All activities / Museums & Galleries / Lome
Museums & Galleries in Lome
Lome is the seafront capital of Togo, spread along the Gulf of Guinea right against the Ghanaian border. A city of wide boulevards, the huge Grand Marche, the Akodessewa fetish market and the restored Palais de Lome art park, it is the country's cultural gateway and its liveliest stretch of coast.
Why here
The Palais de Lome is the boldest cultural project in Togo and one of the most striking arts venues in West Africa. It occupies the former Governors' Palace, a grand building raised from 1898 under German colonial rule and used as a seat of power for around a century before it was abandoned. After seven years of restoration it reopened at the end of 2019 as an art and culture centre set in an eleven-hectare seafront park, and it is described as the only contemporary-art centre in Africa fully financed by the state. Its galleries stage ambitious exhibitions of Togolese, African and international art, alongside performances, workshops and shows on the country's own history and natural heritage, while the surrounding botanical park is a rare stretch of green and calm in the capital. For a first-time visitor it is the clearest, most ambitious window into how Togo is reclaiming its heritage and presenting African art on its own terms.
Best months
The Palais and its park are open to the public daily, generally from mid-morning to late afternoon, with exhibitions rotating through the year, so check the current programme before you go. The driest, most comfortable months on the Lome coast run from November to February. Allow a couple of hours for the galleries and the park together; the seafront setting means it is hot and exposed, so bring sun cover and water for the grounds.
Getting there & around
The Palais de Lome sits on the seafront in the capital, an easy taxi ride from central Lome and the airport, Gnassingbe Eyadema International. Lome is on the settled southern coast of Togo, far from the northern advisory zones, and shares a border crossing with Ghana's Aflao just to the west. Combine the Palais with the Grand Marche and the nearby Akodessewa fetish market for a full day in the capital.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (1)
Palais de Lome
OrganizerThe Palais de Lome is an art and culture centre in the Togolese capital, opened at the end of 2019 in the restored former Governors' Palace, raised from 1898 under German colonial rule. Set in an eleven-hectare seafront botanical park, it is described as the only contemporary-art centre in Africa fully financed by the state. It stages exhibitions of Togolese, African and international art, plus performances, workshops and displays on the country's history and nature, open daily.