The Owl House (Helen Martins Museum)

World renowned, playwright, Athol Fugard's play "The road to Mecca" was inspired by the life of Helen Martins. A visit to Nieu Bethesda and the Owl House is definitely worthwhile from the beautiful scenery en route, the quaint village buildings to being transported back to a time when the strength and determination of a woman with a vision was reason to be spurned by a community.

Nieu Bethesda about 50km from Graaff Reinet and the drive is quite scenic Last bit of the road is gravel and there had been some flooding recently so they were working on parts of the road The Owl House we found a bit odd and eerie at times. A sad and dark story. Some of the artwork was also interesting and a bit weird at the same time. Guess if you into art it maybe a bit more meaningful The place is fairly easy to find and some really nice old houses in the town. It's important to note they only take cash or snapscan. The tour starts off with a video of Helen Martins life and then you head off into the house, all self guided

I've been to the Owl House three times and I've loved it each time. The statues all over the place and Helen's use of light and the materials at hand is incredible. It is like a different perspective on life.Wait timeNo waitReservation recommendedNo

Wow, this was worth the detour. Such beautiful pieces and having watched the little video beforehand, we were so astonished. Well-worth a visit!Visited onWeekdayWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedNo

Loved it! Quite a different experience made me think about quite a lot things long after I left.

Most interesting little town and obviously the Oil house to visit with a lot of strange and wonderful things to see and experience, definitely a good way to break a long trip towards the coast.

After looking forward for so many years to see and experience the OWL HOUSE, I was a bit underwhelmed. Yes, there are statues in the garden, created by Helen Martin, but where are all the owls? - maybe I am missing something. The inside of the house was much more interesting where she played with colour and glass to create certain moods. The Owl House is a museum with history, short video, memorabilia and photos of her life and works. Entry is currently R75 pp.

A fantastic experience and a wonderful thing to do in Nieu Bethesda, this is a must. It's a glimpse into another world, and a living monument to this town and the remarkable woman who created this masterpiece. Walking through the house you do get the full sense of what life must have been like here. It is like being in a time machine, filled with exceptional and beautiful sculptural art.

I'm giving this 5 stars because I adore this relic of poetry and pain. That being said, this visit I noted how sad this house really is. I had quite an emotional response being in this immersive realm of Helen's art and life. I think this is a mandatory museum to visit. It encapsulates art, history, women's history, and the sheer strength the people of the Karoo have. This town in special for so many reasons, if you do stop, stay a few days. There's a lot to see.

Place could use a good clean, taking out the weed between the structures.Visited onWeekendWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedYes