The Addis Ababa Museum occupies the house where Emperor Menelik II lived before moving to the Jubilee Palace, making the building itself as interesting as the contents. The exhibits trace the history of the city from its founding in 1886 through the Italian occupation and into the modern era.
Photographs, personal effects, weapons, and documents paint a picture of a city that grew from an imperial camp into a metropolis of millions within a century. The museum is small and sometimes underlit, but the building and its garden are charming, and the admission price is low. Worth an hour if you are interested in the city's history.