National Costume Museum

The National Costume Museum — Musée national du costume de Grand-Bassam — occupies a large restored colonial house in the historic quarter. Its collection focuses on traditional dress and textiles from across Côte d'Ivoire, with costumes representing the country's dozens of ethnic groups, from the Akan of the south to the Senoufo of the north.

The displays are well arranged by region and occasion. Ceremonial garments, everyday dress, and royal regalia sit alongside explanatory panels that give context about the communities and rituals each costume belongs to. The museum is particularly strong on kente-style strip-woven cloth, the masks and ceremonial dress associated with Poro and Sande societies, and the embroidered robes worn at Dioula courts.

The courtyard has been planted with shade trees and provides a pleasant pause between the galleries. The museum is one of the few buildings in the historic quarter that has been properly restored and maintained, and it is worth the modest entrance fee. A visit here pairs well with a walk through the wider heritage zone.

things to do museum
A story
The building that houses the National Costume Museum was once the home of a colonial-era merchant. It was built to impress — high ceilings, wraparound verandas, a facade meant to project prosperity across the lagoon. The merchant is long forgotten; the building now houses one of the most distinctive museum collections in West Africa.