The Best Museums in Auckland, New Zealand
Auckland’s museums are incredibly diverse. On a typical visit to New Zealand’s biggest city, you might stumble across various Maori treasures, war history relics, interesting aviation displays and shiploads of maritime exhibits. Take a look at some of the very best in the area.
1. Auckland War Memorial Museum
Memorial, Museum
2. New Zealand Maritime Museum
Museum, Shop
3. MOTAT
Museum
The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) is a place which aptly melds technology with history. Vintage cars and planes, tram rides, and a trove of innovative displays are a part of MOTAT’s appeal. They also run regular educational programmes for kids, making this a great stopover for those travelling with families.
5. Stardome Observatory and Planetarium
Park, School
This space gallery/observatory/planetarium is one of Cornwall Park’s key attractions (Auckland’s One Tree Hill is another). Stardome has been around since 1967, and has since become one of the favourite places for school field trips and educational expeditions. The adjoining Planetarium was completed in 1997 and is the largest of its kind in New Zealand.
6. Mangere Mountain Education Centre
Museum
Learn all about Maori heritage and history in the most natural manner. The Mangere Mountain Education Centre takes visitors across its namesake mountain, as well as hosting a visitor centre that serves as the local museum. A visit to the centre will teach you all about the mountain’s archaeological features and its significance for the local indigenous communities. As a bonus, there are plenty of picturesque sights to relish too.
7. Te Toi Uku - The Crown Lynn and Landworks Museum
Museum
8. Vaughan Homestead
Museum, Park
This historic museum is located in Long Bay, on Auckland’s North Shore, and has been a part of the community since early European settlement. George Vaughan and his descendants used the cottage farmhouse as their homestead for 100 years, farming approximately 2000 acres of land in its surrounds (the latter of which is now the Long Bay Regional Park). After several years of restorative work, the homestead was transformed into a community museum which is opened to the public in selected hours or by appointment.
Vaughan Historic Homestead, Long Bay, Auckland 0792, New Zealand.
9. Huia Settlers Museum
Museum, Park
The Huia Settlers Museum was opened in 1984 and is fully owned and operated by the local community. Its primary focus is on capturing the settler farming history of Huia, the Manukau Harbour, the Waitakere Ranges, Cornwallis, Laingholm, Whatipu and Parau. Many of the museum’s photographs are of unknown authors. Other notable collection items include nautical relics (particularly those pertaining to the HMS Orpheus shipwreck), local history books and an array of archival documents.
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.