Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Kenya Nairobi Karen Blixen Museum
AO Edited

Karen Blixen Museum

The farmhouse owned by the Danish author who wrote "Out of Africa" is now a museum honoring her legacy.

Nairobi, Kenya

Added By
Rachel Gould
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Karen Blixen Museum in Nairobi.   Rod Waddington/cc by-sa 2.0
The Karen Blixen Museum in Nairobi.   Alexander Leisser/cc by-sa 4.0
The Karen Blixen Museum in Nairobi.   Alexander Leisser/cc by-sa 4.0
  Ursula / Atlas Obscura User
  Ursula / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
  Ursula / Atlas Obscura User
  abogadapascualaguilar / Atlas Obscura User
  Ursula / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Some 6 miles outside the center of Nairobi, the Karen Blixen Museum is located in a century-old farmhouse on 6,000 acres of land at the foot of Kenya’s Ngong Hills. The farm was once owned by the Swedish Baron Bror von Blixen Fincke and his wife, Baroness Karen Blixen, who gained significant prominence for her 1937 memoir, “Out of Africa.”

The couple bought the property in 1917 and lived in the farmhouse until 1921, when Karen Blixen became the sole owner of the home following the end of her marriage. Blixen fell in love with an English game hunter named Denys Finch Hatton, who died in a plane crash in 1931. The tragedy prompted Blixen to return to Denmark that same year, and the farmhouse passed through several successive owners.

In 1964, the Danish government purchased Blixen's former farmhouse house and gifted it to Kenya as a token of the country’s newly gained independence from Britain. The house appeared in the film adaptation of Out of Africa in 1985, after which the National Museums of Kenya acquired the property to convert the house into a museum.

The Karen Blixen Museum opened in 1986 in honor of Blixen's life and work at her beloved residence "in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills," as she so famously wrote.

Related Tags

Houses Museums Literature Authors Film Locations Film Books Homes

Know Before You Go

The Karen Blixen Museum is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors are suggested to arrive no later than 5:30 p.m. Guided tours are offered daily.

Community Contributors

Added By

Rachel Gould

Edited By

Alex Calder, rbenn250, Ursula, abogadapascualaguilar

  • Alex Calder
  • rbenn250
  • Ursula
  • abogadapascualaguilar

Published

December 7, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.museums.or.ke/karen-blixen/
Karen Blixen Museum
Karen Rd
Nairobi
Kenya
-1.345727, 36.7284
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Giraffe Centre

Nairobi, Kenya

miles away

Giraffe Manor

Nairobi, Kenya

miles away

Embark Restaurant

Nairobi, Kenya

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nairobi

Nairobi

Kenya

Places 11
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Giraffe Centre

Nairobi, Kenya

miles away

Giraffe Manor

Nairobi, Kenya

miles away

Embark Restaurant

Nairobi, Kenya

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nairobi

Nairobi

Kenya

Places 11
Stories 5

Related Places

  • The Orchard House.

    Concord, Massachusetts

    Orchard House

    Louisa May Alcott based “Little Women” on her experiences growing up in this house with her sisters.

  • Thomas Wolfe Memorial

    Asheville, North Carolina

    Thomas Wolfe Memorial

    An early life spent in this "Old Kentucky Home" inspired the writings of North Carolina's most famous novelist.

  • The Campbell House is better known by its nom de plume

    Green Gables, Prince Edward Island

    Anne of Green Gables Museum

    Go inside the house that inspired L. M. Montgomery to create one of literature's most beloved heroines.

  • Brontë Parsonage Museum

    Haworth, England

    Brontë Parsonage Museum

    Some of the most enduring novels in English literature were written within the walls of this Georgian-era building.

  • Maryborough, Australia

    The Story Bank

    A museum dedicated to the legacy of writer P.L. Travers and her most beloved character, Mary Poppins.

  • Interior of the house

    Paris, France

    Maison de Victor Hugo

    A museum dedicated to one of Paris’s most famous residents, tucked into a corner of one of the city’s most famous squares.

  • Inside the apartment

    Stockholm, Sweden

    Astrid Lindgrens Hem (Astrid Lindgren's House)

    The apartment where Pippi Longstocking came to life.

  • The Outsiders House

    Tulsa, Oklahoma

    The Outsiders House Museum

    Once in disrepair, the house where the 1983 film was shot has been restored and turned into a museum.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.