rugby museum in the city, open by appointment only.
As with the Fire Station Museum, contact ahead to set up a time that suits both sides.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the National Museum on Aliwal Street when it opens, then walk President Brand Street and visit the Presidency Museum during its morning window. If you are there on a weekday, the Queens Fort Military Museum on Church Street keeps the same hours and sits close by.
Afternoon: Head to Naval Hill and Franklin Game Reserve and drive the circuit around the edge of the hill, then park near the observatory for a walk or a picnic. If time allows, finish with the National Botanical Garden before its 6PM close.
Evening: Visit Oliewenhuis Art Museum for the temporary displays and the permanent exhibition upstairs, and end with the cafe in the sculpture garden at the back.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit the museums?
Several of them keep short weekday windows. The Presidency Museum and the Queens Fort Military Museum are open Tuesday to Friday 10AM to 12:15PM and 1PM to 4PM, while the National Museum opens on weekend afternoons as well. Plan museum visits around those hours rather than assuming a full day of access.
Do I need to book ahead for any sights?
Yes, for some. The Choet Visser Rugby Museum and the Fire Station Museum are both by appointment only, and it is worth contacting Boyden Observatory before you travel out to it.
Which sights are free?
Naval Hill and Franklin Game Reserve are free, and entrance to Oliewenhuis Art Museum is free. The National Botanical Garden charges R10, the National Museum charges R5, and Soetdoring Nature Reserve charges R20 per car.
Can I see wildlife without leaving the city?
Yes. Naval Hill and Franklin Game Reserve sits on top of a hill overlooking the centre of the city and holds various wild animals, none of them dangerous, with a driving circuit around the edge of the hill. Soetdoring Nature Reserve, on the main Bultfontein road, is the other option and allows walking in the main park.
Work out which weekday museum windows and which evening at the observatory fit your dates, and Bloemfontein will fill a day or two without difficulty.