New Zealand · MUSEUMS
Summer fills these weeks ahead and the best go first. Below: the 15 to lock in before you fly, what each includes and where they differ.
Review of Auckland War Memorial Museum, with practical tips on exhibits, access, value, closures, parking, and how long to stay.
“lots of exhibits. factual.imagine section excellent. liked idea of children's imaginary area”
Explore Sculptureum near Auckland, with three sculpture gardens, six galleries, quirky art, wine, dining, and flat paths for all ages.
“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.”
Explore three floors of Māori, Pacific, natural history, and wartime exhibits at Auckland Museum with flexible general admission.
“Nice to be able to skip the line, but the line is actually not very long and the staff is a bit unfamiliar with the process of redeeming the tickets. The museum is good, with lots of references and artifacts related to Maori culture. Serve as a good introduction for someone to start delving into the very local part of New Zealand.”
Review of Te Papa museum entry in Wellington, with practical tips on exhibits, 48-hour value, access, queues, and who should book.
“Very intersting and insightful exhibitions. Unfortunately, super crowded and noisy when we were there, which made things quite chaotic.”
Review of Te Papa’s Gallipoli guided tour in Wellington, including the giant figures, early entry, guide quality, price, timing, and booking advice.
“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.”
Explore Te Papa with a one-hour guided introduction, Māori culture, art, science, and two-day entry in Wellington.
“While i was the, there was a Gallipoli exhibit which was absolutely amazing to go through, as was the entire museum, a must go for an overview of New Zealand history and culture.”
Review of Auckland Museum’s Māori Cultural Experience, including haka, poi, waiata, museum admission, value, timing, and practical tips.
“Museum excellent, and the show was nicely done; however there were only 4 Maori performers (not the 8 advertised).”
Explore Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre’s WWI and WWII exhibits, rare aircraft, lifelike scenes, and Stalingrad experience in Marlborough.
“Great museum. Some aircraft shown in action-Peter Jackson influence I imagine. Great info/photos/displays that does these era defining aircraft proud. Ended up spending 5 hours there - was only meant to be a quick stop en route to our next destination.”
Get your bearings at Wellington’s Te Papa with a one-hour guided tour, Māori treasures, natural history, and 48-hour museum admission.
“Roger was a super guide - only wish we had more time to explore it all !”
Review of Te Papa in Wellington: Māori culture, Gallipoli, nature, art, ticket value, timing, access, and tips for international visitors.
“Excellent museum The Gallipoli exhibit fabulous Designed by Jonathan Turner (lord of the Rings) Interactive museum Learned about Māori culture”
Explore Māori song, poi, storytelling, and haka at Auckland Museum, with all-day admission, practical tips, access details, and honest value advice.
“I absolutely love watching the Maori dance and sing. This was the best performance I have seen as the told the story to the dance so you knew what they were dancing and singing to. The group also did some jokes as well as showed the audience what types of weapons they had and what they were used for. I would definitely go back and see this performance again.”
Explore Māori treasures at Te Papa with a one-hour guided tour, then enjoy two days of museum entry in Wellington.
“Helaas was de gids die ons de tour zou geven ziek, de vervangende dame heeft ons nog genoeg over de Maori verteld.”
Review of Auckland’s Maritime Museum, with Pacific migration, Maori traditions, shipping, America’s Cup design, practical tips, and value advice.
“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.”
Review of Omaka’s Knights of the Sky exhibition in Blenheim, with WWI aircraft, lifelike scenes, prices, timing, tips, and booking advice.
“We travelled to South Island and drove from Christchurch to Blenheim, specifically to visit Omaka. Boy were we excited. The exhibits are incredible. So much thought has been put into each display and plenty of information. See both WWI anRead more”
Explore Omaka’s Dangerous Skies WWII exhibition, restored aircraft, Night Witches, Weta mannequins, and the Battle of Stalingrad display.
“Excellent presentation and guide knowledge! I was impressed with the quality of restorative workmanship!”
Pick a coast, a crater or a cellar door.
