Historic farmhouse museum, Karen

Karen Blixen Museum

The Karen Blixen Museum is the farmhouse where Danish author Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen) lived while running a coffee farm at the foot of the Ngong Hills. It is part of the National Museums of Kenya and opened as a museum in 1986.

What makes it special

The house was built in 1912 by Swedish engineer Åke Sjögren and bought by Karen Blixen and her husband in 1917.
It was the centre of a 6,000-acre farm, 600 acres of which were under coffee; Blixen left for Denmark in 1931.
The Danish government bought the house in 1964 and gave it to Kenya as an independence gift.
Interest in the house grew after the 1985 Oscar-winning film Out of Africa, based on Blixen’s memoir of the same name.

Good to know

Located in the Nairobi suburb of Karen, about 10 km from the city centre, at the foot of the Ngong Hills.
Guided tours run throughout the day; the grounds include gardens, indigenous forest, a nature trail and outdoor farm machinery, including original coffee-processing equipment.
Opening hours are not published on the official page — check times before you go (contact: karen.blixen@museums.or.ke).
Best combined with the Giraffe Centre and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which are in the same part of Nairobi.

Why visit

The museum shows how a colonial-era coffee farm in Kenya was run and connects visitors with the setting of Out of Africa. The house contains furniture the museum reacquired after Blixen sold it when she left Kenya.

Experience it with Mbutu Tours & Safaris

It fits into a half-day or full-day Nairobi tour, often combined with the Giraffe Centre and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

At a glance

Known for
Former home of Out of Africa author Karen Blixen

Activities
Guided house tour, garden and nature trail walk, viewing historic farm equipment, museum shop, Karen’s Art Corner

TRA Licence No

TRA2/1/C01/47054

Safaris

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