National Gallery of Zimbabwe

The National Gallery opened in 1957 and its first director, Frank McEwen, ran a workshop from it that became the seedbed of the Shona stone sculpture movement, a body of work in serpentine and springstone that went on to sell internationally and became the country's best-known art export. The gallery holds a permanent collection of that work alongside contemporary Zimbabwean and African art and runs a changing exhibition programme. The building itself dates from the gallery's founding and stands at the edge of the Harare Gardens, with a sculpture court and a garden used for outdoor display.

What you actually see

• The stone sculpture collection - the permanent holding of Zimbabwean stone carving.
• The workshop history - the gallery's role in launching the movement in the 1960s.
• The contemporary programme - changing exhibitions of Zimbabwean and African work.
• The sculpture garden - work displayed in the grounds.

When to go

Year round; it is indoors. It closes on Mondays. Exhibition changeovers can leave galleries closed.

Honest expectations

Funding has been intermittent and parts of the programme have been reduced. Some galleries close between exhibitions. The permanent collection is not always fully on show.

Nearby

Harare centre surrounds it, and Chapungu is southeast.