Hilton Nairobi

Nairobi Snake Park is one of the NMK attractions located adjacent to Nairobi National Museum and is extremely popular with visitors. The Nairobi Snake Park was started in January, 1961 to meet a popular attraction and to provide a research facility on reptiles, breeding of snakes. Live snakes were exhibited on experimental basis at the entrance of the Museum in 1958 which later became a popular attraction.When the popularity was noted, a portion of land in front of the Museum and down to the Nairobi River was acquired by the Museum Trustees for the development of Botanical gardens and exhibitions on live snakes. This idea was developed further in 1959, when money was made available for a combined facility, Snake Park and Snake study centre surrounded by a botanical garden and war memorial garden on one end.

The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) is a state corporation established by an Act of Parliament, the National Museums and Heritage Act, 2006 no. 6 of 2006. NMK is a multi-disciplinary institution whose role is to collect, preserve, study, document and present Kenya’s past and present cultural and natural heritage. This is for the purposes of enhancing knowledge, appreciation, respect and sustainable utilization of these resources for the benefit of Kenya and the world, for now and posterity.

Nairobi National Park is a unique ecosystem by being the only protected area in the world close to a capital city. The park is located only 7 km from Nairobi city centre. The savannah ecosystem comprise of different vegetation types. Open grass plains with scattered acacia bush are predominant. The western side has a highland dry forest and a permanent river with a riverine forest. To the south are the Athi-Kapiti Plains and Kitengela migration corridor which are important wildlife dispersal areas during the rain season. Man-made dams within the park have added a further habitat, favorable to certain species of birds and other aquatic biome.