Old Boma Museum, Arusha Overview

The Old Boma Museum in Arusha, Tanzania, is a natural history museum showcasing the region's German colonial and Boma history. Also called the German Boma Museum, it sits on a small hill near Mount Meru, with three buildings – a museum, an art gallery, and an outdoor botanical garden.

Built in 1900, the Old Boma Museum is housed in a historic building used by German administrators and later as a British colonial fort. It displays artefacts depicting Arusha's development, including items from Olduvai Gorge and human evolution artefacts, wildlife exhibits, information on indigenous cultures, and a small botanical garden. The museum also hosts events celebrating Tanzanian art, music, and traditions, providing visitors with an immersive experience of Arusha's past and present.

History of the Old Boma Museum

The Original Boma was built between 1899 and 1900 as a German military outpost in Arusha, Tanzania. Its main purpose was to watch over the Meru and Arusha tribes, who had recently been defeated by the Germans. It also served as an administrative office and residence for colonial officials.

During construction, defeated warriors were made to transport stone and banana fiber, while elders made mud mortar. The Boma became a walled compound with a trench and fence, surrounded by a coffee plantation and kitchen garden.

After World War I, the British continued to use the Boma as a fort, attracting people to the area for work and trade. In 1979, Tanzania's government turned it into a natural history museum, adding sections like a botanical garden, aquarium, and wildlife exhibits. Today, the road leading to the compound, known as Boma Road, still exists, lined with trees.