Overall, I would thoroughly recommend a visit to this museum but I will point out a few things which I hope may prevent others going there in false expectation. Firstly, be clear that it is far more than just natural history. The sections on the history of this country are excellent and important. The natural history ranges from geology to fungi to insects to stuffed animals (including the second largest mounted elephant in the world) to a display of live snakes. All round, a good variety. Please do not expect a modern, European type museum with lots of buttons to push with videos or computerised displays. That is not meant to detract from the interest of what there is to see, just to ensure no misunderstandings. Rightly or wrongly, please also note that the history section deals with the colonial and pre-colonial eras but nothing since independence. If you are seeking information after 1980, this is not the place. I would also warn that, from my visit anyway, some of the lighting is not what it should be and either labels or exhibits are not as visible as you might want. It may or may not be right to blame the museum authorities but at this stage in Zimbabwe's progress, do not hold it against them! Yes, there are also parts which are quite old and could do with renovation but a lot of it has either stood the test of time or has been smartened up recently. Do not be to judgemental! The current temporary display is on postcards. There are interesting exhibits but I feel it is not as clearly explained as it could be. There is a cafe. I doubt it has a great variety but I am sure it is fine if you are not fussy or just want a cup of tea as I did. The museum does try to host special events as and when it can, so look out for those if you are in Bulawayo. You could dash round in an hour or spend 2-3 hours trying to absorb everything that there is to see. The cost is US$10 for non-resident visitors, Z$5 for locals. I do believe it is worth a visit.

I visited the Bulawayo Natural History Museum with my family on 13 March 2022. We were the only guests at the museum during our two plus hours’ stay. The museum is very rich in the diversity and variety of mammals, butterflies, birds and geological specimens from numerous geographical areas and habitats within and outside of Zimbabwe. There is a display of live snakes from Zimbabwe and Southern Africa on the ground floor. All the displayed items are appropriately labelled and there are detailed descriptions accompanying some of the displays ( esp the birds and geological specimens) and dioramas. In addition, there are numerous interesting historical artifacts and items from the pre-colonial and colonial era. The whole museum serves as an excellent educational resource. I had read somewhere that this is the best natural history museum in Africa, and it can very well be considering the variety of specimens it hosts, but the museum definitely requires some resources and a modernizing touch. The front desk reception was not manned by a professional, and there were no brochures or fliers handed out to guide us. Even though generally the two floors of the museum were well aired and well lit, the lighting was poor in some areas. There are no audio-visual aides or computerized touch screen catalogues like one sees in more modern and well-resourced museums. There is a small curio shop at the reception which has very few and outdated items, and items were not on sale on the day of our visit, since “the prices of the items had not been recently revised”. This is a Sunday afternoon well spent for me and my family, and I look forward to another visit when in Bulawayo. I long to see this institution getting the attention it deserves.

Although in need of some new investment, it's definitely worth a visit. The ground floor has excellent displays of African wildlife (including some really cool old dioramas), including a big display of living snakes, while the top floor has a big display on Zimbabwean history, spanning from prehistory to independence. Well worth a couple of hours if you want to know more about the history of the region and the wildlife of Zimbabwe.