INTERNATIONAL VISITORS
Step Inside
3.5 Million Years
Guided cave tours, the Maropeng Visitor Centre, and the most significant hominin fossil site on Earth — just 47 km north-west of Johannesburg.
Step Inside
WHAT AWAITS YOU
Explore the Cradle
STORIES & INSPIRATION
From the Cradle
HERITAGE
Mrs Ples: The Face That Changed Everything
The 1947 discovery at Sterkfontein rewrote our understanding of where humanity began.
SCIENCE
Little Foot’s 3.67 Million Year Journey
A complete Australopithecus skeleton — still embedded in rock — and what it tells us about our past.
VISITOR GUIDE
Walking With Our Ancestors: A Cave Tour Guide
What to expect inside the Sterkfontein Caves — from torch-lit passages to 2.1-million-year-old fossils.
OUR STORY
The Bones That Rewrote History
“In 1947, Robert Broom unearthed the skull of Mrs Ples. In that moment, Africa declared itself the birthplace of humanity.”
The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is a 52,000-hectare area of palaeoanthropological value — distinguished by having yielded the highest quality and greatest density of hominin fossil finds in the world.
VISITOR UPDATES
Current Event Information
VISITOR INFORMATION
Current Destination Updates
Use the official destination channels or contact the visitor team for current event dates, programmes and visitor notices before you travel.
GETTING HERE
Plan Your Visit
Use the verified map for location. Confirm current hours, access, products and facilities directly with the venue before you travel.
By Car
Use the verified map and current route guidance from your starting point. Confirm access with the venue before travel.
By Air
Lanseria International Airport is the nearest airport. Confirm onward transport with your chosen venue or operator.
GPS / Maps
Maropeng Visitor Centre, Hekpoort Road, Sterkfontein, Magaliesburg, 1911.
SCIENCE & HERITAGE
Where discovery
meets living heritage
The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is both an internationally significant scientific archive and a living cultural landscape. Research, conservation, education and community knowledge work together to protect its story.
01
World Heritage Significance
Begin with the fossil-bearing landscape, its scientific value and the responsibility to protect it.
02
Human Origins
Explore how evidence from the World Heritage Site contributes to the evolving story of human origins.
03
Fossil Discoveries
Understand discoveries through their geological setting, excavation, analysis and reviewed interpretation.
PLAN WITH CURRENT INFORMATION
Ready for another visit?
Review attraction contacts, opening information and directions before travelling.
OFFICIAL CHANNELS
Stay connected
Follow destination news through the official social channels or contact the visitor team directly.
+27 (0)14 577 9000 info@maropeng.co.za
CRADLE OF HUMANKIND
WORLD HERITAGE SITE
A 52,000-hectare UNESCO World Heritage Site — the richest hominin fossil record on Earth.
26°0′S · 27°44′E
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Maropeng Centre
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