The Hout Bay Museum is situated right next to the Hout Bay Tourist Office just off Main Road behind the Shell Garage. Just like the town, the cottage style museum is a hidden treasure with collections of Hout Bay’s history that goes back to 1652.
When the Dutch colony established themselves in Table Bay in 1652, they needed timber to build and expand. After looking for forests, they discovered Hout Bay 20km outside the Mothercity (which translates to ‘Wood Bay’ in Afrikaans). Soon Hout Bay grew from being a few farms to becoming a Fort and finally a fishing village. Today Hout Bay is inhabited by rich and poor and has become a tourist attraction to many.
The Hout Bay Museum was opened on 5 April 1979 and focuses on the Hout Bay valley and her inhabitants.
There is also wonderful history recorded regarding the Forestry, Mining and Fishing Industries that leads right up to this present age. One can also contact the museum in connection with guided walks in the Hout Bay Mountains and admire the beautiful Fynbos while enjoying breath-taking views of a bustling town that originated years ago as two farms in a valley of forests.
