House of Wonders, also called Palace of Wonders, is located in Stone Town, Zanzibar. It was built in 1883 for the second Sultan of Zanzibar. It was the first building in Zanzibar to have electricity and elevator and was planned as an official reception hall and ceremonial palace. It was designed by a marine engineer, who introduced a new form of architectural style with the addition of new elements to the building such as external verandas that are supported by iron columns, which gave the ceiling a unique look. The material used in the construction of the building were concrete slabs, steel beams and mangrove shoots. Various elements in the building made the palace serve as a functional palace, such as the covered passages lying above the street level called as wikios that were connected to Beit al-Hukum and Beit al-Sahel palace, allowing royal women to move freely without being seen. The entrance of the palace consists of two Old Portuguese bronze cannons belonging to 16th century.
In early 2000s, House of Wonders Museum was inaugurated that consisted of collections depicting valuable aspects of Zanzibari and Swahili culture. Its inner courtyard was fully covered with mtepe that is a traditional Swahili boat.