Canterbury Museum

Canterbury Museum
Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch 8013

FREE | Booking not required

Open daily from 9am–5pm

The extensive Canterbury Museum is one of New Zealand's best. With a collection that has been growing since the nineteenth century under the direction of Sir Julius Von Haast, the Canterbury Museum holds a spectacular variety of exhibits from around the world. Behind the historic facade is a myriad of exhibition halls and galleries that both entertain and educate young and old. 

All visitors to Christchurch should spend at least an hour or two here - but four or five hours can easily pass as you walk through the 19th century streets of Christchurch, come face to with an Allosaur, gaze upon a 485kg meteorite, step inside Fred & Myrtle's Paua Shell house, visit the 1851 home of Emma Barker and explore Antarctica. 

Long term exhibitions include:

• Discovery: Interactive natural history centre
• Antarctic Gallery: Objects and stories of exploration
• Asian Arts: Celebrating the rich and varied arts 
• Bird Hall: Displays and dioramas of native and extinct birds
• Christchurch Street: A recreated nineteenth century street
• Early European: Peer into the murky world of the early settlers
• Fred & Myrtle's Paua Shell House: Legendary Kiwiana on an incredible scale
• Geology: Fascinating fossils and spectacular marine reptiles
• Ivan Mauget Speedway King: Learn the story of Canterbury's world champion
• Iwi Tawhito – Whenua Hou: The story of moa and the people that hunted them
• Living Canterbury: Showcasing the natural values of Canterbury
• Mountfort Galley: Sir Julius Von Haast’s original 1870 collection
• Ngā Taonga tuku iho o nga tupuna: The story of the East Polynesian settlers
• The Egyptian Mummy: Acquired in 1887, the mummy of Tash Pen Khonsu sleeps peacefully on view in the museum
• Victorian Museum: A whirlwind tour of the Victorian world

Visit the Canterbury Museum website for more information.