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Historic places in Christchurch

10 historic buildings, sites and memorials in Christchurch.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Historic places in Christchurch

  1. See

    Air Force Museum

    Opened in 1987 before the closure of the Christchurch RNZAF base, this museum has full-size replicas of fighting planes and dramatizes the history of New Zealand's Air Force from World War I to Vietnam and beyond.

    Daily 10AM–5PMFree

  2. Do

    Antigua Boatsheds

    Boat hire from historic British boatsheds for a hands-on water experience.

    Daily; summer 9:30AM-5:30PM, winter 9:30AM-5PM$12/hr canoe, $25/half-hr rowboat, $25/half-hr paddle boat

  3. See

    Arts Centre

    Gothic Revival stonework of former University campus. This area was damaged during the 22 Feb 2011 earthquake. By late 2022 reconstruction work was mostly complete, with two buildings still to be restored. The beauty and historical significance of these building can be appreciated by viewing them from surrounding streets such as Worcester Blvd and Hereford St, or from the internal courtyard. Four art galleries, the Great Hall (and the courtyard outside) and Rutherford's Den (donation requested), an exhibition on physics, are open. If you want to stay, the Observatory Hotel has 33 upmarket rooms. There is also a cinema (Lumière Cinemas) located here showing art-house films. To access spaces not accessible to the public, join the 90 minutes guided walk tour from Wednesday to Sunday (summer hours: 11AM–12:30PM & 1-2:30PM, $30 per adult and $15 per child (12–18 years)).

    Centre entry free

  4. Buy

    Ballantynes

    This major upmarket department store has been through its fair share of disasters – as well as the earthquakes of the 2010s, in 1947 the store was gutted by the deadliest fire in New Zealand history, with 41 deaths.

    Mon–Fri 9AM–5:30PM, Sat 9AM–5PM, Sun 10AM–5PM

  5. See

    Canterbury Museum

    Includes colonial, Māori and natural history sections, Antarctic exploration display, and visiting exhibitions. Closed until mid-2029 for rebuilding. A small selection of exhibits is on shown in the CoCA gallery at 66 Gloucester Street (daily 9AM-5PM), near the Art Gallery.

    free

  6. See

    Cardboard Cathedral

    Transitional Cathedral

    Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, well known for his use of cardboard elements in buildings. Completed in August 2013 to serve as the transitional Anglican cathedral since ChristChurch Cathedral was damaged in an earthquake in 2011. Unfortunately the original Christchurch Cathedral still has not finished its repair in 2025 so this Transitional Cathedral served and will serve a longer term for Christians in Christchurch. It is built on the site of St Johns church, which was demolished after being severely damaged in the 2011 quake.

  7. See

    ChristChurch Cathedral

    The Gothic revival cathedral was consecrated in 1881 as the seat of the Christchurch Anglican diocese. Damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, the cathedral sat largely untouched for years due to debate over what should be done with it. Removal of rubble commenced in late 2018 and rebuilding work is expected to take 10 years.

  8. Do

    Christchurch Gondola

    Ride in an enclosed gondola car up to the summit of the Port Hills then view the Heritage Time Tunnel exhibit, take an outdoor nature walk, visit the cafe and shop. The trip takes 10 min but it is recommended to allow an hour all up. An hourly shuttle bus with the sign "Gondola" runs from 9:30AM-4PM in summer from Cathedral Square (beside Tram Stop 2). The shuttle bus costs $6 one way, and you can buy tickets in advance at Tram Stop 1 in Cathedral Junction (no dates on the ticket thus can be used anytime) or from the bus driver directly. Alternatively, you can take #8 public bus from Bus Interchange.

    summer 10AM-5PM, winter 10AM-4PM, 26 Dec–31 Jan 9AM–6PMAdult $42, child (5-15 years) $22, family (2 adults and up to 3 children) $117, passenger & own mountain bike $30, or with mountain bike hire $70. Discount of 10% when booking online 7 days in advance. $5 discount when buying together with Tram one day pass

  9. See

    Ferrymead Heritage Park

    Ferrymead History Park

    A recreated Edwardian township and museum with horse and carriage (daily), tram (weekends and school/public holidays) and train (first and third Sunday) rides. Not all attractions run at all times, due to the voluntary nature of the historical societies managing the park. Special events are often held and the park has been used to film the TV One reality show Colonial House. Admission price is based on whether trams/trains are operating or not, and include unlimited rides if available.

    10AM–4:30PM dailyTrain & tram days, adult $30, student $25, child $15; tram, no train, days, adult $20, student $15, child $10

  10. Eat

    Tramway Restaurant

    Have a seasonal dinner in a moving tramcar and enjoy sightseeing central Christchurch outside the windows. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan and halal options available. Duration: 2.5 hours (an airplane-style restroom is available in the tramcar). Reservations (via phone or online or at Christchurch Attractions inside Cathedral Junction) are required.

    Departs 7:30PM daily and at 5PM on selected dates excluding winter. Private charters available for group dining. Closed public holidaysNZD149 (7:30pm, 4 course dinner) $125 (5PM, 3-course dinner)

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Christchurch (CC BY-SA 4.0).