In 1995 the South African government set up a process for the granting of casino licenses, establishing an agency to do this called the Gambling Board. The bid documents stipulated that bidders should demonstrate how they would attract tourism and thereby grow the economy and stimulate job creation. A consortium, called Akani Egoli, put in a bid that included the commitment to building a museum. Their bid was successful, the Gold Reef City casino was built and an adjacent piece of land given for the construction of a museum. The cost of the construction of the museum was paid for by Akani Egoli however, the museum is an independent, non-profit organization relying on donations to sustain its growth.

The Apartheid Museum opened in 2001 and is considered the pre-eminent museum in the world dealing with 20th century South Africa, at the heart of which is the apartheid story. A series of 22 individual exhibition areas takes the visitor through a dramatic emotional journey that tells a story of a state-sanctioned system based on racial discrimination and the struggle of the majority to overthrow this tyranny. Visitors are supplied with a headphone set controlled by electronic transponders within the museum, which means that the visitor controls the speed at which they want to walk through the exhibits.

Note: museum hours are 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and it is closed on Mondays.
Website: www.apartheidmuseum.org