Elsamere Conservation Centre Naivasha: Joy Adamson’s Home and Born Free Legacy

On the southern shores of Lake Naivasha stands a house that changed the course of wildlife conservation globally. Elsamere was the home of Joy and George Adamson; conservationists whose work raising and rehabilitating orphaned wild animals, and whose determination to return them to the wild against the prevailing scientific consensus of the time, inspired a conservation movement that continues to shape how the world thinks about wildlife. With such a background story paired with a movie, this makes Elsamere Conservation Centre a popular place to visit in Naivasha. 

Joy Adamson (1910–1980), born Friederike Victoria Gessner in Austria, came to Kenya in 1937 and married game warden George Adamson in 1944. Together they raised Elsa, an orphaned lion cub, and documented her successful return to the wild, the first lion ever to be successfully rehabilitated and released, who went on to raise cubs of her own while maintaining contact with the Adamsons. Joy’s account of this experience, published as Born Free in 1960, became an international bestseller and was translated into dozens of languages. The 1966 film adaptation, starring Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, was shown as a Royal Command Performance in London and became a worldwide hit.

Joy and George Adamson established the Elsa Wild Animal Appeal with the royalties from their books and films. This later became the Elsa Conservation Trust, which continues to operate from Elsamere today. After their deaths, Joy murdered in 1980, George in 1989, both killed by poachers a decade apart, each left their entire estate to the Trust. Elsamere has been a conservation and education centre since 1988, when devoted supporters saved the property from development.

What to See and Do at Elsamere Conservation Centre Naivasha

The Joy Adamson Museum

Joy’s original study has been preserved and opened as a museum. Visitors can see her intricate botanical paintings, she spent years documenting Kenya’s flora in detailed watercolours, alongside her sketches, manuscripts, personal memorabilia, and film footage from the Born Free era. The museum provides an intimate window into the life of a remarkable and complex woman who was ahead of her time in advocating for wild animals’ right to live free.

Afternoon Tea at Elsamere

Elsamere’s traditional afternoon tea, at the restaurant, served at 3pm on the lake-facing lawn, is an institution in Naivasha. Homemade cakes, scones, sandwiches, and tea are served outdoors while black-and-white colobus monkeys descend from the canopy overhead. It is widely regarded as the best afternoon tea in Kenya. Non-guests can join with reservation. The tea is included in the museum entry fee or can be booked separately.

Wildlife and Birdwatching

The Elsamere grounds are rich in wildlife. Hippos graze the lawns at night, waterbuck and zebras are seen near the lake edge, and over 200 bird species have been recorded in the gardens. The colobus monkeys that perform overhead during afternoon tea are the property’s most famous non-human residents.

Accommodation

Elsamere operates as a 4-star lodge with 20 rooms, offering an experience that combines the history and atmosphere of Joy Adamson’s home with modern comfort. Guests have the house and grounds largely to themselves in the evenings, when the wildlife is most active and the atmosphere of the original property is most keenly felt.