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Park · Cidade do Cabo, Cabo Ocidental
Company's Garden
The former Dutch East India Company vegetable garden from 1652 became the city’s central park, surrounded by Parliament, museums and the National Gallery.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Company's Garden
The Company's Garden began in 1652 as the vegetable garden of the Dutch East India Company, planted to supply fruit and vegetables to ships stopping at the Cape on the way to Asia. Over time it became a botanic garden and later the city's central park.
The main avenue, Government Avenue, runs beneath century-old oaks and links Adderley Street with the high suburbs. Along it sit Parliament, the Tuynhuys (the president's city office), St George's Cathedral, the South African National Gallery and the Iziko South African Museum, the country's oldest natural history museum, with fossils, a planetarium and suspended whales.
In the middle of the park are flower beds, a rose garden, a kitchen garden that echoes the original and a pear tree planted in the colony's early years. The park's grey squirrels are descended from animals brought from Europe.
It is a good starting point for exploring the centre: Bo-Kaap, Long Street and the District Six Museum are a few minutes away.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About 1 hour for the park at midday, plus time for the museums.
Best time
In the morning or early afternoon on a weekday, when the park is active. Museums have a weekly closing day; check in advance.
How to get there
It’s in the centre, with entrances on Adderley Street beside St George's Cathedral, or on Queen Victoria Street.
Tip
Allow time for the Iziko South African Museum and the National Gallery, which are located within the park.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Company's Garden
What is the Company's Garden?
The former Dutch East India Company garden from 1652, now Cape Town’s central park.
Which museums are in the Company's Garden?
The Iziko South African Museum, with its planetarium, and the South African National Gallery.
Do you have to pay to enter the Company's Garden?
There is no park admission fee. Museums charge separate entry.