Wellington

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Te Papa

New Zealand's national museum contains interesting exhibitions on the country's history and culture and includes several shops. It has the only complete colossal squid on display.

Daily 10AM-6PM, closed 25 Dec · Free for NZ citizens (except for the occasional special presentation), $35 for 48hr international visitor ticket · Free entry · Wheelchair accessible

City Gallery

Runs a consistently avant-garde set of exhibits, with no permanent collection. In it's usual location has an excellent café, Nikau, attached to it.

Tue-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat 9AM-1PM · Wheelchair accessible

Wellington Museum

formerly Museum of Wellington City & Sea

A well-presented museum of the history of Wellington, including its maritime history.

Daily 10AM-5PM, closed 25 Dec · Free for NZ residents, $16 for international visitors · Free entry · Wheelchair accessible

Zealandia

Karori Wildlife Sanctuary

A predator-proof fence encloses an old water catchment area, forming a mainland island that provides a natural haven for endangered native birds, tuatara, wētā, and other indigenous flora and fauna, safe from introduced predators. By far the most convenient place in the country to see rare New Zealand wildlife.

Daily 9AM-4:30PM (last entry 4PM), closed 25 Dec · Adult $26, child (5-17) $10, more for guided day tours & night tours · Limited wheelchair access · Wheelchair accessible

Carter Observatory

Space Place

Offers a state of the art planetarium show, along with multimedia exhibits that show how early Māori, Polynesian and European settlers navigated their way to New Zealand.

Daily 10AM-5PM · $18 · Wheelchair accessible

Bucket Fountain

a real splash, for many years. The Bucket Fountain is an iconic kinetic sculpturet. It consists of a series of "buckets" that fill with water until they tip, spilling their load into the buckets and pool below. The fountain was designed by Burren and Keen and erected in 1969.

Wheelchair accessible

Wrights Hill

More views, and World War II underground tunnels which are open to the public on public holidays for a small fee.

Open 4 days per year · $10

New Zealand Portrait Gallery

The New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata is an art gallery in the Waterfront Shed 11 building in Wellington, New Zealand.

daily 10:30AM - 4:30PM · free · Free entry · Built 1905

Turnbull House

This imposing brick mansion now seems small and out of place amongst the surrounding high-rises. It is closed for renovation.

Massey Memorial

An interesting place to go if you want to see a large memorial in the middle of nowhere, with a good view of the surrounding harbour. The memorial's namesake is William Massey, Prime Minister of New Zealand between 1912 and 1925.

National Library of New Zealand

The library regularly holds exhibitions.

Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00; Sa 09:00-13:00; PH closed

Pukeahu National War Memorial Park

A tall Art Deco carillon was dedicated in 1932, the Hall of Memories opened in 1964, and the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was built in 2004. There are Australian, Belgian, French, Turkish, UK and US memorials and some sculptures in the wider park, which was opened in 2015.

Park always open; National War Memorial interior daily 10AM-5PM · Free

Nairn Street Cottage

Preserved cottage built in 1858 and kept in the same family until it became a museum, with an exhibition on its history. The small garden is open every day..

daily tours at noon, 2PM, and 3PM · $8

Brooklyn Wind Turbine

Another great place to go to get an excellent view of the city, the harbour, and Cook Strait, plus experience the wind! The current turbine was installed in 2016 and is the second on the site; the first was erected in 1993 to test the potential of turning Wellington's infamous wind into electricity.

Parliament Buildings

Home of New Zealand's lawmakers and leaders, the complex consists of four building: the Beehive (or Executive Wing), Parliament House, the Parliamentary Library and Bowen House. The grounds of Parliament are open to the public, and free tours of the buildings are available from the visitor centre located between the Beehive and Parliament House. Depending on parliamentary business, tours may include a visit to the House of Representatives debating chamber and the Select Committee rooms. For security reasons, you need to leave all your belongings at the visitor centre and clear a checkpoint.

Old Government Buildings

This is the largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere and the second-largest in the world. It is now the home of Victoria University Law School.

Plimmer's Ark

In 1883, a bank was built on top of a wrecked ship that had been built in Nova Scotia in 1848, and had been used as a market. When they renovated the building, they discovered the ship's timbers and preserved the remains in the building. Take the escalator down through the bank vault doors.

Mon-Fri 9:30AM-5PM, Sat 10AM-4PM, Sun 11AM-3PM

Cathedral of St Paul

Large Anglican church built between 1954 and 1998. The cathedral is a relatively plain design, made of reinforced concrete, and has some fine stained glass. A farmer's market is held in the car park on Saturday mornings.

Mon-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat 10AM-4PM, Sun 8AM-4PM; services Sun 8AM, 10AM, 4PM

Katherine Mansfield Birthplace

The Victorian house where the author Katherine Mansfield was born, and lived for her first five years. The house is furnished as it would have been in the 1890s.

Tue-Sun 10AM-4PM · $10

National Tattoo Museum of New Zealand

History of tattooing in New Zealand and the Pacific, especially traditional Maori tattooing. Shown in just two rooms attached to a tattoo studio. One of Wellington's least museums.

Fri Sat noon-8PM, Sun-Thu noon-5:30PM · Free (the sign at the entrance about payment relates to getting a tattoo)

Old St Paul's

This was the Anglican centre for decades. Superseded by the new cathedral north of Parliament, this one is popular for weddings and funerals.

Daily 9:30AM-5PM · Donation, tours $5

Pataka Art + Museum

A museum and art gallery. There is a Japanese Garden (contributed by sister city Nishio) and at the adjacent public library you can see one of the North Island's best genealogical collections.

Daily 10AM-5PM · Free

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court was established in 2004 to replace the UK Privy Council as New Zealand's highest court, and primarily hears appeals from the Court of Appeal (New Zealand's second-highest court). The Supreme Court complex was completed in 2010, extending on and incorporating the old 1879-built High Court building. The building is open to the public, but you can only look at the courtroom through a window. If you want to see inside the courtroom, join a free tour available three times a week.

Mon–Fri 9AM–5PM

Wellington Cable Car

From Lambton Quay (next to the McDonald's). The easiest way to get a nice view of the city and harbour, the Cable Car runs on rails from Lambton Quay to the Botanic Garden in Kelburn every ten minutes.

Mon–Fri 7AM-10PM, shorter hours at weekends & around Christmas & New Year · Adult $4 one way, $7.50 return. Concession prices are available for children, students and senior citizens over 65

Cable Car Museum

1A Upland Road, Kelburn

Daily 9AM-5PM, closed 25 Dec · Free · Free entry · Wheelchair accessible

Holocaust Centre of New Zealand

A small museum.

Sun-Fri 10AM-1PM · Free · Free entry

Matiu/Somes Island

Out in the middle of the harbour, this island has its share of history. It was once a quarantine station for immigrants, and later (and more extensively) for animals. It was also an internment camp for "dangerous" individuals during both world wars. The island is a nature reserve managed by the DOC, bio-security bag inspections on arrival and a small exhibition. The animal quarantine station and some wartime defences can be explored, there are good harbour views, but the wildlife is the main attraction. Bring food in sealed containers and something to drink as there are no shops. There is a campsite and two bachs which need to be booked in advance.

Ferry $25

Matiu/Somes Island

Out in the middle of the harbour, this island has its share of history. It was once a quarantine station for immigrants, and later (and more extensively) for animals. It was also an internment camp for "dangerous" individuals during both world wars. The ferry leaves from Day's Bay / Eastbourne and from Queen's Wharf in Wellington City. Only at certain times will the ferry stop at the island and only upon request.

$22

Weta Workshop

The studio that made the hit movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Tours must be booked online in advance. Also features a gift shop where you can buy Lord of the Rings memorabilia.

Central Fire Station

Fire station (still in use) designed by Cyril H Mitchell of Mitchell & Mitchell in 1935, which includes the clock from the old Town Hall. Fountain Court, 10-48 Oriental Parade, a three-storey block of flats, a few doors towards the sea was built in 1938.