Highlights
Karen Blixen Museum was once the centerpiece of a farm at the foot of the Ngong Hills owned by Danish Author Karen and her Swedish Husband, Baron Bror von Blixen Fincke. Located 10km from the city center, the Museum belongs to a different time period in the history of Kenya. The farmhouse gained international fame with the release of the movie ‘Out of Africa’ an Oscar-winning film based on Karen’s autobiography by the same title.
If you loved Out of Africa, you’ll love this museum in the farmhouse where author Karen Blixen lived between 1914 and 1931. She left after a series of personal tragedies, but the lovely colonial house has been preserved as a museum. Set in expansive gardens, the museum is an interesting place to wander around, but the movie was actually shot at a nearby location, so don’t be surprised if things don’t look entirely as you expect!
- Tour around the Karen Blixen Museum
- The museum shop offers handicrafts, posters and postcards, the Movie ‘Out of Africa’, books and other Kenyan souvenirs
Itinerary Details
Depart from the hotel and drive towards the former home of the famous Karen Blixen; author of “Out of Africa” and one of the most famous colonialists in east Africa.
The house built in 1910 has a red tile roof and mellow wood paneling in the rooms. When Karen Blixen bought the property, it had 6,000 acres of land but only 600 acres were developed for growing coffee; the rest was retained under natural forest.
Much of the original furniture is on display in the house. The original kitchen has been restored, and is now open for viewing. A Dove Stove similar to the one used by Karen Blixen is on display, as are the kitchen utensils. Reconstruction of the coffee factory, along with other old farm machinery is underway.
The aim here is to take an individual back in time, and provide a visual impression of each settler life in Kenya. Karen Blixen Museum has become a herb of various activities including private parties, research and visitation, from all over the world. The income so generated is used to refurbish and maintain Karen Blixen Museum and other regional museums.
Depart from the Museum and back to the hotel.