Three galleries at the National Museum in Accra are dedicated to Ghana’s past, traditions and artistic culture. Together, they offer different perspectives on the country: historical themes sit alongside cultural expressions and art. The collection includes sculptures and paintings by pioneering and contemporary artists, traditional clothing, local musical instruments and sacred artifacts such as Asante ancestral stools. The National Museum is located on Barnes Road in Accra.

Art and History in the City

The older neighborhoods of Ushertown and Jamestown also tell stories of different eras: their architecture spans several centuries. The forts are part of this layered history. Ussher Fort in Usshertown and James Fort in Jamestown are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Forts and Castles.”

Ussher Fort changed functions several times over the course of its history. It served as a trading post, a slave dungeon, a police post, a prison, a military detention center and a military court. The Ussher Fort Museum tells the story of the development and impact of the slave trade through murals and objects once used by captors and their victims.

The Independence Day parade is held every year on March 6 at Independence Square. The square is internationally recognized. Nationalism Park is located in Osu between Independence Square and Accra Sports Stadium. It opened in 2011 to honor those who fought for Ghana’s independence. The parade and the memorial site offer different public points of reference for the history of independence.

Stages, Museums and Memorial Parks

Stages and events are also part of the cultural life. The National Theatre hosts theater, music and dance performances. At the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre’s Open Air Theatre, seminars, talks, workshops and cultural events are among the main program offerings.

At the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the museum, library and guided tours focus on Kwame Nkrumah’s life, work and ideals. The museum features an interactive digital offering that presents his speeches from before independence, at independence and after independence. Visitors can learn about both his biography and political ideas from different periods in the country’s history. You can reach the Memorial Park by taxi or public transport, including trotro and Metrobus. Check local transport availability when planning your trip.

Greater Accra: Landscapes Around Ada

In addition to its urban cultural sites, Greater Accra is also home to the natural environment of the Songor Biosphere Reserve around Ada. Its ecosystems include marine and coastal areas, wetlands with lagoons and marshes, and the freshwater of the lower Volta. In the core area, marshes on mudflats, mangroves and waterlogged grassland provide habitats for birds. Herons, egrets, cormorants, sandpipers, stilts and other small wading birds, as well as terns, forage and rest there.

The sandy beach of the Songor Biosphere Reserve is also part of this regional landscape: it is a nesting site for green sea turtles, leatherback turtles and olive ridley turtles. This look at Greater Accra thus extends the history and culture found in Accra to include wetlands, coastal landscapes and their wildlife.

Discover more destinations: Accra

For the broader travel overview: Greater Accra.