Culture & Heritage
Manhyia Palace Museum tells the Asante story in the kingdom’s own words
Ashanti Region
Manhyia Palace Museum, Ashanti Region
The former residence of the Asantehene in Kumasi, now a museum of the kingdom’s regalia, history and continuing authority.
Built by the British in 1925 for the returning Asantehene Prempeh I after his exile in the Seychelles, Manhyia served as the royal residence until 1974 and opened as a museum in 1995.
The rooms are kept much as they were, with the furniture, photographs and personal effects of Prempeh I and Prempeh II. Displays cover the Golden Stool, the Asante wars, the structure of the kingdom and the role of the Asantehene today.
The current palace stands next door and is not open to visitors, but on Akwasidae festival days, held every six weeks, the courtyard fills for the public durbar and visitors are welcome to watch.
What to see
- The preserved royal rooms and regalia
- The Akwasidae durbar, held every six weeks
- Displays on the Golden Stool and Asante history
- Kumasi craft villages within easy reach
Getting there
- Ten minutes by taxi from Kejetia market in central Kumasi.
- Kumasi is a five-hour drive or a forty-five minute flight from Accra.
Get directions
Visitor tips
- Photography inside the museum rooms is restricted.
- Dress modestly if you are attending an Akwasidae durbar.
