Place · Meskel Square & Kazanchis
Red Terror Martyrs Memorial MuseumQey Shibir Museum
A sobering museum documenting the Derg regime's 1977–1978 Red Terror campaign, near Meskel Square: a heavy but important indoor hour, best combined with a lighter morning stop.
Key facts
- Time on site
- 45–60 min
- p95 90 min
- Price
- Free
- Hours
- 09:00–17:00
- typical, check
- Best time
- morning
- quietest window
- 28″ bags
- Painful
- Meskel Square & Kazanchis: painful
- Getting there
- Car to the museum entrance, Meskel Square area
- Derg-era history
- Free entry, donations welcome
- Graphic content: not for young children
- Go morning
- Free entry
- Mostly indoors
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
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Map & directions
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Plan
What to know before you go, how long it takes, when to be there
Weather here, next 7 days
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Time on site
Minimum
30min
Worthwhile
45min
Typical
60min
p95
90min
Hours are not printed here until verified; many Addis museums close on Monday.
On the ground
Getting in, crowds, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Car to the museum entrance, Meskel Square area
- Exit
- —
- Ticket
- free · official site
- Stairs
- unknown
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Crowds and switching
- Crowd clock
- Quiet most days.
- Sensory load
- 2/5
- Exposure
- low
Bailouts
heat
Nearest café (field-verify)
Nearest rescue anchor: B — Café on the main street (field-verify)
Red lines
- This is a memorial to victims of state violence: keep a respectful, quiet tone inside.
- Some exhibits (photographs, testimony) are graphic; consider carefully before bringing young children.
More on the groundPrices · Closures · Rules on site · Access and kids · Next door
Tickets and prices
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Free; donations welcome | — |
Closed days and closures
| When | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | check before you go | Many Addis museums close on Monday; confirm before you go. |
“Check” means the date moves year to year or is not published far ahead: confirm on the official page for your date.
Rules on site
- dress
- Casual dress is fine; no specific dress code beyond general respect.
- photos
- Ask staff before photographing exhibits, especially personal testimony and photographs of victims.
Access and kids
- with kids
- Graphic content on state violence; better suited to older teenagers and adults than young children.
Next door, in walking order
- +8′Meskel Square
- +12′African Union headquarters (exterior)
Deep dive
Questions, what is nearby, photos and sources
Questions and answers
What was the Red Terror?
A violent political campaign by Ethiopia's Marxist military government (the Derg) in 1977–1978 that killed tens of thousands of perceived opponents; the museum documents victims' stories and the period's history.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Nearby
Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.
- ClusterMeskel Square & Kazanchisnearest point: Square benches170 m · 3 min walk
- Sleep areaMeskel Square and Kazanchis330 m · 5 min walk
- PlaceHoly Trinity Cathedral2.0 km · 33 min walk
- ClusterPiazza & Churchill Avenue2.7 km · 44 min walk
- ClusterNational Museum & Holy Trinity2.9 km · 48 min walk
- Sleep areaBole (near the airport road)3.1 km · 50 min walk
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage — Addis Ababa