The colonial-era State House sits on a low rise just above the city centre, a long white-stucco building with classical proportions and broad verandahs designed for the colonial governor's entertainments. It was built around 1900 and served as the residence of the British commissioners and later the presidents of independent Malawi until 1994.
The grounds are open to the public during daylight hours when no official function is in progress (it remains the President's official southern residence). The gardens and the view back down across Zomba towards the plateau are worth the walk up. Photography of the building itself is sometimes restricted; ask at the gate.