Accra Metropolis: Theatres, Museums and History

Theatre, music and dance, collections on Ghana’s history, and historic sites offer different cultural points of interest in Accra Metropolis. The older districts of Usshertown and Jamestown feature architecture from several centuries. As you plan your time in Accra, you can consider which of these perspectives you would like to shape your stay.

Stages and Collections

The National Theatre is dedicated to theatre, music and dance performances. If you plan to attend a particular show, check the current schedule. Seminars, lectures, workshops and cultural events take place at the Open Air Theatre at the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre. Both venues offer different opportunities to engage with the performing arts and cultural programmes.

The National Museum in Accra has three main galleries covering Ghana’s past, traditions and artistic culture. It also displays sculptures and paintings by pioneering and contemporary artists, traditional clothing, local musical instruments and sacred tribal artefacts, including Asante ancestral stools. The exhibits range from historical and cultural traditions to art. The museum is on Barnes Road in Accra; check the address before travelling.

History in the City

Ussher Fort and James Fort are part of the UNESCO World Heritage property “Forts and Castles.” Over the course of its history, Ussher Fort served as a trading post, slave dungeon, police post, prison, military detention facility and military court. This sequence of historic uses gives the fort a different focus from the collections at the National Museum. The older districts of Usshertown and Jamestown feature architecture from several centuries.

Independence Square and Nationalism Park are also connected with Ghana’s history. The Independence Day parade takes place at Independence Square every year on 6 March. Nationalism Park opened in 2011 to honour those who fought for Ghana’s independence. It is located in Osu, between Independence Square and Accra Sports Stadium. The parade is an annual event; the park serves as a distinct site of historical remembrance.

At Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the visitor experience includes a museum, a library and guided tours about Kwame Nkrumah’s life, work and ideals. The park can be reached by taxi or public transport, including trotro and Metrobus. Check local availability of these transport options when planning your visit.

Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests

If you are looking for a hotel in Accra Metropolis, choosing which themes interest you can help shape your plans: stage programmes, museum collections and historic sites each offer a different cultural focus. Then compare the specific hotel address with your own plans. This keeps your choice of accommodation aligned with your interests, without assuming a particular district or location.

Greater Accra: Landscape in the Wider Destination

In the wider destination of Greater Accra, the Songor Biosphere Reserve lies around Ada. It encompasses marine and coastal areas, wetlands with lagoons and marshes, as well as freshwater from the lower Volta. In its core zone, marshes on mudflats, mangroves and waterlogged grassland provide habitats for herons, egrets, cormorants, sandpipers, stilts, other small wading birds and terns, which feed and rest there. The reserve’s sandy beach is a nesting site for green turtles, leatherback turtles and olive ridley turtles. This landscape context belongs to Greater Accra and complements the culture and history themes related to Accra Metropolis with a regional perspective on nature.

Discover more destinations: Accra

Go to the wider travel overview: Greater Accra.