CP Nel Museum
A museum housed in a former boys' school that tells the story of Oudtshoorn during the ostrich feather boom. It also has a synagogue exhibit.
The C.P. Nel Museum sits in the center of Oudtshoorn. The building is a sandstone boys' high school from 1906, with a copper-green dome. The exhibits center on the ostrich feather boom of 1870 to 1914. They include feather fashions from that era, a reconstructed interior of a Feather Palace, an old pharmacy and a small-town shop. A gallery on the Jewish community of Oudtshoorn includes a synagogue display, as Jewish merchants ran much of the feather trade. Admission costs about 50 rand, and the museum is closed on Sundays. Along the way through town, you can also see the exteriors of several well-preserved Feather Palaces.
Opening hours
Mon–Fri around 08:00–17:00; Sat around 09:00–13:00
Nearby sights
- Cango Wildlife Ranch
- Meerkat Adventures
- Oudtshoorn Ostrich Farms
- Cango Caves
- Swartberg Pass
- Outeniqua Pass
- Montagu Pass
- Meiringspoort