House of Wonders (Beit al-Ajaib) in Stone Town: visit, price and hours (2026)
The House of Wonders, or Beit al-Ajaib, is the big white building with colonnades and a clock tower that dominates the Stone Town seafront. Sultan Barghash had it built in 1883 as a ceremonial palace; it is known as the first building in East Africa fitted with electricity and a lift. It housed the museum of Swahili history and culture. Know this before you go: the interior has been closed to the public since part of the facade collapsed in December 2020, and no reopening was confirmed in October 2026. So you look at it from the outside, from the square and the seafront. No current fee or opening hours could be confirmed.
Highlights
The facade and the clock tower
Three floors of verandas on metal pillars open onto the sea, topped by a square clock tower. It is one of the most photographed landmarks in the city.
The restoration site
After the collapses, the building was propped up and covered in scaffolding. Restoration was under way in the latest information available, with no confirmed end date.
The seafront cannons
In front of the palace, cannons recall the military and trading role of Zanzibar's port in the 19th century. They can be seen without going in.
Practical info
Tips
- Do not count on an interior visit: ask your hotel or a licensed guide whether the building has reopened, because online information is old and sometimes contradictory. An old fee of 6,000 TZS for foreigners circulates in guides, but it dates from more than ten years ago and should not be taken as a reference. If you want to see inside a palace, visit the Palace Museum. The outside takes a few minutes; combine it with the Old Fort, a few steps away, and the Forodhani night market in the evening.
How to get there
The House of Wonders is on the Stone Town seafront, between Forodhani Gardens and the Old Fort, a few minutes' walk from each. From the airport, allow about 10 to 30 minutes by taxi to the old town: see from the airport to your hotel. The rest of Stone Town is visited on foot.
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
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