Until the 1950s the fishermen of Hermanus hauled their boats down this ramp into the water, and then the New Harbour took over. What is left is a national monument: the slipway, the old quay wall, the brine tanks and the racks for drying bokkoms, the salted fish of the Western Cape. The harbour itself is open around the clock and costs nothing; the boats stand on dry land and you can walk between them right down to the water.
- in use until then
- 1950s
- museum, cash (as of August 2026)
- R30
- whales, photographs, cottages
- 3 houses
- the open-air part
- 24 hours
The museum around it comes in three parts: the whale house with skeletons and the whaling history of the bay, the photographic museum in De Wet's Huis with T. D. Ravenscroft's pictures from around 1900, and the fishermen's cottages with tools, aquariums and the Selkirk collection. Admission R30 per adult, cash only (as of August 2026). Open Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00, Saturday 09:00 to 16:30, Sunday 11:00 to 15:00. All three houses take a good hour.
- Time needed
- an hour for the museum
- Cost
- R30 museum, open-air part free (as of August 2026)
- When
- Mon to Fri 09:00 to 17:00, Sat 09:00 to 16:30, Sun 11:00 to 15:00
- From the Old Harbour
- right there
Our tipGo into the whale house first, then out onto the terrace in front of it. After the skeletons you look at the animals in the bay differently.
Old Harbour and museum: common questions
What does the Old Harbour Museum cost, and when is it open?
R30 per adult, cash only (as of August 2026). Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00, Saturday 09:00 to 16:30, Sunday 11:00 to 15:00. The open-air part with the slipway and the boats is open around the clock and free.
What belongs to the museum at the Old Harbour?
Three houses: the whale house with skeletons and the whaling history of the bay, the photographic museum in De Wet's Huis with pictures from around 1900, and the fishermen's cottages with tools, aquariums and the Selkirk collection. All three take a good hour.