Entertainment and Activities
The Mall of Rosebank, immediately adjacent to The Grace The Mall's Rooftop Market, arguably SA's best, offers a huge range of beautifully crafted merchandise (open Sundays and public holidays) Hotel is within one block of one of Jo'burg's most exclusive shopping precincts, including specialist malls and boutiques An eclectic mix of over 200 popular restaurants within easy walking distance of The Grace Old Mutual Entertainment and shopping centre with 12 cinemas, Woolworths, music and bookstores, children's entertainment centre, fashion stores and restaurants Permanent African curio market with quality controlled traders in Cradock Avenue promenade (one block from The Grace.) Several excellent art galleries and exclusive Art Nouveau cinema complex.

Character
Quote from London's "Daily Telegraph", Hotel Watch, March 1999: "Rosebank, quite the best of Jo'burg's Northern suburbs, I mean the old green ones, not the brash new ones. Wooded, walkable, rich in restaurants, clubs and cinemas, Rosebank has that characteristic Jo'burg blend of the chic and the seedy; curio sellers, sushi bars, buskers and beggars." General comparison with Sandton: Sandton is large, business-centred, concrete intensive; Rosebank is residential in nature, cosmopolitan and culture-rich, with tree-lined streets and walkable shopping, eating and entertainment.

Johannesburg Art Gallery
The gallery contains a valuable collection of international and South African art, including works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Rodin, El Greco and Henry Moore. Open Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Monday, Christmas Day and Good Friday. One-hour guided tours are available.

Planetarium
Educational and entertaining programmes on different aspects of astronomy are held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Phone for programme details and times: + 27 11 717 1392 Tickets are available at Computicket and the planetarium.

Adler Museum of the History of Medicine
Displays depict the history of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy in South Africa. In a Herbert Baker House (a National Monument) in the grounds of the SA Institute for Medical Research, cnr Hospital and De Korte Streets - near the Civic Center. Hours Mon-Fri: 9:00-16:00. Guided tours by appointment.

Civic Theatre
Guided tours offer opportunities of discovering a magical backstage world. Historical features of the buildings are highlighted, and technical aspects of stage, sets, sound and lighting are demonstrated. Tours take place Tuesdays and Thursdays: 11:00 and 14:00.

Gold Reef City
A reconstruction of Johannesburg during the gold rush era, built around a gold mine. Diversions include a Victorian fun fair, miners' houses, a brewery, pubs, a hotel, restaurants and a stock exchange. You can watch molten gold being poured and take a trip down an old mine shaft. Tribal dancing adds to the fun.

Museum Africa
The focus of the museum is mainly on life in Southern Africa from the Stone Age to the nuclear age & beyond. The section on Johannesburg features models of Tswana & Bushman people. In addition to a gallery of rock art, there is an interesting section on a more recent phenomenon - squatter camps & shebeens.

Zoo Lake
A large, well-established park surrounds Zoo Lake, which is frequented by breeding bird colonies. Other attractions include rowing boats for hire, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a bowling club, a tea garden and a restaurant.

Johannesburg Botanical Gardens
The gardens are the setting for bonsai trees, herbs, a medical and literary garden and a 24-acre rose garden reputed to be the largest in the world. Open: 07:00 - 16:00. Guided tours can be arranged.

Johannesburg Zoo
Close to the COD and main freeways, the Johannesburg Zoological Gardens support more than 300 species of mammals, birds and reptiles, including rare, exotic species, mainly from other parts of Africa. Tours are available. Open daily.

Melrose Wild Bird Sanctuary
A 10-minute drive will transport you from the center of Johannesburg to a symphony of birdsong. More than 120 wild bird species nest in the reedbeds and indigenous trees around a lake. Best in the early morning and late evening.

Soweto
Soweto ( SOuth WEstern TOwnships ) is the largest black residential area in South Africa and provides a fascinating contrast to the north-eastern suburbs of Johannesburg. The 'city within a city' consists of 50 suburbs and essentially acts as a labour reservoir for the greater metropolitan area on the Witwatersrand. In many ways, the story of Soweto is the story of South Africa. Tours include highlights such as the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, the Hector Peterson Memorial and Nelson's Mandela's former home