Keetmanshoop Museum (Rhenish Mission Church)
Rheinische Missionskirche
The oldest building in town, a stone church built by the Nama people in 1895. It now serves as a municipal museum showcasing southern colonial and Nama history.
This stone church was built in 1895 by local Nama people under the direction of Rhenish Mission missionary Tobias Fincher, replacing an earlier church destroyed by floods. It is the oldest building in Keetmanshoop and was declared a national monument in 1978. Locals call it the 'Stone Church' (Klipkerk). The church now houses a municipal museum with displays of early mission work, German colonial and railway-era photographs and household items, Nama traditional objects and rock specimens. A traditional Nama reed hut stands in the courtyard. The museum is small, so allow half an hour. Admission is free or a nominal fee. It is open on weekdays and mostly closed on weekends. It stands beside the central park, a few minutes' walk from the former Imperial Post Office.
Opening hours
Mon–Fri 07:30–12:30 and 13:30–16:30 (check on site)
Nearby sights
- Imperial Post Office (Kaiserliches Postamt)
- Quiver Tree Forest
- Giant's Playground
- Mesosaurus Fossil Site
- Brukkaros