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The Karen
Blixen Coffee House and Museum
- In Karen, Kenya
Karen Blixen Museum is located on the outskirts of Nairobi on Karen road. Its history dates back to 1914, during the First
World War, with the arrival of Karen Blixen from Denmark. At the foot of Ngong hills, Karen Blixen established herself as a
farmer. After her departure in 1931 the suburbs retained the commemorative home of Karen.
The house and the surrounding land was donated by the Danish government to Kenya at
independence. The house was restored by the Danish government and was used during the filming of "Out of Africa" which immortalized Karen Blixen’s book
by the same name. The museum was opened to the public in 1986.
A striking feature about Karen Blixen Museum is the beautiful grounds. The house built in 1910 has a red tile roof and mellow
wood paneling in the rooms. When Baroness Karen Blixen bought the property in 1917, it had 6,000 acres of land but only
600 acres were developed for growing coffee, the rest was retained under natural forest.
Much of the original furniture is on display in the house. The original kitchen has been restored and is now open for viewing.
Reconstruction of the coffee factory, along with other old farm machinery is underway. The aim here is to take an individual
back in time and provide a visual impression of each settler life in Kenya.
The museum has become a hub of various activities including private parties, research and visitation, from all over the world.
The income so generated is used to refurbish and maintain the Karen Blixen and other regional museums.
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