Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, South Africa, has its origins in the 1890s, so it is a little over 130 years old as a historic precinct today.

How old is Constitution Hill?

Quick age snapshot

  • The original prison on the hill was built in 1892–1893 , making the site’s carceral history about 133–134 years old as of 2026.
  • The Old Fort around the prison was constructed between 1896 and 1899 , so that specific fort structure is about 127–130 years old.
  • As a modern museum and public heritage precinct, Constitution Hill was redeveloped in the late 1990s and early 2000s and opened fully to the public in 2004 , so the current visitor-facing precinct is about 22 years old.
  • The Constitutional Court building on the site was officially inaugurated on 21 March 2004 , meaning the court on Constitution Hill is also about 22 years old.

So, depending on what you mean by “how old is Constitution Hill”:

  • As a historic hill and prison site : just over a century old (130+ years).
  • As the home of the Constitutional Court and museum precinct : about two decades old (since 2004).

Mini timeline of Constitution Hill

  • 1892–1893 – Original prison complex built on the hill in Johannesburg.
  • 1896–1899 – Old Fort constructed, later used as a prison and military fort.
  • 1964 – Site declared a national monument during the apartheid era.
  • Mid‑1990s – Site chosen as the location for democratic South Africa’s new Constitutional Court, and major redevelopment begins.
  • 21 March 2004 – Constitutional Court inaugurated on Human Rights Day.
  • 22 March 2004 (following day) – Constitution Hill opens to the public as a museum and heritage precinct.

In short: Constitution Hill carries over a century of prison and political history, but the Constitution Court precinct you visit today is just over twenty years old.

Simple HTML facts table

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<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Aspect</th>
      <th>Year</th>
      <th>Approximate age in 2026</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Original prison built</td>
      <td>1892–1893</td>
      <td>133–134 years</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Old Fort completed</td>
      <td>1896–1899</td>
      <td>127–130 years</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Site chosen for Constitutional Court</td>
      <td>Mid‑1990s</td>
      <td>About 30 years</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Constitutional Court inaugurated</td>
      <td>21 March 2004</td>
      <td>22 years</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Constitution Hill museum precinct opened to public</td>
      <td>2004</td>
      <td>22 years</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.