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.

Address: Rolleston Ave at end of Worcester Blvd
Getting there: adjoining Botanic Gardens
Price: free
Website: canterburymuseum.com (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Christchurch, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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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
Do
Christ's College
80-minute tours of the independent (fee-paying) boarding school. The school was established in 1850 and follows the English public school model. The school has about 650 boys who wear a black and white striped blazer. Tour tickets can be bought from the i-Site.
Oc–Apr: Mon-Fri 10AM$20
See
Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities
A collection of artefacts from Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Near Eastern cultures.
Wed–Sun 11AM–3PMFree (suggested donation of $5 per adult)
See
Christchurch Art Gallery
Spectacular $47-million facility opened in 2003, the largest in the South Island, with over 5000 items and visiting exhibitions. The gallery reopened in Dec 2015, after 5 years of being a Civil Defence Centre and then repairs. You can store your suitcase at the reception, so it is a nice place to go in the morning if you are leaving in the afternoon.
Thu-Tue 10AM-5PM, Wed 10AM-9PMUsually free