Education

Learners and large groups are catered for in our group accommodation, called Hominid House

Learners are intrigued by a display highlighting the history of Earth at Maropeng

Exhibits at the Maropeng Visitor Centre are highly interactive

Learning about what distinguishes humans from other species can be eye opening

We have facilities to accommodate large groups, such as school classes, at Hominid House

Learning about brain development at the Maropeng Visitor Centre

Children interact with the extinct dodo at an interactive exhibit at the Maropeng Visitor Centre

Scholars learn about the formation of the Earth, 4.6-billion years ago

Learners read about hominids in a fascinating display

Maropeng is perfect for school tours

The final exhibit at Maropeng encourages visitors to reflect on the human gift of creativity

The Maropeng Visitor Centre is housed in the Tumulus Building

Teachers and learners will never forget their visit to the Cradle of Humankind and its two visitor centres – the main one packed with exciting, interactive exhibits at Maropeng, and a smaller one which is the gateway to the fascinating Sterkfontein Caves and their secrets about our past.

Why visit the Cradle of Humankind?

The Cradle of Humankind was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 because of the area’s exceptional contribution to our understanding of the history of humanity, over more than 3-million years. All together, there are 15 major fossil sites in the Cradle of Humankind, of which Sterkfontein Caves is the most famous. The fossils “Mrs Ples” and “Little Foot” were both discovered at the Sterkfontein Caves, as well as thousands more fossils of hominids, which are human ancestors, as well those of plants and animals.

More hominid fossils have been found in the Cradle of Humankind than anywhere else on Earth. 

Resource pack

With the help of a curriculum-linked resource pack, brimming with fascinating and practical educational material such as worksheets and suggested activities, teachers will be able to prepare learners before they visit the Cradle of Humankind, and to give them follow-up assignments afterwards. The pack is carefully integrated with the South African education curriculum, and has been endorsed by the National Department of Education, with a foreword from Minister of Education Naledi Pandor. Learners at any level, studying any learning area and field, will be able to engage with appropriate content in the exhibitions.

While the guides at Maropeng have been trained to use the material and are able to assist when necessary, the resource pack has been specifically designed for teachers to structure their own educational excursion in order to gain the most possible from their experience.

Please click on the links below to download the education pack for each learning phase.

• Introduction to Maropeng for Teachers (3.4 MB)
• Foundation Phase (4 MB)
• Intermediate Phase (4.8 MB)
• Senior Phase (8.2 MB)
• FET Phase (15.4 MB)

For more information, please contact the Maropeng, on +27 (0) 14 577 9000, or email: .

Group accommodation

Why not make the best of your visit to the Cradle of Humankind, and book a school tour for a few nights?

We offer group accommodation for up to 120 learners or adults, with separate rooms for teachers or leaders in our Hominid House.

Please call us on +27 (0) 14 577 9000, or e-mail for rates, availability or more information.