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The Freddie Mercury Museum, dedicated to one of the world’s greatest performers, found in a small house in Zanzibar’s Stone Town. Who would have guessed?
The museum dedicated to the lead singer of the band Queen might at first seem out of place on this small island. Unless of course, you are a super fan. Or maybe just a curious traveler who decides to pay a visit looking to learn more about the legend that is Mr. Mercury.
But is this place A Kind Of Magic or will you Want to Break Free and do something else instead? Keep reading to find out more.
Where is Zanzibar?
First things first, where on Earth is Zanzibar? The largest island in the Zanzibar archipelago is also known simply as Zanzibar by most. It lies off the coast of Tanzania, in East Africa.
The islands are popular with people looking to relax at the gated resorts complete with white sand beaches and crystal clear water. But there’s also a lot of history in Zanzibar, namely at the island’s old center, Stone Town.
Home to the former center of the East Africa slave trade, Zanzibar’s past has been tumultuous to put it lightly.
Ruled by Portugal, then Oman, it became a British protectorate in the late 1800s when the slave trade was abolished. In the 1960s, Zanzibar, together with mainland Tanganyika formed the current Tanzania.
Freddie Mercury in Zanzibar
As widely known as the name Freddie Mercury is, the man himself was actually born as Farrokh Bulsara. He was born in Stone Town, Zanzibar, to Parsi (western Indian) parents after they went there for work, and eventually moved to the UK at the age of 17.
While Freddie spent a lot of his youth in India, including boarding school there, he also lived in the little house in Stone Town that is now the Freddie Mercury Museum.
The house in the small streets of Stone Town, Zanzibar where he grew up seems like a fitting place for the first museum dedicated to the Queen singer.
Where is the Freddie Mercury Museum?
You can find the Freddie Mercury Museum right in the heart of Stone Town, Zanzibar. It lies almost at the end of one of the main shopping streets, surrounded by tourist shops and hotels.
Not only will you immediately spot pictures of the legendary rock star outside, but there’s a huge sign above the door that says Freddie Mercury House. Subtlety aside, it’s a popular spot for visitors, and you’ll find it on most tourist maps. Finding it won’t be an issue, trust me.
When it comes to Zanzibar, typically people either stay in Stone Town, or at one of the beach resorts. I’d recommend a combination of the two – enjoy a few days relaxing by a beach, but also a couple of nights in the historic center. That’s how you can best experience the Freddie Mercury Museum, and other sights around Zanzibar City.
How much does the Freddie Mercury Museum cost?
A visit to the museum will set you back $10 USD. While I felt that might be a bit steep for a visit to such a small house/museum, I am a fan of Queen though, so I was interested enough to want to go inside.
As with most places in Zanzibar – shops and attractions alike – you can pay in either US Dollars or local currency (Tanzania Shillings).
How long will you spend in the museum?
The museum is open every day 10am to 6pm. While you might spend an hour or more if you’re really reading absolutely everything in there, I’d say you’re more likely able to get what you’re looking for from the museum in less than an hour.
I spent about 45 minutes there. During that time I felt like I was able to experience what I wanted to without being rushed.
The museum is a small-ish space so don’t get your hopes up for a a huge museum. It’s all located on one floor, with a clear path around the museum. There’s a regular sized step to get into and out of the museum, but otherwise it’s flat and easy to move around for those with mobility challenges.
What can you see in the Freddie Mercury Museum?
If you’re looking for a ton of Queen memorabilia in the Freddie Mercury Museum you might be a little disappointed. Not to say there isn’t anything, but a large part of the museum is centered around song lyrics and photographs of Freddie growing up.
Freddie Mercury as people remember him. And Farrokh Bulsara, a boy that people didn’t know. Family photos, school pictures, all are displayed along the main photo wall in the museum.
Opposite are stories told by those who knew him growing up – about his life, his home in Zanzibar and his desire to be a showman. Emblazoned across the wall in big letters: “I’m not going to be a star, I’m going to be a legend”. The man had big dreams, he named their band Queen for goodness sakes!
The centerpiece of the museum is a black baby grand piano that Freddie played in his youth. Complete with a familiar yellow leather jacket draped over it. Surrounding both are blown up pictures of Freddie and Queen in concert showing just how big the band was.
While the piano is roped off, the owner offered to let one or two people take a picture seated at the piano when I was there. So you never know, you might get a little closer to Mr. Mercury’s history than you expect.
The other main things to see here, besides photos, quotes and a piano, are handwritten song lyrics. And you may know one or two of these songs. They look like worthless scribbles on crumpled pieces of paper. But look closely and you’ll see they are Freddie’s handwritten lyrics to some of Queen’s popular songs.
Is the Freddie Mercury Museum worth visiting?
I almost didn’t go to the Freddie Mercury Museum. I weighed up the price with how much I thought there would be to see. Was it going to be a bit of a rip off?
It was my final day in Zanzibar and my friend wanted to go back to the hotel to relax. I decided I would go to the museum, after all, what if I never made it back to Zanzibar? The final nudge was that this particular day was Freddie’s birthday, September 5th. And that’s just too coincidental not to take a sign I needed to visit.
Would I go again? No. It was a little overpriced for what it was and the museum was quite small. Am I glad I went? Yes. As a Queen fan, I’m happy I decided to take a look around. I found it interesting enough, even if there wasn’t as much in there as I had hoped.
If you’re a Queen or Freddie fan then you’ll likely find it more worth a visit. If you have no idea who Freddie Mercury is, you’ll probably feel like you paid a high price to see a few photos and a piano.
One of the common complaints I saw online about the museum is that the photos can be found on the internet so there’s not much you can’t already see. Although, how many of us would do that vs. actually go to a museum? Seeing some of the song lyrics in person and a couple of other items are pretty cool.
Should you take anything away from a visit to the Freddie Mercury Museum, it’s that there’s still admiration for a rock legend who died more than three decades ago. A true performer, his songs are still around today. After all, The Show Must Go On, as he would say.
If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you visited the Freddie Mercury Museum in Zanzibar? What did you think?
As a superfan, this museum would be on my list. I knew of Freddie’s connection to Stone Town but I didn’t know they had a museum in his former home.
I would likely spend too much time deciphering his lyric sheets and my fingers would itch to play his piano! It’s good to know what to expect and you’ve done a great job of outlining that.
Lyn | http://www.ramblynjazz.com
I knew that Freddie Mercury was from Zanzibar so it seems appropriate that there would be a museum dedicated to him on the island. It’s interesting to learn that there are lots of exhibits dedicated to his early life and connection to the island. It was good to read your thoughts on the museum, especially about the cost and how long you spent in there. We do like Queen and Freddie Mercury so think that if we visited Zanzibar we would definitely make the effort to visit.
This is a fantastic and unforgettable experience for any fan Queen fan. Thanks to your post I got an understanding of the museum, its structure and curation to bring Freddie’s life closer to the visitor. From what I’ve seen and read in your post the museum beautifully encapsulates his life journey, including his childhood in India & Zanzibar to his global stardom in the UK.
I always like when a museum curates personal artefacts such as Freddie’s stage costumes, handwritten lyrics, and rare photographs, as these very personal items often offer a glimpse into his larger-than-life personality. You can tell the museum did not only focus on the singer but also on his legacy and cultural influence in Zanzibar. Whilst I’m not a huge Queen fan, I can appreciate the work and legacy this icon has left behind.
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
As a huge Queen fan this would be so on my list of places to visit. To know that I was standing in the place where he was born and lived would be worth the $10 alone – yep I agree that the price is steep for what it contains but for me its one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments.
I knew Freddie was born in Zanzibar and had heard of this museum but really knew nothing more about it than that.
Yep, I’d agree that to walk around and see mainly copies of much what I can find on the internet and not much that was original would feel disappointing ….. but to walk in the footsteps of that amazingly iconic and talented man would be priceless to me.
Zanzibar – from a former international spice trade route to international talent. I think Zanzibar’s relationship to the world is a special one. As Freddie Mercury’s birthplace, it surely ushered enough spice that set the world on fire with admiration and we just can’t get enough of it. Long live the Queen #flyingbaguette
Jan – https://flyingbaguette.com/
I had no idea that Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar (though, I don’t know much about him at all). I think it’s really cool that they have a museum devoted to him though, he had such talent and Queen’s music really is one of a kind.
Great post – I debated going into the museum but I’d read reviews basically saying the same; that it’s expensive for how small it is. So ultimately I decided not to, but it would be amazing seeing the handwritten lyric sheets! Not to mention being in the house he grew up in. It was really cool seeing the house from the outside too.
“I’m not going to be a star, I’m going to be a legend,” and he certainly did!
I’m a fan of Freddie and his visionary ability to always be one step (or several) ahead of what others could see. Although the museum may not be WOW for most people, I think I would have chosen to go if I were you, considering it’s such a special date… what a coincidence!
Hi, my wife and I have just visited it, we are not huge Queen fans but really enjoyed it. Seeing the hand written songs in the flesh so to speak for me was amazing, we even sat at his piano and I held the yellow jacket, It for me was very emotional, if you can visit it I would recommend you to go, I am so pleased we did.