National Museum of Ethiopia

The National Museum's basement holds the palaeontological collection that makes Ethiopia central to the study of human origins, and its best-known resident is Lucy, the partial Australopithecus afarensis skeleton found in the Afar region in 1974 and dated to around 3.2 million years, whose Amharic name Dinkinesh means you are marvellous. What is displayed is a cast, with the original kept in storage, which disappoints some visitors but is standard practice. Alongside her are casts and originals of other hominin material from the Awash valley, including Ardi. The upper floors cover Aksumite and medieval art, regalia of the imperial period including thrones and robes, ethnographic collections and modern Ethiopian painting. The building is dated and the labelling uneven, but the collection is remarkable.

What you actually see

• Lucy - the Australopithecus skeleton, displayed as a cast.
• Hominin fossils - the wider palaeontological collection from the Awash.
• Imperial regalia - thrones, robes and objects of the emperors.
• Ethiopian art - Aksumite through medieval to modern painting.

When to go

Year round; the museum is indoors and works in any weather. It closes on some public holidays. Mornings are quieter, and school groups fill it in the middle of the day.

Honest expectations

The Lucy on display is a cast, not the original bones. The building is old and the presentation dated in places, with patchy labelling. Photography rules vary by gallery and may carry a fee. Two hours covers it comfortably.

Nearby

The Ethnological Museum is a short distance away; Holy Trinity Cathedral is close.