Potchefstroom has a variety of museums and there are actually more museums in the city than most people know. The Main Museum is situated in the museum and library building in Sol Plaatjes Avenue. Apart from a main exhibition facility, there is also an art museum with various exhibitions throughout the year. There are also three House Museums which are popular attractions.

Totius House Museum

The Totius House was the residence of the poet, Totius, who as Prof JD du Toit was rector of the Theological School of the Reformed Church and its Literary Department from 1911. The house was built in 1905 for Prof Jan Lion Cachet. The Du Toit family lived in the house till 1924. Most of the furniture in the museum was donated by the Du Toit family. It includes a harmonium (house organ) which Totius used when he rhymed the Psalms in Afrikaans and a dining room suite, which he brought from Holland in 1903 after he had studied there. The house was declared a National Monument and the museum opened in 1977.

The revolving book case in the study held many happy memories for one of the daughters of Totius. She said that she always knew her father was home from one of his many travels when she heard the squeak of the book case at night.

Address: 108 Molen Street (between Esselen and Rissik Streets), Potchefstroom.  

President Pretorius Museum

The President Pretorius Museum was the residence of President Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (1819 – 1901), president of the old Zuid-Afrikaansche Republic. Pretorius received the farm Rietfontein, on which the house was built, in 1858 as remuneration for his work as president. He built the house himself with the help of an assistant. The Pretorius family lived in the house for most of his life, until he sold it in 1895.

Address: 116 Thabo Mbeki Drive, Potchefstroom.

Goetz-Fleishack House

The Goetz-Fleischack House is the only surviving example of an early townhouse that fronted on the New Market Square and was built approximately 1861. It was the private residence of AM Goetz, magistrate of Potchefstroom during the First Anglo-Boer War (1880 – 1881).

Address: 34 Sol Plaatjes Avenue (corner of Nelson Mandela Avenue) 

Here are details of other museums that worth a visit:

NWU Argief en Museum

’n Museum wat die geskiedenis van die Universiteit uitbeeld vanaf die stigting van die Teologiese Skool in 1869 tot die totstandkoming van die NWU in 2004 sal vir menige Oud-Puk baie nostalgiese herinneringe oplewer. Die ingang na die Argief en Museum is aan die oostekant van die Ferdinand Postma-biblioteek. Die Museum is oop van 09:00 – 13:00 en van 14:00 – 16:00 op weeksdae.

POK Museum

’n Interessante museum wat die geskiedenis van die ou Potchefstroomse Onderwyskollege uitbeeld. Kontakpersoon: Susan Bester.

Geologie Museum

Dié museum is in die kelderverdieping van gebou en huisves duisende gesteentes in hul versameling. Navrae: Prof Marthie Coetzee of mnr Kosie Oosthuizen.

For more information contact Heritage Potchefstroom - lenniegouws@gmail.com