Karen Blixen Museum 🇰🇪

Set at the foot of the Ngong Hills just 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) outside Nairobi, the Karen Blixen Museum offers you a historic glimpse into the former African home of the famed Danish author. If you are a fan of her classic 1937 memoir Out of Africa or her book Shadows on the Grass, visiting this notable landmark lets you step directly into the world where her legendary stories took root. Originally built in 1912 by Swedish engineer Åke Sjögren in what was then British East Africa, this charming bungalow-style house and its attached property were purchased in 1917 by Karen Blixen and her husband to run a coffee plantation.

After her husband departed, Blixen managed the estate until 1931. Today, you can explore this national museum—donated by Denmark to Kenya in 1964 as an independence gift—and wander through the surrounding upscale suburb of Karen, which was developed from the re-parceled coffee farm. As you walk the grounds, keep in mind that while the famous 1985 movie adaptation sparked the museum's 1986 opening, the film was actually shot at her nearby first farmhouse, Mbagathi.

It remains an unforgettable, atmospheric destination on your Kenyan travel itinerary.

What to see at Karen Blixen Museum

• The original 1912 bungalow-style home of author Karen Blixen
• Historic location at the foot of the picturesque Ngong Hills
• Grounds of the former coffee plantation chronicled in Out of Africa
• Surrounding upscale suburb of Karen, named after the historic estate

Visiting tips

Remember that the 1985 movie was filmed at Blixen's nearby first farmhouse, Mbagathi, rather than at this museum property.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Daytime

How to get there & what’s nearby

Karen Blixen Museum is easy to reach on Nairobi’s public transport. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Nairobi travel guide.