The Jimma Museum occupies a building within the Aba Jifar Palace compound on the northern hill above the city. Its collection focuses on the Kingdom of Jimma and the broader Oromo culture of the region: royal ceremonial objects, traditional weapons, household artefacts, and items relating to the coffee trade that sustained the kingdom's wealth.
The museum is small by international standards but rewarding for the context it provides. Among the objects are examples of the Maria Theresa Thaler silver coins that served as currency in the region, traditional Oromo jewellery, and implements associated with the coffee ceremony. A section on daily life in the kingdom helps fill in what the palace buildings themselves suggest but don't fully explain. Most labels are in Amharic and Oromo, so a guide who can translate adds considerably to the visit. The museum and palace are generally visited together — admission is charged at the gate and covers both.