- Auckland Museum: After a very significant internal revamp, this museum is everything you'd want in a city's storehouse of treasures: fun, interactive, attractive, informative, and filled with interesting collections. Its Maori and Polynesian section, the biggest in the world, sends shivers down your spine; if you've got kids, let them loose in the Discovery Centre, where they can legally stick their fingers into just about anything.
- New Zealand National Maritime Museum: At the pinnacle of New Zealand's boating history - with the America's Cup Challenge right in our backyard - the Maritime Museum is booming. Look for KZ 1 outside, and inside discover 1,000 years of the country's maritime history. See sail makers, boat builders, and wood-turners at work and take a cruise on one of the vessels.
- Museum of New Zealand - Te Papa Tongarewa: One of the largest national museums in the world, this giant edifice on Wellington's waterfront is said to be years ahead of anything else like it. Truly bicultural, it's a magical place where art and artifacts meet technological brilliance, creating riveting displays and interactive playthings for all ages. Here you'll find everything from a whale skeleton and a working Maori marae to art collections and virtual-reality diversions.
- Canterbury Museum and the International Antarctic Centre: Although these two museums are completely separate entities located miles apart, together they present a terrific overview of life and history in Antarctica. Nowhere else in the world will you find this much gathered information about the great icy continent. There's everything from wildlife displays to human exploration accounts and a real ice chamber so you can get the feel of life in subzero temperatures.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
