Attraction · Accra
Independence Square
Independence Square, or Black Star Square, is Accra's national monument square in Osu, home to the Independence Arch, the Black Star Gate and the Memorial of the Unknown Soldier.
Photo: Rjruiziii · Source
Explore Ghana
Things to do in Accra
Accra rewards the curious traveller. Ghana's capital gathers its history into a compact, walkable set of places, from the national monuments of Independence Square (Black Star Square) in Osu to the old trading streets of Jamestown and the Central Business District. Almost everything here tells a story about the country's past and its culture, whether you are standing at the Independence Arch, climbing the Jamestown Lighthouse, or wandering the stalls of Makola Market.
The places differ in mood and pace. Some are solemn and monumental, such as the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park on the Old Polo Grounds and the W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture in Cantonments. Others are busy and social, like Makola Market and the Accra Arts Centre, Ghana's largest arts and crafts marketplace. The forts and museums, including Osu Castle (Christiansborg), Ussher Fort and the National Museum of Ghana, suit anyone who wants the deeper historical picture.
Good to know
Before you go
Plan a few places per day rather than racing between all ten, as Accra's traffic and heat both take time. Group the Jamestown sites together: James Fort, Ussher Fort and the Jamestown Lighthouse sit close to one another, while Independence Square, Osu Castle and Makola Market make a natural central cluster. Check ahead before you travel, as opening arrangements change: James Fort is currently listed as temporarily closed, and some sites are managed by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. Bring water, sun protection and small notes for market purchases, and ask before photographing people.
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Places to explore
Attraction · Accra
James Fort
James Fort is a 17th-century British fort in Jamestown, Accra, built in 1673, later a prison and now a GMMB-managed heritage site that is currently listed as temporarily closed.
Photo: Newfoundlandguy · Source
Attraction · Accra
Jamestown Lighthouse
Jamestown Lighthouse is a 28 m red-and-white banded tower in Jamestown, Accra, built in 1932 to replace an 1871 lighthouse, with 112 steps to summit views.
Photo: Dan Sloan · Source
Attraction · Accra
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park
Accra's memorial park and mausoleum honouring Ghana's first President, Kwame Nkrumah, and his wife Fathia, on the Old Polo Grounds.
Photo: Nardi Boobo · Source
Attraction · Accra
Makola Market
Makola Market is Accra's largest and most famous open-air market, a 1924 trading district in the city's Central Business District on Kojo Thompson Road.
Photo: Benggriff · Source
Attraction · Accra
National Museum of Ghana
Ghana's national museum on Barnes Road in Adabraka, Accra, opened in 1957 and run by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.
Photo: Yanajin33 · Source
Attraction · Accra
Osu Castle
Osu Castle (Christiansborg) is a 17th-century fort at Osu, Accra, run by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board and part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Photo: Danieljatuat · Source
Attraction · Accra
Ussher Fort
Ussher Fort is a 17th-century Dutch-built fort in James Town, Accra, now home to the Ussher Fort Museum on the history of the slave trade in Ghana.
Photo: Twi inaccr · Source
Attraction · Accra
W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture
Memorial, museum and research centre in Cantonments, Accra, occupying the former home of W.E.B. Du Bois, with his mausoleum, library and archives.
Photo: Yorker · Source
Attraction
Attraction · Accra
Accra Arts Centre
The Accra Arts Centre (Centre for National Culture) is Ghana's largest arts and crafts marketplace, in central Accra off Atta Mills High Street, with free entry.