Places of Interest Accra, Ghana- Military Museum, Kumasi

Front view of museum Adum, Kumasi

Location: In the town of Adum
Kumasi

Exhibit describing King Prempeh's return

The military museum as it is now known was formerly known as the Kumasi Fort and is rich in history, being the place where the Governor Sir Fredrick Mitchell Hodgson was besieged by an army of 20,000 Ansante warriors.

Rare photograph of Yaa Asantewaa

The warriors were led by Yaa Asantewaa, who was the enstooled queen mother of Edweso. Relations between the British and the Asante's were not great at the best of times, as documents of history show such as the Times Newspaper Archives.

Things came to a head when the Governor at the time Sir Fredrick Hodgson demanded that the Golden stool which was sacred to the Asante's be handed over to Hodgson as the representative for the English crown.

The museum has a varied collection of weapons , paintings and other memorabilia dating from the late 1890's through to the second world war, including an old tank outside the museum, many old weapons inside , old uniforms, models of navy ships, photographs of army personnel, a paint of the Governor Sir Fredrick Hodgson and an actual photogrpah of Yaa Asantewaa.

Also can be seen is the cell where the defeated Yaa Asantewaa was kept before she was deported to the Seychelles, where she died in 1921. King prempeh however who was also deported to the Seychelles returned to Kumasi , one of the exhibits as can be seen describing his return.

The museum is well worth a visit and will take a couple of hours to view everything with out rushing. Since the museum is in town refreshments and lunch can be easily obtained at one of the local restaurants. Also near the museum is the sword of Okomfo Anokye, which is within the grounds of the Okomfo Anokye teaching hospital, see the Okomfo Anokye link above