The Houses of Parliament occupy a sober neoclassical complex along Government Avenue, with the original 1884 building now joined by twentieth-century additions. The South African legislature has met here since 1910, although the executive branch sits in Pretoria — Cape Town gets parliament, Pretoria gets the cabinet.
A major fire in January 2022 gutted the National Assembly chamber and other parts of the complex; reconstruction has been slow. Tours run intermittently — when in session, the public gallery can be accessed on request — but for most visitors the building is something to admire from the path through the Company's Garden.