From coral-stone cottages to colonial mansions, rusted cannons to rare stamps, Mauritius quietly tells its story through the doors of its most fascinating museums. It’s a story of migration, sugarcane, shipwrecks, and extinct birds. A story told through echoing corridors, glass cases, and quiet gardens that once heard history being made. If you’re planning to wander beyond the beaches, take a detour through time.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first stepped into a Mauritian museum. Some felt like stepping into someone’s preserved home, others opened up into massive halls lined with industrial machines or ancient maps. A few gave me goosebumps, especially Aapravasi Ghat, where the footsteps of half a million indentured immigrants still linger in silence. That place, with its sun-drenched steps and the weight of thousands of names etched into the past, made me stop and just listen.
For a museum that truly brings the island’s soul into focus, L’Aventure du Sucre in Pamplemousses is unforgettable. It’s more than sugar, it’s the heartbeat of Mauritius from its plantation past to the fusion culture it became. The old factory walls hum with energy. Kids can taste different raw sugars (which honestly taste like candy), watch old machinery roar to life, and even play with interactive displays. It’s the kind of place where even the most museum-shy traveller lights up.
Then there’s the Natural History Museum in Port Louis, where I met the dodo face to beak. For children, this one’s a dream. With stuffed animals, marine life models, and a giant clamshell that looks like it could cradle a toddler, it’s a compact but curiosity-sparking visit.
In Mahébourg, the National History Museum sits quietly inside an old colonial mansion near the river. Inside, you’ll find shipwreck coins, pirate stories, and a cannon from the Saint Géran. If you’re into old maps, creaky wood floors, and the scent of time held still, this one’s for you.
But Mauritius also holds space for poetry and politics. In the south, La Nef preserves the coral-stone home of poet Robert Edward Hart. It’s small, personal, and incredibly peaceful. Further north in Port Louis, the SSR Memorial Centre reveals the everyday life of the man who led Mauritius to independence. Walking through his house, with his stethoscope still on the desk and family photos on the walls, felt like visiting a grandfather I never met.
One of the most unique visits was the Martello Tower Museum on the west coast. It’s an old British fort, small and circular, with rooftop cannons and a view that stretches across the sea. Children loved this one. The guides make it come alive with stories of soldiers, signal flags, and cannonball loading tricks.
Then there’s Eureka House in Moka and Château de Labourdonnais in the north. These two are Creole elegance and tropical grace, with antique-filled halls, wide verandas, and surrounding gardens where mango trees and waterfalls await. They blend history with beauty and are perfect if you want your museum experience with a side of nature, fruit juice, or even a rum tasting.
You don’t need to love history to enjoy a museum in Mauritius. Each one is different, tucked into the corners of towns or wrapped in sugar fields and banyan trees. Whether you’re a solo traveller soaking in the silence or exploring with curious kids in tow, these places open windows into a Mauritius that isn’t always printed on postcards.
You’ll leave with stories. A shipwreck cannon here, a poem on the wall there. A dodo’s stare, a child’s question, an old photo you can’t stop thinking about. And maybe, like me, a deeper sense of the island’s layered, luminous past.
1. Blue Penny Museum – Port Louis
A cultural gem showcasing Mauritius’ colonial past, rare 1847 stamps, maritime maps, and art. Great for history lovers.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 – 16:30. Closed Sundays and public holidays.
2. L’Aventure du Sucre – Pamplemousses
Housed in a former sugar factory, this interactive museum tells the island’s sugarcane story with tastings, films, and giant machines.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 – 16:00. Closed Sundays.
3. National History Museum – Mahébourg
An old colonial mansion filled with relics from naval battles, shipwrecks, and Dutch, French, and British periods.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 – 16:00 (Wednesday from 11:00). Saturday 09:00 – 12:00. Closed Sundays.
4. Natural History Museum – Port Louis
Famous for its dodo skeleton, this museum also features endemic wildlife, marine life, and geology.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 – 16:00 (Wednesday from 11:00). Saturday 09:00 – 12:00. Closed Sundays.
5. Aapravasi Ghat – Port Louis
UNESCO-listed site preserving the story of indentured Indian laborers who arrived in Mauritius after slavery ended.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 – 16:00. Saturday 09:00 – 12:00. Closed Sundays and public holidays.
6. Eureka – La Maison Créole – Moka
A restored 1830s Creole mansion filled with antiques, old maps, and vintage curios, surrounded by waterfalls and gardens.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 09:00 – 17:00. Sunday 09:00 – 15:00.
7. Château de Labourdonnais – Mapou
Elegant colonial estate with period-furnished rooms, gardens, orchards, rum tasting, and a petting zoo.
Opening hours: Daily, 09:00 – 17:00. Open Sundays and most public holidays.
8. Martello Tower Museum – La Preneuse
Small coastal fort from British times with cannons, bunkrooms, and sea views. A hands-on historical experience.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 09:30 – 17:00. Sunday 09:30 – 13:30. Closed Mondays.
9. Robert Edward Hart Memorial Museum – Souillac
Poet Hart’s coral-stone home by the sea with his manuscripts, violin, and personal items. Quiet, scenic, and poetic.
Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 09:00 – 16:00. Wednesday from 11:00. Saturday 09:00 – 12:00. Closed Sundays.
10. SSR Memorial Centre for Culture – Port Louis (Plaine Verte)
The former home of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, first Prime Minister of Mauritius, filled with his personal belongings and independence-era memorabilia.
Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 09:00 – 16:00. Wednesday from 11:00. Saturday 09:00 – 12:00. Closed Sundays.
