Go to the National Museum of Ethiopia in the Arat Kilo area of Addis Ababa and head down to the basement: that is where Lucy is displayed. The one thing to know before you go is that the skeleton on show is a replica. The original 3.2-million-year-old bones belong to the museum but are kept in secure storage, so a visit is about seeing Lucy's story told in the country where she was found, not about standing over the fossil itself. The museum is in central Addis, and with a driver for the day it combines easily with Holy Trinity Cathedral and other nearby sights.

Who is Lucy?

Lucy is a partial skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis, an early human relative that walked upright. She was found in 1974 at Hadar, in the Afar region of north-eastern Ethiopia, by palaeoanthropologist Donald Johanson and student Tom Gray. She lived about 3.2 million years ago and stood roughly 1.1 metres (three and a half feet) tall. About 40 per cent of her skeleton survives, including parts of the skull, jaw, ribs, arms, pelvis and legs.

In Ethiopia she is also known as Dinkinesh, Amharic for "you are marvellous". The museum also holds Selam, the fossil of a young afarensis child, around two and a half to three years old, found in 2000 near Lucy's site. Selam is one of the best-preserved early human child fossils ever found.

Will you see the real Lucy or a replica?

A replica. The original is kept in a secure vault, and the skeleton in the gallery is a cast. It is detailed, and seeing the reclining skeleton next to an upright reconstruction at her real height gives you a strong sense of how small she was.

Many of the other fossils and objects in the museum are genuine, so the visit is worth it even knowing Lucy herself is a copy.

Where is the National Museum and when is it open?

The museum is on King George VI Street in the Arat Kilo area, near Addis Ababa University. Holy Trinity Cathedral is in the same part of town, so the two combine easily in one morning or afternoon. Our drivers drop you at the museum gate, wait while you go round and take you on to the next stop, which saves looking for a ride in the busy Arat Kilo traffic.

The museum is generally open from roughly 8:30am to 5:30pm, and weekend hours may be shorter (9am to 5pm). It closes on major Ethiopian Orthodox holidays such as Genna and Timkat, and may also close for Meskel. Hours can change, so check locally before you set out and arrive by mid-afternoon so you have time for the basement and at least one upper floor.

The 2025 renovation

The museum closed in December 2024 for a renovation supported by the French government. The work repaired long-standing drainage problems, upgraded the permanent exhibitions and improved security. It reopened on 23 May 2025. If a gallery is closed on the day you visit, ask the staff when it will reopen.

How much does it cost?

There is an entry fee, and foreign visitors pay more than Ethiopian residents. Check the current price at the gate. Expect to pay in cash, so bring birr, and ask at the desk whether you need a separate permit for photography.

What else is in the museum?

Lucy is the star, but the museum covers far more than fossils. The collection is spread over several floors, and the upper-floor layout can change, so treat this as an outline:

• Basement: palaeoanthropology. Lucy, Selam and other early human fossils.
• Archaeology. Objects from the pre-Aksumite and Aksumite periods.
• Imperial items. Royal regalia and costumes, including items linked to Emperor Haile Selassie.
• Ethnography. Clothing, household objects and crafts from peoples across Ethiopia.
• Art. Ethiopian painting, including modern artists such as Afewerk Tekle.

What are the best tips for your visit?

1. Start in the basement. See Lucy while you are fresh, then work upward.
2. Decide about a guide at the entrance. Museum guides are often available at the entrance. If you use one, agree the fee first.
3. Allow enough time. About 90 minutes to two hours covers the highlights; allow three if you want every floor.
4. Pair it with Arat Kilo sights. Holy Trinity Cathedral is nearby, and it is easy to add other central sights to the same day.
5. Don't try to visit Hadar. The find site is in Afar, and travel there isn't advised right now. The museum in Addis is the place to see Lucy.

Is it worth it if you only have a day in Addis?

Yes. It is central, quick to visit and makes a clear case that Ethiopia sits at the centre of the human story. Knowing the skeleton is a replica does not take much away from it. If you have a long enough Ethiopian Airlines layover to leave the airport, it is one of the easiest stops to fit in: we can meet you at Bole arrivals, drive you to the museum and bring you back to the airport.