The Kandt House Museum, formerly known as the Natural History Museum, sits within Kigali’s Nyarugenge District. This site was designated by German administrator Richard Kandt as Rwanda’s colonial capital in 1907 and named Nyarugenge; it was renamed Kigali a year later for ease of pronunciation. The museum building itself is one of the few structures from that era, constructed under Kandt's direction alongside other administrative buildings. In 2004, the structure underwent renovations to become a natural history museum, and in December 2017, it was renamed the Kandt House Museum with an added exhibition on Rwanda’s pre-colonial and colonial history under German rule. The museum also houses live reptiles native to Rwanda, including Nile crocodiles and various venomous snakes. It is managed by the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy.