New Zealand · MUSEUMS
16 reviewed
Good museum visits fill up over a New Zealand summer and the best of them are gone by October. The 15 that stand out are below, with current prices and what makes each one different.
Auckland War Memorial Museum ticket, skip the line and explore three floors of Māori, Pacific and war stories for $16.
“lots of exhibits. factual.imagine section excellent. liked idea of children's imaginary area”
Stroll Matakana’s Sculptureum with 3 sculpture gardens and 6 art galleries, quirky sculptures, glass art, and optional wine tasting.
“The artwork and glass art inside the building is fabulous. The gardens and the sculptures are beautiful. The driftwood sculptures of the horses and the whale are amazing. The bronze sculptures were just lovely. I loved the boy pushing the girl on the swing. The sculpture of the boy holding the dolphin is apparently an early work by Leonardo Da Vinci and is quite stunning.”
Skip the line at Auckland War Memorial Museum with general admission to three floors of Māori and Pacific culture, plus military history.
“seeing the Maori dancing , Seeing the culture of their people was wonderful. I would definitely recommend it to anybody that is going to visit New Zealand not to miss this.”
Skip the queue at Te Papa, Wellington. 48-hour international admission to Māori taonga, natural history, art, and the Gallipoli exhibit.
“all very interesting huge museum. I was there about 6 hours”
Small-group Gallipoli guided tour at Te Papa in Wellington, with early access, Weta-built scale figures, and included international entry.
“We were the first into the exhibit. So thankful to beat the crowds. This exhibit and the entire museum are fantastic and require many hours to do justice. Being able to access this 1/2 hour before the opening of the rest of the museum gave us more time.”
One hour small-group introduction to Te Papa in Wellington, with a two-day admission ticket so you can keep exploring.
“Museum wonderful but guide spoke softly and very fast. Went back with hubby to see a few exhibits on our own, but got very tired so had to leave. Guide took my evaluation and I explained why it was a 1. She thanked me and said that she doesn’t have enough time to talk slowly. Guess she doesn’t care.”
Living Taonga at Auckland Museum pairs a powerful Māori cultural performance with general admission to New Zealand exhibits in Parnell.
“This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. The way the culture was shared without loosing their values and customs it was just fantastic.”
Skip-the-line combo at Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre in Blenheim for WWI and WWII exhibits, Knights of the Sky and Dangerous Skies.
“Very good displays with a lot of information on the panels. Really good for aviation/war enthusiasts.”
Te Papa in Wellington, for 2 days with international entry, interactive Māori and Pacific culture, natural history, national art, and ANZAC.
“The exhibits were informative and some were also interactive. Loved the military exhibit. Strongly recommend the experience.”
A 1-hour small-group intro to Te Papa in Wellington, with museum admission for 48 hours. Maori heritage, history, squid, and interactive exhibits.
“Knowledge and humour of guide (Mexican female .. sorry didn’t catch name)”
See New Zealand’s maritime stories at Auckland Viaduct Harbour with hands-on exhibits, Maori and shipping connections, and America’s Cup design.
“Great museum and beautifully designed. We were lucky to be there while the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix was underway ~ so it was exciting and great location to watch the race.”
Visit Blenheim's Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre for the Knights of the Sky WWI exhibition, with cinematic dioramas and Sir Peter Jackson planes.
“We drove from Christchurch to Blenheim just to visit Omaka and we were not disappointed. The exhibits are brilliant and it is easy to see how passionate the museum is about their pieces. The design of the displays are first class and it was wonderful talking to the volunteers. Stay a while, see both WWI and WWII.”
Skip the lines for Dangerous Skies at Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre in Blenheim, featuring WWII aircraft, Night Witches, and Battle of Stalingrad.
“Excellent presentation and guide knowledge! I was impressed with the quality of restorative workmanship!”
Guided hour at Auckland War Memorial Museum through Māori and Pacific navigation, plus geology and conflicts, with time to explore more.
“I’m so glad we included the Auckland War Memorial Museum in our itinerary — it’s easily one of the best cultural experiences in the city.”
See Dunedin’s key sights from Port Chalmers, plus Larnach Castle, the Chinese Garden and Toitu Settlers Museum on a 7-hour tour.
“A great tour of Dunedin and the Larnach Castle. Our tour guide, Kim, was very knowledgeable and gave us a fun and entertaining tour of the castle with lots of stories and history of the house and family. Would highly recommend this tour!”
