Pioneers' Park was formally opened on 26 April 1924 by the Governor General, the Earl of Athlone, on land bought by the City Council.

The park is named in memory of the founders of Johannesburg and of the gold mining industry of which it is the centre.

These include a scale model of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner, the Union Buildings and the Hillbrow Tower.

A full-scale replica of Jan van Riebeeck's ship, the Dromedarus, takes visitors on a free boat ride on the lake.

The collection includes over 400 years’ worth of various modes of land transport that range from steam-driven vehicles, trains, trams and trolley buses, to animal-drawn carriages, early bicycles and cars.