Reviews of Canterbury Museum. (Museum) in Christchurch (Canterbury).

Canterbury Museum

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Museum

11 Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8013, New Zealand

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Information of Canterbury Museum, Museum in Christchurch (Canterbury)

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Open hours of Canterbury Museum

Sunday

9am–5:30pm

Monday

9am–5:30pm

Tuesday

9am–5:30pm

Wednesday

9am–5:30pm

Thursday

9am–5:30pm

Friday

9am–5:30pm

Saturday

9am–5:30pm

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Reviews of Canterbury Museum

One of my favourite places in the world. The simulated historical shopping street is a particular delight and had been since childhood decades ago. A must visit in the Botanical Gardens and Arts Centre area.

Awesome attraction. Great range of displays and history. My favorite part was the bird hall. Lots of lovely birds there.

Spent quality time here. Can see the culture art, history and knowledgeable place. Take your time explore each bit of place

Excellent museum in the heart of Christchurch city. Fantastic rainy day activity for the kids, and you'll find something new each time you visit. Situated right beside the lovely botanic gardens, it makes for a good day trip to the city. There's a great gift shop in the museum with heaps of unique NZ items. There's also a 'discovery' room for kids that costs $2 and has lots of hands on activities for kids, including a live tarantula inclosure. Lots to learn at this museum about NZ history, NZ native wildlife and bugs, and how our ancestors lived their lives. Highly recommend! And it's free to enter.

How wonderful, that this is a free museum. Perfect for kids, and I enjoyed it too. Mussel shell house was a blast from the past. Live Tarantula spiders and dinosaur models were a favourite, as was the snow ski ride. Families will happily spend a few hours here. Thank you council and rate payers

One of my favorite places to go to the Christchurch Museum. It is the latest and gives you a wonderful insight into Canterbury's rich history. Those who have experienced the museum must give it a thumbs up. I visit here often.

Cannot recommend this place enough! Amazing museum, you need at least 2 - 3 hours. Nice collection, very friendly and helpful staff. I particularly loved the Antartic Exhibition and the update regarding early Maori history. Beautiful Christchurch :)

I really like the attention this museum pays to art and modern history / culture. The Isolation Hotel (first photo) is amazing.

I liked the free admission, I thought it was just a museum of no big deal. But when I got in, it was big and there was so much to see in an hour. It was explained in detail for history next time I visit Christchurch, I want to visit again !!

Canterbury Museum is well worth a visit. Wide variety of objects, well displayed and with excellent written explanations. A pleasant Cafe onsite. Easy walking distance from city center. Or you can hop off the tourist tram on its 50 min journey around the city centre. Museum has large modern lift suitable for wheelchairs and prams. However you need to have a vaccine pass for admittance.

It was my first time visiting the Christchurch museum. The staff was very friendly and informative. Lot of things to explore. It is a good place for both kids and adults. Amazed by the Paua Shell house and the costume and decorative arts. Free entry. Recommended.

Such a nice place,don't let it's smaller size fool you it's loaded with historical riches. Entry is free but you welcomed to donate.

There is a wonderful bird collection on the top floor of the Christchurch Museum. These stuffed bird are set up in realistic reproductions of their natural surroundings. The birds a beautifully presented with their nests, eggs and baby chicks. The quality art work creates a very life-like backdrop to a variety different scenes like high sea cliff ledges to the amazing Okarito lagoon, which is home to the magnificent White Herons and Spoon Bills.

I hope english had more words. To describe how wonderful this place is. EVERY time. And yes, EVERY time, they have different exhibitions. They have big and huge exhibitions around the museum, although few of them stay the same. Well-built. 100% 5 star 👍

You want a museum to stand out of time, but also for the exhibits to change within your own lifetime. However, some really good new exhibitions on right now, and an opportunityto get some of the collection out. Give them more funding!

Very informative and interesting. The geology section with the gemstones was particularly stunning. Great experience for the whole family. But parking is paid and not always easy to find.

One of the best museums I have ever seen in New Zealand. The collection of artefacts and specimens is very well maintained and engaging. One can easily spend a complete day in it and still miss some things. There are exhibitions going on. We saw the pictures exhibition and were in awe of it. The Antarctic center of this museum is an awesome part and very nicely presented. The access is easy and the central location is very handy. The botanical garden nearby is a huge bonus and gives a break for a quick stroll or bite during the complete museum experience. Staff are nice and helpful. Entry is free and donations are welcome. Very highly recommended for any kind of travellers and tourists.

Amazing space and free amazing space for kids and adults

I went there today and had fun learning. Lots to do and they have a current moon exhibit. Loved it all and the antarctic one was good to learn about to, theres so much to do here. Including getting lunch. Definitely recommend to everyone

The entry to the museum is free but donations are welcome. I had never seen till date so many artifacts collections maintained from past years. Many different sections and it's simply splendid. The museum got cafe also. The is also a must visit attractions for tourists while visiting Christchurch. The restoration work carried out by artists to depict old times are breathtaking once.

Great museum punches above its weight in terms of the content. I'm bias because it was my first museum I ever visited as a kid so I love it. Would highly recommend everyone who's comes to Christchurch goes! Love the dinosaurs, the geology section especially the UV reactive rocks, old Christchurch street is cool to feel connected to the first pioneers of our town. Of course taking my kids in to the Discovery centre is great she loves the tarantula

Great place to visit. Kids were entertained finding the Santa's. Nice exhibitions. We enjoyed the photography immersion experience.

Daughter and dad want to Canterbury Museum got lost photos

I haven't been here for years, it was great to visit again and see new exhibitions, including the wildlife photography display. I have always liked the Antarctic Exhibition as it is an important historical record of the great explorers(including Ed Hillary) and their achievements. Nice to see the recreation of the Paua House. Stopped off at the Cafe. Guides were helpful and friendly.

To be honest, New Zealand so-called museums are usually not so good, look at the Te Papa... so big and so full of empty spaces. Then, there is the Canterbury Museum. In my opinion, this museum succeeded in what other museums failed: being an actual museum. We ended up here by chance, in a rainy day. We loved it at first sight. We didn't expected to find such an entertaining place. Every corner is worthy your time and very interesting. Highlights: the Asian Art, most fascinating and beautifully made artefacts; birds hall, so cool; Antarctic, just amazing. None of us liked the Temporary Exhibition though. We will be back. As New Zealand highlight, I highly recommed this museum over other more known and advertised places.

I absolutely loved this museum!! Firstly I was stunned by the beautiful building and the museum itself was absolutely top class! I personally really enjoyed the Maori and the first European settlers collections. I am personally more into archaeology and anthropology type of things so the Asian gallery + Egyptian mummy+ artifacts were great too but the museum also contains a lot of other natural science stuff, it's a must visit place in Christchurch

Absolutely loved the museum, the exhibits were really well put together with a lot of good and interesting information available, the museum itself was easy to navigate

Great exhibitions, keep you bussy for atleast 2.5 hours,,, longer if you want, as there is so much to see!. #isolationhotel is great interactive picture must.

This is such a beautiful, amazing, wonderful place to bring my family!!!! The museum is free, educational, superb, beautifully put together (please do donate though). My son has asd and the discovery room was fabulous for him. He could, touch, play and interact with the displays. I love chch for having this here!! Cannot say enough about how wonderful it is here. GO!!!!😊😊😊😍❤💥💥

When we went there, we enjoyed the display contents of the museum which covered lots of topics. My son actually enjoyed there so much!

Friendliness; friendly staff. Service; great service at the front door, able to explain the museum and any special features for the week. Value for money;Excellent. All public pay a gold coin donation to the museum. Content; All content is relevant and portrays the maori culture and artifacts at the beginning of the museum tour. X-factor; large Maori culture section as well as antiques nz plants, children's area and a delightful paua shell house and film room to show all public the life and times of the owners of nz first " paua shell house". Please click like if you enjoyed the photographs or you enjoyed reading my review. Thank you. 👌🏿👌🏿👌🏿

Visited in January 2018. One of the best museums I have visited across Australia and US. Staff are very friendly and you feel welcome. The artefacts in the museums are mind boggling for example the Trans Antarctic Expedition Rover, Ancient space samples etc. Mind you I am just telling one or two examples. There are thousands if not millions of rare items. Can immerse yourself in New Zealand History, Immigration and new settlers and international affairs for hours. Just outside of the museum ground there was a huge garden with lots of trees and flowers. Very easy to get to the venue by tram or just by walking in Christchurch. Excellent place.

What a local gem! By the number of exhibits per square meter they are one of the best. You are not expecting lots of stuff from a non-major museum, but they packed so much in so little space. New Zealand history and settlement, Maori history, war, Universe and science, Antarctic exploration, geology, biology, Egypt, China, Japan, environment and so on. One of the best museums I've seen (and I've seen a lot of them). Not the boring one, but very live with easy narrative style and full of fun for all ages. Lots of 'touch me' exhibits. Highly recommended and you won't be disappointed. Just don't try cafe upstairs. I had to give them 1-star rating.

Great free (donations appreciated) attraction for all the family to enjoy with a wide range of high quality exhibits. The Paua shell exhibit is especially quirky and very NZ. We really enjoyed our time here

If you’re visiting Christchurch then you must visit this place. You can spend more than 2-3 hours in the museum. There are 3 floors that has cafeteria and handmade ornaments. It consists of Maori culture, birds, aquatic animals, asian culture and much more.

So cool! Lots of different sections (geology, dinosaurs, historical clothing, orbital system, animal world, Antarctic etc.) see in one place. It is free but they encourage you to donate.

It had been several years since I had visited here.. This time with my daughter... Fantastic displays.. Antarctic section is way cool!.. And check out the drawers full of insect collections, huge and iridescent beetles and bugs, beautiful butterflies.. And the Moon exhibit is out of thus world.. Ha ha! All easily accessible for the kids to look at... Great job Canterbury Museum 👍😊

A great midsized Museum. It has some interesting displays. Touch one of the largest meteorites from the Arizona crater! A reason to go if there ever was one. Their latest display on Galileo Gallile while good was disappointing for my grandchildren as the displays were too high for them and I had to keep lifting them one at a time.

Spent 2 hours here wandering the different areas.Well worth it for young or older. .. ive been here quiet a few times n always see something different

Very diversified from old creatures to nature photos. Ancient egyptian sector, history and the most amazing the minerals and crystals stones part. There is a cafe, gift shop and area interesting for kids. Entrance for free but it will great of you donate.

I was very pleased with the amount of Maori history that they offered. For a free experience, it was awesome.

Beautiful historic building with excellent displays. A must see if visiting. Make sure to check out the adjacent gardens

I very nice museum you can spend a rainy day there. There is free wifi, power to charge your advices. Sofas lounges. And of course a lot of history and you learn about the wildlife.

Very helpful staff but I found the exhibits a bit limited probably due to budget constraints.

Took my mum who is in a wheel chair.. found it hard to open door, plus push chair thru entrance at the same time, but other than that a wonderful view of Nz history and very friendly staff.

Well worth a visit, great stories on expeditions, and history of Christchurch. We were fortunate to have an excellent guide a gentleman from USA who knew his stuff, and made his vast knowledge and interest available to our group. Thankful for that.

A definite place to go to if you are in Christchurch. It's right next to the famous botanic gardens. There is no entry fees as such and it purely works on donations. So one is free to pay how much ever he wishes too. The museum has a wide array of knowledge to showcase. It took us around 2 hours just to briefly see everything. Spare around 3 hours to explore whatever the museum has to put forth.

Awesome exhibitions...only had time to visit the Maori one & the photography one so will definately be going back😁

Highly recommended if you're in the area and looking for an activity that takes 1-2hours. The time will be well spent. You can also get a guided tour if you get there in time. Usually there are two tours one at 11am and another one at 2pm. The staff is amazingly helpful, and were happy to accommodate my last minute request for the tour. There is a lot to see in the museum, so plan about 1hr (minimum). You would say lots of items from the NZ history, plus few other non NZ specific items (such as Mummy from Egypt) etc. Must see part of the museum will be the 'christchurch street'. There is no parking lot, and you'll have to try your luck at street parking. There is plenty around the area. The rate is around NZ$ 3 per hour. And you can pay using credit card (additional fee of $0.50)

Great place to learn about nz history. Best discovery area for kids (and adults to rest). Lots of rest area in the museum and they have cafe as well.

Easily accessible to the public. They have interesting interactive displays in the museum. Will certainly learn a lot on the history of the city, its early inhabitants and the country.

Impressive, I learnt a lot about history of New Zealand from here. My visit was in July 2014 and I had a great time with my friends at the museum.

Amazing museum. Quite large, takes some time to go through. Has some very interesting stuff.

The number one attraction in Christchurch. A Must. Admission is free but donation recommended. This place is big with lots of exhibition from dinosaurs fossils, Egyptian mummy, to 1900 village and Paua House and Antarctic Machinery. Allow 2 hours minimum. Kids will love the discovery Centre ($2)

Free entrance to the museum. Not so sure about the guidance. Just have a walk inside, do own reading on description and playing around with the stuff inside. Oh, finally have chance to see Yellow-eyed Penguin and kiwis, although not real.

It's a great museum to learn about the Maori people and their relationship with the place they lived, now Christchurch. But not only that, the museum also has permanent exhibitions about the lifestyle of the European settlers, one area recreates the streets of old Christchurch with its shops. Has beautiful collections of items from the Victorian era. And all the way to modern Christchurch and our impact as humans. Has a permanent exhibition about the expeditions to Antarctica, which is great.

Learn about the natural history of Canterbury, the people who have made their homes here and our connection to Antarctica. The Māori galleries display treasures and tools from our region’s first people. The Christchurch Street and Victorian Museum recreate the nineteenth-century city. At the world-famous kiwiana icon, Fred & Myrtle’s Pāua Shell House see more than 1,000 pāua shells, the most you’ll find in any one place. Learn about the heroic explorers of the icy continent and see objects from the Museum’s internationally significant Antarctic collection. Regular special exhibitions. Entry is free and donations are appreciated. Daily Museum tours at 2.00 pm. Book online of go to foyer 10 minutes beforehand. The museum was established in 1867. The building, a Gothic Revival constructed on a design by Benjamin Mountfort, opened in 1870. Two years after its opening, the single-storey building was expanded with an additional floor in the Victorian Gothic style. The museum continued to grow over the next decade, with an addition built on in 1876 and an interior courtyard roofed in 1882. In 1958, a new wing was added adjacent to Christ's College, and another was built on in 1977. The building was strengthened in the mid-1990s and a four-storey block was added in 1995. The museum sustained minor damage to its façade during the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, but remains structurally sound. This can perhaps be attributed to the progressive strengthening and renovating of the buildings to earthquake standards between 1987 and 1995.[14] An estimated 95% of the collections were unharmed.[15] The statue of William Rolleston, located at the front of the museum, toppled off its plinth during the quake.[16] The museum reopened on 2 September 2011.

Nice museum loved the Antarctic display and the dinosaurs. Took about 2hrs to get through so allow at least 2hrs if not more time to really soak in this experience.

Very nice little museum combining natural history, history, art and science. Pity the Moa bit is a little thin (where is the Haast Eagle?). Bird displays good but a little dated, Cenozoic bird fossils and Antarctica bits very good

Great place to pass the time in Christchurch, some of the exhibits are in desperate need for an update though and the Paua house looked like a shell hoarders house that was recreated in there. Would happily go back to visit and have recommended others do so.

Awesome place. We enjoyed all the exhibits here which contains a wide collection of artifacts especially their much acclaimed pounamu stone. It will take about 2-3 hours to fully explore the museum and the best part about it is the entrance is free! Donations are welcome though and we highly encourage everyone to donate any amount so they are able to maintain the exhibits.

What a big place, cool things in there, we loved the spot where it's a dark tunnel and stars shining. We couldn't explore all levels as my 2 boys were quite tired but definitely worth visiting, sculptures from olden days, hunted animals figures, religious artifacts and much more we didn't see

Particularly enjoyed the original displays on the Moa. Information was well displayed making learning easy. The remainder of the museum was also excellent with an eclectic mixture of exhibits. Our visit extended over 3hrs ( but we like to read everything).

Always enjoy taking the kids here they really enjoy it. Friendly staff very tidy and they even do events for kids like find all the Santa's and what not gives the kids Alittle more to do.

I have visited this Museum several times whilst transiting through Christchurch. Always worth the visit. Admission is free..but please don't forget to make a donation as you enter.

Such a great museum and it's free, but they do ask for a $5 donation but it's so worth it kids loved it

I spent a couple of hours walking through all the exhibitions.They had the HĀKUI || WOMEN 0F KĀI TAHU which was interesting as was the Māori Galleries which showed their daily way of life, their weapons & treasures. The Bird & ASIan Art was also interesting, loved Fred & Myrtle's Pāuā Shell House, what passion they had for the humble Pāuā Shell. Most of the exhibition was free. Good gift shop

A fun and free museum. But serious things are also being exhibited, including the history of New Zealand. For children, there is even a department they can discover by doing. Please take the time for this museum.

Awesome place to visit. Its a free entrance. I loved the animals place, the maori's point and the 'old stores' from new zealand. Everything clean and easy to find.

Interesting. Definitely worth a visit if you in the area. If you here you must see the Paua Shell House - an entire room cover by polish shells from Bluff from top to bottom, and watch the movie!

This is an absolute treasure for the City and New Zealand. A wealth of exhibits from dinosaurs to dirtbikes. A must do.

Was mostly about a trip for a grandkids but I enjoyed seeing a lot of things I hadn't seen in years. A great couple of hours

Lots to see and the garden was gorgeous. And even for ppl who don't like to go to museums the outside of the museum was already a nice place for phototaking or you could have a cup of coffee in the garden of across the street by the art center.

A cool museum, definitely worth visiting if you're in Chch. The permanent expositions are really interesting, as well as the Air NZ exposition which is on now. You won't be disappointed!

Considering the only cost is if wish to donate it's absolutely worth going. It's a lot like most museums in new zealand except it has exhibitions from Egypt, Asia and my favorite Antarctica. They also had a wildlife photography exhibition which was quite cool. Overall it feels like they have quite a few different things then most museums.

Such a clever, interesting place!

Great museum! Exhibitions are beautiful and quite detailed. Do take your time and come here to learn about the history of New Zealand.

Great museum in Christchurch with lots of varieties, history, artwork, antiques to see from the world and New Zealand.

World class museum which punches well above its weight. Canterbury Museum is a must visit for any visitors to Christchurch, New Zealand.

Terrific museum highlighting NZ past flora and fauna and not forgetting the contribution of fairly recent settlers from Polynesia and Europe. Rich in detail with superb Antarctic explorer section with many many items from expeditions. Plus fine collection of vintage clothing ( upstairs) and superb furniture and silverware collection.

I am surprised with the fact that the entry for viewing the museum is free!!. This is one of the best museums having great cultural heritage of kiwis. My kid enjoyed a lot!!

Good small museum in central Canterbury with a revolving array of exhibits. Can always find something to explore here when in town. Right next to the botanical gardens - so make a day of it.

Awesome museum! Several topics like Maori, world war, old city, animals, geography, Antarctica, Asia arts, mummy and so on. Not only exhibition, but also a good class.

A must see place in Christchurch,NZ. Free of charge for locals and visitors. Many precious and historical materials are on display. All rooms are well labelled and easy for visitors to follow. Loved that shell house inside, it's a masterpiece. Help desk is very informative and welcoming. Since its free I recon if we donate to help keep the Museum running for free.

I love the contents of the museum and the different ways you can experience it. This is a must go place in Christchurch

Great place to learn about history of kiwi, Maori people, and lots more about science. Don't forget to take photos!

욘.

great displays. free entrance fee. There is only space to pay for an entrance. but normally that place for kids. but it is very good for adult since the fee is only 2nzd. kids really like this place and so many things to look. Ground floor has souvenir shop. stuffs to buy haha. cheeper than other shops. i visited akaroa recently. better than that. Only parking lot is tricky. we have to pay all the time. but if you park your car near hagley park, it would be no chargeable for 120mins.

Excellent place to visit!. Lots of great displays and load of information!

I am a museum lover, i would say this is one of the best museums i have ever visited. A must visit place to visit in Christchurch. The museum has a lot of interesting display of histories and cultures. We enjoyed magnificent full scale sculptures and history about Maori. The Antartic part is awesome and love the big snow vehicles. There were also a complete range of birds (including kiwi of course), penguins and other animals displays which look very real. We were lucky as there was a special exhibition of 50 best National Geographic Photographs. Beautiful photos were displayed in large format with a lot of stories behind each photo. There is also a very interesting Paua Shell House Exhibition with adjacent theatre showing the video history of the house. I wish we could spent the whole day in this museum!

The Paua House which was moved from Bluff is fascinating if a little mad. It reflects a unique piece of New Zealand history and Kiwi attitude. There were too many stuffed animals for my taste. However, others may enjoy them.

Interesting venue. Liked the featured science exhibition of past people. Great hands on activities. Always love the China!!!! Cafe is much better. The muffins to die for. Great atmosphere.

We had a tour today at the museum it was amazing. We learnt a lot about New Zealand’s history. The 1 hour tour ended fast and we wish there were more people joining our group for great guidance from Luke. We recommend all of you to visit at 2pm, you can book online or just sign up 10 minutes before time.

Really enjoy going to the Canterbury museum and the botanical gardens! The museum has a lot of interactive exhibitions and very well maintained. Would recommend!

Awesome exhibition on Galileo. Great place. Another fab exhibition on animals/taxidermy and stage setting in 'Isolation Hotel'. Impressive set & props. Love it 😊

Great place to explore on a wet day in Christchurch with kids. Educational and fun for all ages.

Always enjoy the Museum and the various exhibitions. Always changing and interesting.

Nice location and beautiful building! Amazing display. The cafe witj great food and view is good too.

Brilliant museum. So many exhibits and very informative on kiwi history

I’m really impressed with this museum It offers lots of information about different fields Lucky to see the photography show! Must come!!!

A Big Museum, showing the history of New Zealand. You can spend half day here. Free to enter. A good place go with kids.

We go here at least once a week. The more I go the more I learn. My 2 children love it here. Especially the Egyptian area. Definitely recomemed for any history buff. The staff are awesome and the Cafe serve good food.

Very good place to visit. Plenty to see and do, they have some hands on exhibits for you to do at present.

Lovely place, filled with very important history about Christchurch and around New Zealand. One of the best museums I ever visited.

A lot of interesting things to see, many different subjects and well explained. You can stay in for a while, and you might even have to come back. No fee, based on what you want to give. A real tresor, I hope it will last! Kids would be easy to bring there, a lot of scenes does make it "alive". There is also a temporary exposition, right now about Arctica. (both in French and English, it is a Canadian source). I don't want to spoil you with many pictures from the inside, go check yourself. Much more to see, to listen, and very nice and helpful team. Café on the 3rd floor is nice too. (because, yes, there are 3 floors, including 2 for the museum). Good job!

" Jangan sekali-kali meninggalkan sejarah " " Never leave the history " - Ir. Soekarno ( 1901 - 1970 ) place for : education This museum is built for a sole purpose, protecting the history. Cause what are we without the history.

This is a fantastic museum and practically free. Great place to bring the sketchbook and watercolors. I sketched the Maori dioramas and could have done that all day. The Antarctica expedition was extremely well done and packed full of artifacts.

Great for children and adults alike. A wide variety of artifacts. Definitely worth a visit

The museum is a wonderful place, full of memories. The Cafe in the museum was horribly expensive and the food was not worth it.

Fantastic display based on the moon. Busy bustling school holiday fun! Always clean and helpful staff around if needed. Cafe was definitely short staffed and stressed out unfortunately.

Very good museum for the all family. The current exhibition about Air NZ is definitely the best thing to see at the moment.

Lovely museum! Very peaceful and wonderful. Had the opportunity to see the new exhibition for Muslims regarding Mosuqes. Was a lovely peaceful place to pray. Spreading love and peace to all ❤️✌️ I also enjoyed the other parts of the museum. Found the old cowboy city very interesting and fun as well 😁😊 Thank you for all the lovely staff and their support and kindness.

If you’re visiting Christchurch and have some time, head over to the Canterbury Museum. They have some good resident exhibits and a nice selection of special exhibits. The pounamu exhibit have some interactive parts and lots of history.

Brought my three year old here and we had a ball. Lots to see and do. Well worth a visit with the Botanical Gardens next door.

Impressive museum, free entry, definitely check it out if you're in the area

Good place to wander about and look at the displays. Look forward to the special displays that are set up in the main hall. Great place for children to hunt for hidden items at special events. Look forward to the long over due upgrade so we can see articles hidden from view at this moment. Two new sections have opened up recently worth a look

Free entry, amazing amount of exhibits and activities for the whole family. Two giant kids interactive areas, and constantly being updated. Definitely worth a visit if you are heading into the center, along with the botanic gardens. Friendly staff as well

In level 2 lockdown but flow through was good. Great things to see, so much interesting history.

Oh the highlight would have to have been the Amethyst 😱😱😱. Loved the Paua house also was such a lovely little story, make sure you check it out! $5 donation is welcome :)

Great place for all ages. Food was priced at unreal prices. Bowl of chips with tomato sauce was $8.50. My breakfast bowls where bigger than there chip bowl.

Galileo exhibition was fascinating! The museum has some great treasures, but it's a bit traditional for my taste. Staff were super kind.

Located just by Christchurch botanic garden Free entry. Some cultural display and exhibitions

We were very impressed by the content and layout of the museum , we actually preferred it to the Auckland museum. The staff were friendly and helpful. We can see no need to alter the Maori display of everyday life. It did not appear racist

What a great museum. One of the best I've been to in NZ. Great selection of Maori artifacts. Especially the bone and jade. And early settler stuff. Loved the antarctic stuff too. Lots of different interesting stuff to see with lots of information with it.

Interesting museum, but with some really random stuff missed in with it. There's local history, Chinese history, an Antarctica section, an Egyptian mummy and a few temporary exhibitions. Gold coin donation place, given how much is there I'd recommend it.

Well-maintained museum with many interesting exhibits. Different cultural exhibits really opened my eyes to things that I had not even known about. You could easily spend at least half a day here if you take the time to read the write-ups, enjoy the place and examine the displays.

I love the variety of this museum, we popped in to see the Dogs of Antarctica exhibition, but ended up walking and reading our whole way through the museum again, as everytime we find something new and more fascinating than last time.

Great place to visit so much to look at and enjoy Always changes so you experience different things

Cool spot, lots of great exhibits. Plan to spend at least a couple hours here and view the Botanic Gardens from behind a coffee in the café on the top floor. The Paua House exhibit is a must see!!

Was very busy but a good couple of hours spent there on a rainy day.

Awesome museum. We saw the Galileo exhibition. Kids loved it!

It’s really very huge and full collection of history ,science and pre historic collection of fossil of birds and other products

Nice place to visit, so many interesting things to visit.

Part of my childhood, I now bring my grandchildren. The continuity is what helps links families across the decades

Great museum lots of interesting photos and paintings and period pieces. A good way to spending an hour and a half. Awesome Christchurch. Loved the Paua house and it brought back memories of visiting it in Bluff over 30 years ago now.

You can see interesting history also some amazing paua shells house. Don't forget to donate in order to keep this nice place. You can pay with credit cards. It's better to have long time for this place.

Amazing and fun museum with interactive ways to visit the museum. Scan the QR code on the right when you enter the museum to unlock a "treasure" hunt throughout the museum. Pretty straight forward and easy, they offer clues too but make sure to keep your eyes open! We missed a couple here and there and ended up searching everything! Very funny!

Old museum with alot of history on war, indigenous and early settlers. Free entry donations appreciated.

Loads of interesting exhibits. Need at least a couple of hours.

We came with 2 lively boys who just wanted to see the dinosaur so didn't really get to appreciate the treasures. There was a huge void too, must be between exhibitions?? Kids loved the horse.

Great museum. There is 4 levels. Unfortunately I have not enough time to visit all the levels. But I will be back. History about Moa and House of Paua

It's cool but the main exhibits are a bit random.

Beautiful building next to the botanical gardens. I was welcomed by friendly, informative and warm staff who noticed it was my first visit and gave me a map and booklet with info on all exhibitions. From the stunning pieces in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit to room sensitively dedicated the Christchurch Mosque tragedy - the whole museum is carefully laid out, with attractions for all ages.

Really interesting. Quite a big museum and free which is a bonus

Love the fact the museum has kept the displays we are so familiar with, but also added new interest.

Awesome place just to stroll around and a great Cafe

They have done well with the limited space/layout of the building. Some parts of the museum look old but the new plans look great. Free of charge, so it’s an easy decision to pay a visit. Lots of info and facts for each exhibit - not too great for kids as it lacks interactive things in the museum for them. The Paua House is definitely a highlight.

Free museum however a 5 dollar donation is recommended. Open until 830 on Wednesdays. Good way to spend a few hours in Christchurch. Had a cool new Zealand air section when we went and the shells bit is very interesting.

Excellent place for family. Interactive, educational and informative.

An Iconic place that must go. Good things about this place is it’s lot more hands on than Australia you can touch the stones polish the stones and ride things as well.

Very fun experience love seeing new exhibits

Love this place great for the kids so much to see the exhibits are amazing

Amazing museum considering it was one man's personal collection. Not to be missed.

The museum is an amazing experience. The layout is really well done and gives a well thought through perspective on Canterbury in particular and new zealand in general. Very well the visit but we did on three consecutive days!

Love the museum. Even t kids do. Heaps 2 see.

It was lovely taking my daughter, neices and Japanese student there today.

Great museum! We love visiting as a family. It is free, but donations welcome. Great little discovery room for children, although not free, but very cheap entry. Nice cafe with reasonable prices.

Went to see the Special Exhibition Museum Celebrates 150th Anniversary 'House of Treasures: Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho'. Well worth a visit.

Helpful, friendly staff, one of the best museums I have ever seen. The displays were easy to read and understand. My one hour and 45 minutes was far too short though.

Highly recommend and even better there is no charge, while there is an opportunity to make a donation. Right next to the entrance for the Botanical Gardens, so plan accordingly to allow for time to take a stroll.

Excellent . Perfect place for family. Kids will love it .

A great museum. Quality exhibits, the fake town street and the Antarctica exhibit being especially notable. The temporary Da Vinci exhibit was also high quality. One of the best museums in NZ, and well worth the visit if you are in Christchurch.

Could have spent a lot of time here. Fascinating place and great display

Quite large and varied collections, nice for kids and grown ups.

It has a lot to offer. You can travel different countries by just visiting this place, just don't go there before 5:00pm or else you will not enjoy the view of various pieces of art that the museum has to offer. Although New Zealand is now under level 2 lock down, you can still visit the place by filling up online. The most amazing exhibition is where the moon is the center of attraction. Different interactive displays are enjoyed by patrons.

Guaranteed excellence in terms of historical displays. Outstanding bird collections.

Lots of well put together exhibitions, would recommend at least 2 hours to get through. In the entrance there are notes regarding the portrayal of early NZ Maori. They note that working with local Iwi to change depictions is in progress and a good start. Some troubling ideas of early colonialism and history still need to be addressed.

Good and interat8ve museum about the history of new zealand and maori people.

An amazing museum, great exhibits. Highly reccomend the discovery zone especially for kids. Easy to lose an hour or two in

Amazing artifacts and pieces. The isolation room was really well thought of.

Great to visit in Chch, various historic icon display.

Wonderful museum, very informative. The Canterbury Museum is definitely worth a visit!

Very informative and love the changing exhibitions.

One of the amazing meusum of new zealand.. if you are into museums u would enjoy it. But make sure to keep plenty of time in hand to explore there are lot to know and learn here. Staffs are very friendly and helpfull. One of the shocking things for me was it is for free no entry fees required oviously donations are accepted and you are welcome to take pictures. What more could anybody want??? Really awesome place loved it.

A great escape on a wet day. Friendly staff that interacted well with patrons. A great collection of exhibits. First time I had been to a museum without kids in the last thirty years. Lost my husband several times but didn't have to panic that someone had kidnapped him or that he'd wreck one of the exhibits.

My daughter loves the museum. Lots of fun.

A great place to visit, especially if you have you g ones to entertain. There's an interactive area on the third level specifically for kids with access for parents at $2 per adult. Our 17 month old had a blast. The rest of the museum is also great and I look forward to spending more time there when we don't have to chase after a toddler at the same time.

I'm just not a huge Museum fan, but this little one is quite fun. You can walk thru the Paua house. That's probably worth the visit.

entry fee=free with donations accepted. great for children

Great place for every age. A must watch

One of my all time favourite chill out places. Everything I see is great

The museum is my go to calm place. The exhibits are beautiful and the children and I learn something new everytime. And yes my children absolutely love going there. The staff are so friendly and it's always clean.

We didn't look at inside of the museum, we went to the shop and museum, great shop I brought a handbag

So much to see. A great few hours spent here. Especially loved seeing the replica Paua Shell house!!!

Nice museum with different kind of things exposed, from snow mobile to Kiwi, but the Kiwi is a bit hidden (from my point of view) and I almost missed it.

One of the most amazing museums in the country, interactive, interesting, accurate displays and information, and very child friendly. We had a wonderful afternoon together exploring this great facility that features educational, fun and adventure for both adults and kids. There is lovely souvenir shop and a good cafe that serves delicious food and drinks. I loved my mochachino. Go visit this Canterbury iconic place anytime you are in the city.

Beautifully set out....every room is amazing! No entry fee, but donations gratefully accepted...plenty of staff on hand for questions

Very interesting museum to understand the history of New Zealand and it's free to enter!

This museum is huge and offers a lot of history. The information of the Maori was spectacular and all areas in the museum offer a lot of history. They also offer a nice cafe.

Quaint donation based museum. Definitely check it out if you are in Christchurch.

Good museum, make sure you set aside a bit of time to go around and see everything. Very friendly and helpful staff

This is a smaller museum, but is a good way to get a sense of the history of Christchurch and New Zealand. It free, so it's definitely worth a look, especially if you will be in the neighboring botanical garden.

Allow plenty of time to go through this museum properly. It seems to keep going on and on. There is something for everyone. My personal favourite was the Antarctic expedition display. Staff were very friendly and helpful.

Great museum with free, donation based entry. Lots of nice and interesting exhibits, if you have a moment do visit it

Fantastic visit. My teenage grandsons loved the Wildlife photography, in fact all the exhibits. They were most interested in the Islamic exhibition and the Paua house

Amazing museum with lots of Christchurch and Canterbury history besides other stuff. The antartic part is awesome, very interesting. Entry fee based on donation. A must if you are in Christchurch

Very informative, free entry and great place to spend a few hours learning about history. Good flow and easy to follow. All information was easy to understand. Staff are super friendly and more than happy to help.

Recommend for kids and grown ups, dinosaurs, egyptian mummies, AND local history!

Visited this museum with the family during our weekend in Christchurch and was really impressed. It has a wide range of things for everybody to enjoy.

Nicely organised and great Māori exhibition

Well setout with a lot of New Zealand history and artifacts, there's a cool discovery room for children that's only $2 I think, that room has lots of butterfly's and a lots of cool things to interest the little ones. I had no cellphone reception while in there which I loved as this meant people got more engaged in the exhibits(downside is I was waiting on a call to let me know my car was ready while in there, oh well lol) no entry fee but they do ask for a donation when you enter, all donations do help and are greatly appreciated

If you love museums, this is one place not to miss. Plenty of historical information. Day worth spending. Allow yourself a whole day

A great free museum, definitely worth a shout! There's a mummy as well! I genuinely learnt so much from this place I'd recommend to all ages

Will see if I can add pictures later that my sister took. Absolutely amazed at what they have managed to fit into the space that they have. Loads to look at for both kids and parents and they even have a separate play area for the little one's. Gold coin donation is appreciated but not a requirement of entry. Fantastic place and a must see if your in Christchurch CBD

Amazed by the collections they are superb. The temporary exhibition was awesome and I met an artist when working which made my day. Definitely earns the five star rating.

A great place to visit and learn history. My 3 years kid love this museum. Admission is free of charge or voluntary donation. Staffs are friendly and thank you for New Zealand hospitality. I hope this museum can receive enough funding and continue running for the next generations. Overall 5/5 stars.

Awesome well thought out museum

Cafe could do with a good scrub Can be rather boring after the second visit.....

What a wonderful experience it is to visit this museum. The exhibits are first class and we particularly liked the assistant who showed us through the Paua House, most helpful and enthusiastic.

Make sure you put sufficient time aside to visit the Canterbury Museum, its well worth the visit. Staff were very helpful and friendly.

Loved it. Great Museum, such a good collect and display. Got a little lost with the renovations but overall amazing!

Good place to see history of our city

Very lively place to visit, a true cornucopia of knowledge and culture.

Good selection of items, varied displays. Great Antarctic section. The kids discovery space is always fun. I wish the toilets were closer to the kid's discovery space though! Cafe good value and quality coffee. Could do with more healthy variety of food for the kids. Really good gift shop.

Fantastic Museum with lots of interesting things to look at. The Photography hall is incredible, well worth coming for this alone. Highly recommended this but be prepared to get absorbed for a good few hours

Great museum, good to come back to refresh memory. Place was crowded! (school holidays?)

Loved it. Liked the new exhibitions. Galileo was brilliant as it was interactive. It challenged adults and children.

Mu husband and I were very impressed with the museum and to give a donation. Excellent exhibitions and I especially liked the Maori area. The staff welcoming us and saying goodbye made us feel valued and welcomed. The meet and greet is very important and tour staff have mastered it. While we appreciate that there will be huge amounts of children there during school holidays, our experience was a little marred by some naughty children running and touching displays. This was especially noticeable in the paua house. Having a few staff roving around might be worthwhile. Sone of the parents seemed to be just as bad.

Awesome place to visit

Children were so interested at the science, bird and animal exhibits.

I love visiting this place and learning about a new culture. I really enjoy the various attractions that change every once in the while. I just visited last week and was sad to see there was no attraction this time. Nonetheless, I loved the trip. The staff was helpful.

An excellent experience although next time I will be going back when it is a little less busy. Overall, a lot to see with some excellent information given in a local context.

My family enjoyed their visit here. thanks Not a large museum but packed in a lot. Some exhibits seemed older but still interesting if you have not visited before. We stayed most of the morning which shows that they were able to hold the interest of young children for some time. They particularly liked the explorer zone but it is $2 admission price. Worth a visit in Christchurch and what wouldn't you as it is free entry ( donations encouraged)

Great place to understand the history of this country. They just added a war section!

I love this place, I've visited previously and enjoyed it just as much then as I did again. Good representation on a range of things inside here. Lots for children to interact with. Donation basis also which is helpful for schools etc. Toilets and relaxation areas and they also have a cafe upstairs. So all in all a lovely place to visit. It's also inside the botanical gardens so worth a pop in whilst yoy visit here.

Highly recommended a place to visit in Christchurch. Well presented museum & free entry.

Great museum and I always love taking my toddler. It has a great collection of materials and gives a good history into NZ. It's small but tells some great stories. I like their exhibition rooms and they always have interesting things on display. The discovery area for children is pretty good but could do with a bit of an update. The cafe is well set up and in a great spot. The toilets are always clean but would benefit from an update too. All of the staff are helpful, kind and knowledgeable. A wonderful place to visit for people of all ages.

It's a good museum we spent a few hours there and really enjoyed it

A great and free museum for everyone. The staff was so nice. It's worth to visit there although Wellington national museum is still the best.

Very good first visit with 3 adults and 2 under 5 boys, lots of fun had by all. Kids food portions in the Cafe were very generous. Master 4 loved the elevator the most.

It's our second time and it was fun.. we had a treasure hunt...

This place was amazing! Free admission (donations encouraged but not required) and lots of exhibits to explore. There is a kid discovery room that has lots of fun activities for $2 per person (kids under 3 are free). My kids could have stayed there all day! Definitely recommend for a rainy day.

Was there in May 2019. It’s very educational and lovely to see the effort put in to get those display items. I guess that’s what a museum is for . They don’t charge admission fee however they do ask for a volunteered donation after you completed your visit . Which I felt , was very sweet of them. One can donate according to how much you felt as appreciative of their efforts in putting all those exhibitions together.

This is a beautiful place. So much information from the cultures to the Antarctica. Maori people and influence. Museum is pretty big with a lot of sections and all the sections so engaging. It is free except a little section upstairs for a nominal fee. Cafe for people who love their coffee. Lots of History on exhibition and lot of information. Must visit.

Vangioni Collection of Maori artifacts is located at the Canterbury Museum

Wow! We loved the Museum! Fantastic! Taking my kids back to my hometown this was the best! They learnt so much about NZ and had the best hands on experience! They have a wonderful kids expereince area where they can be hands on whilst learning. My daughter now really enjoys museums and this is one of the favourites! Staff are really friendly and inviting. Definitely recommend taking the family out to the Canterbury Museum!

Entry is free however a donation is recommended. The museum has a great variety of exhibits that are wonderfully displayed and itemised with a full description of the artifacts and what they were used for. There is definitely something here for all ages, this museum is worth your time and by the end of it your donation is well worth it. By far the best museum I have been too of lately.

It's totally a different experience.This was the best historical museum I have visited after the Mysore palace in India. But the best feature is they are maintaining it at the best with lights and music. While we are inside it feels like we are in ancient age and will come out only when we are out. They accept donations and entry is free

A great place to visit! We visited the Discovery room first. My 17month old Granddaughter loved it and was able to have hands on approach! Then we walked around some of the rest of the Museum on the way out and she loved looking at things at her eye level. Fantastic Antarctica information and more about what is happening to our Polar Bears.

If you are into Maori and Colonial history well worth a visit.

Great place to visit, highly recommended.

Always love dipping in to our wonderful museum for the changing exhibitions and to revisit old favourites. The gift shop is always worth a look for New Zealand products if there's a birthday coming up. Helpful staff on hand. Busy place.

A must stop in Christchurch! Informative and interactive exhibits on a variety of subjects.

Really do love this place , if it's a cold museum if it's a warm day museum! The kids all ways love it as there is plenty of floor to look around, and the discovery world for 2 dollars is a great treat ❤😉

Sooooo much to see here! amazing stuff! loved the paua house, really incredible vintage furniture and clothing! i felt like i needed to set aside more time to really take everything in and read all the things!

Awesome fun for school holidays. Hide and seek app for kids to play, or Easter egg hunt for littlies. Had a ball, went round about 3 times.

Amazing things to see lovely displays

Interesting eclectic mix of exhibits. Special displays of visiting works are often excellent. Some galleries haven't changed in years. The cafe has excellent views and if you catch it out of busy hours can be very relaxing.

Great museum, broad range of things to see and it's free!

Fantastic, enjoyed the displays

Great place to stop for a couple of hours. Always nice to find a free museum around here.

Excellent museum that punches well above its size and contains a host of fascinating displays. Free entry (with donations gratefully accepted)) makes this a perfect place to spend a few hours. If you're bringing children, save a couple of dollars for access to the kids area where they can easily spend another couple of hours romping about. Well worth a visit!

Always a great museum with new exhibits and a great long term Antarctic exhibition.

We visit the museum regularly for school; quick trips to look at specific artefacts or educator-led lessons. It's a great place with accommodating staff and a wide range of artefacts. Great for learning! Thanks.

Lovely museum showing the history of New Zealand. It is worth a visit with the many different themes they have each month. They also have the shell house from bluff on display now which is truly stunning in my opinion. Also the wild life photos are beautiful. I come here almost every month since it is free and lives of donations.

Really varied selection in a beautiful building. Make sure you check out the original hall, which is an amazing room.

Fantastic museum with so many rooms we were in there for hours . There was fascinating local history as well as a display on Antarctica. It was free but we felt it deserved giving a small donation. A stroll through the gardens after was divine.

I enjoy going to the Museum at it's full of so much information and anyone can find out about our history.

Great museum! The Antarctic exhibit is wonderful. Every time I go, there is something new to see. And, it's free! They just ask for a donation if you're willing. The museum is also surrounded by beautiful gardens and plenty of good restaurants.

Cool exposures you must looks !

Great exhibits. Free entry makes it worth the walk. If planning on getting food at the museum cafe be prepared cos the prices are steep. Come on $4.20 for a pottle of chips!!! That's rediculous. Maybe go to the museum for the look around then go to other Cafe's in town for lunch/snack.

It was a great time for us to visit this museum again with whole families. Well presented! Nice staffs as well.

Great especially this time with the leonardo da Vinci exhibit

Amazing place! Lots of interesting displays and information. All ages will enjoy this place. Has the botanical gardens on the same grounds which is nice to walk around and grab a coffee. Best of all it's free! But they accept donations at entry, what's $5 for a few hours entertainment.

It was ok. Had really cool stuff to look at. Overall it was ok.

The museum is next to the botanical gardens. Admission is free and they have nice bathrooms. The exhibits are very well done. The short videos explain a lot such as how axes were made from greenstone. We recommend this museum if you are in Christchurch.

We were very impressed by the various displays on offer at the museum. The children enjoyed the light display (especially the VR experience) and the various vehicles on display. The Antarctic section was really fascinating to me personally and I enjoyed the history of its exploration depicted. Perfect for a rainy weekend day.

Super solid museum right here in Christchurch! It's much bigger and better than I had expected. The exhibits are engaging and informative. If you have time stroll in the botanical gardens right next door!

Been coming here since I was a little kid. It's partially nostalgia talking, but it's my favorite museum in the entire world. I don't get back to chch often but had a chance last weekend and I reckon I spent three and a half hours there. Awesome place for a visit, their pre-colonial history, arctic exploration, and geology sections are my personal favorite. I haven't been in the discovery centre since I was about 10 but I remember loving it and when I have kids of my own, I'll definitely be taking them when we visit family.

A great place to visit especially since it is free. You can see a variety of Maori historical artifacts and interactive exhibits such as rocks you can touch. You can easily walk through the whole place in an hour or so. Keep in mind there is no free parking.

Earthquake damaged some building. However it is still awesome.

Very impressive museum.

Loved it interesting and well set out. The paua house and intro by a museum rep was funny and interesting.

Give yourself at least two hours when you visit; there is so much to see and experience. The special exhibitions are always exciting and a surprise.

The Canterbury Museum was one of the most diverse and professionally curated smaller museums I think I’ve ever been to. When we were there, they had several exhibits of local Maori art, greenstone, and other local history. For a museum with free admission I can’t recommend stopping by, having a look, and dropping a few dollars in the donations box enough. The staff were friendly and attentive. We could have stayed longer but wanted to see more of the city.

I always like visiting the Canterbury Museum. It has the exhibits that don't change. It also has new and interactive displays and exhibits coming and going from time to time. This is a most interesting place to go and see because there is a great variety of things to look at as well as lots of hands on stuff. A great place to visit and a should do stop for all to enjoy.

Canterbury museum is always a favourite place to visit esp for our granchildren.

very fun, but the exhibits have changed very very little in the 17 years ive lived in Christchurch

This is one if the best museums we have ever visited. Their exhibits are fabulous and their WW1 display is very moving. Spent a rainy afternoon there and then had to return the next morning as we had only seen half of it. The museum and botanical gardens are a must if you visit Christchurch.

An informative and interactive place to learn about the history of Canterbury.

Great museum. Nice and tidy. Staff were helpful and friendly. Kids loved looking at the birds!

Great place to visit always a pleasure.

Such a cool museum and it’s free! It has lots of things you can have a look at. It’s a decent sized museum so allow yourself a bit of time.

Really nice. Recommended for everyone who's visitin NZ. I spent a hour and a half but if was not enough. Should have at least 3 hours to look around. It was a nice time knowing the history of NZ and the lifes back in 1800s.

Love the historical part of chch and still standing

A great variety of exhibits wonderfully displayed. If you are readying this review, then there is definitely something here for you, this museum is worth your time. Free entry, donation recommended.

Nice museum to visit. Totally free and a good way to spend a few hours learning about all sorts of NZ things. I particularly enjoyed the exhibits on the Antarctica expeditions and the sled dogs of Antarctica!

Loved it, firstly its great to see no charge to visit museum, awesome artefacts especially the muslim section is well presented. Must see if you are here.

Free entry. Lots of interesting things to look at including a large collection of taxidermy birds, awesome crystals, Maori weapons and the funky iconic New Zealand Paua shell house. It is spread out over multiple floors. Fun for all ages. A must do when travelling around Christchurch. Good for a rainy day. It wasn’t too busy when we went.

There is lots to see and do here, everything from culture to dinosaurs lots of hands on stuff for kids and even a cafe for when you get hungry. Entry is free though they reccommend a donation of $5pp . There is a rather cute gift / souvenir store which even had me tempted. Favourite spot was some eye opening photographs on the bottom floor. Beautifully presented and affected me more than I thought it would

Loved it, from top to bottom ❣️such a lot to see and read, interactive parts, great exhibits.... and is free!! Wonderful place for everyone, has the amazing Pau shell house and don't miss the film show with the bread adverts!!

A hidden gem at Christchurch! Attended the museum today and was surprised it was not only open but with tour times. Given it is Easter Day 🐰. I recommend the tour, it is free but a contribution is admired because they are volunteers and helps to maintain it. The tour guide was phenomenal, unbelievable knowledgeable and engaging. This was the best museum visit in a while for me. The exhibition is also surprisingly HUGE! Do not miss it! 🤩 Also, Christchurch botanical garden is just there, so make it a nice arvo around there 😉

Some museums overwhelm with volume like Auckland, but the displays at the Canterbury Museum are perfect. The display of Victoriana based on a street front was amazing. There Natural history display is also not to be missed. Added to all this is it's free.

Nephews bday party 😂🎉 5 years he had a blast I still like to wonder through particularly liked the artict display this Time. Dinosaur exhibit bead a favorite with the children as was the interactive part

We love visiting here! Our 3-year-old *loves* the discovery center ($2 for anyone over 3 or $20 for a year long family pass) upstairs and will spend hours running around poking at all the bugs and critters on display.

A great museum, $5 donation but we ended up giving $10 just because of how awesome it is, such a broad range of topic areas and done very well. We spent a quick 2 hours but could have spent double that!

Great place for a wonderful walk around in the morning

One of the best free museums I've ever been to! Big exhibition, many different sections to explore and a little souvenir store. Different levels and they put a lot afford into the whole thing.

For the most part the Canterbury museum is as wonderful as it's ever been, but that's because nothing much has changed since I started visiting in 2002. There's such a lot of opportunity to modernise, but that costs a lot of money and I don't suppose any museum is swimming in cash. Govt., give them a bunch of cash and bring the museum forward in time.

Really nice museum and great up stairs discovery kids section. You pay 2bucks per child but it's worth it my kids played for ages. Nice to meander through gardens then museum and it's all v cheap.

The museum was definitely interesting. It provides a very pākeha perspective of other cultures. It is in definite need of a revamp and could do well to look towards Te Papa in Wellington on how to merge our Māori and Pākeha cultures better in every display. The first display is of a whānau in a cave displays string caveman vibes without providing any supporting statements as it seem to contradict the government's resources of how early māori settler groups looked as well as our tūpuna's kōrero. There seemed to be no reference to the Waka we arrived in or the gardens we grew here. It could also do with more interactive features in the earth science sections.

The most magnificent gardens. Places where you can get away by yourself in nature. A huge range of different tree species. Good size can wander around freely not overcrowded. A beautiful place to unwind.

A beautiful museum with lots of hands on things for children to do.

Visited the museum not expecting much but I was blown away. I'd say it's a better museum than Te Papa in Wellington because the variety of exhibitions they have are great. I would really recommend the Arctic exhibition they have and the old retail street they have recreated. Highly recommend paying a visit

If you only have a short time in Christchurch then you must visit this museum and the next door botanical gardens. Huge range of exhibits so something for everyone. I particularly liked the national geographic photo display. Better than other city attractions for which you have to spend a lot to visit

Kids love the hands on experience in the discovery center at the museum

Beautiful museum with lots of arts and culture to explore. Well within reach as it's just in the tramway stop. Also got nice shop to buy souvenirs. Also a really nice cafe on to floor with amazing views of the garden. Such an amazing place to visit if you are in Christchurch. Don't miss

This museum was excellent. So many different areas. The Antarctic area was my favourite. A good collection of animals and machinery and clothing etc. they also had little shops from the past. One thing that you can’t miss is the paua shell house. I love museum on Kiwi land It s like an huge playground Not boring at all They mixed lot of thinks; history , geology, fun , interactive, knowledges Here it s a great deal Maori culture , migrants history

Great place! The kids love it here! Wish it would as bigger or had more exhibits. The discover area is great. $2 entry per kid but if you get the family card you can get in as many times as you like for a year!

Had a good time. Worth spending.

Interesting exhibitions and a fun experience.

Really great and interesting museum. I was in Christchurch and I had to wait 5 hours for a bus, going there was the best decision to make ! They even kept my backpack safe during the time of the visit ! I particularly loved the birdlife exposition, and the temporary picture exposition, amazing ! Thanks a lot ! They are working on donations, so give what you can.

An interesting place to explore and learn about the New Zealand's history and it's people

Really really impressed, particularly given its free (please donate however). So much to see, you will be there for hours Interactive area for kids ($2 to access) but well worth it. Really great museum

There is a lot to see. Allow at least 2 hours or more. Plus there's tea in the cafe. All the displays are well done. My personal favorite was the birds of New Zealand.

Amazing Museum with some very interesting exhibitions. Free entry and excellent gift shop. The staff were lovely and helpful, it was easy to find and easy to park outside. Highly recommended visit if travelling to Christchurch.

Love the knowledge to share. School holidays n public events are always a blast

If you have a few spare hours in Christchurch you must visit this well established museum. Well laid out and with some surprising exhibits and antiquities, you'll learn heaps about Canterbury history and geography. So much to take in and learn. Great staff, and well worth the effort.

Great museum. Free entrance. A lot to learn: history & war, culture & lifestyles, nature, solar system, birds, animals, insects, water system etc. This place is suitable for both adults & kids. Good displaying! Car park is on the road in front of the museum or there are some car park around.

amazing step back in time, impressive realistically displayed art work show casing the history of New Zealand. My experience was well catered for, my daughter's young mind through to someone with more understanding of history. was a nice day, finishing up enjoying late lunch in cafeteria with scenic views. thanks guys .

Always a great experience here. It's free to enter (donations accepted) and the quality of exhibits were top notch. However, they have not renovated or changed much since the last time I was here 10 years ago.

Was very nice to go and learn about the New Zealand culture and history. Could quite easily spend a few hours on here looking around.

Free entry. The staff is really nice. They have so many birds in the museum. Lots of various exhibitions. Make sure you look at the Paua house.

Fantastic fun for the whole family. Free entry to a world class set up. Wonderful to see the history of how the country came together. First place to visit when yo get to Christchurch.

It was great. Particularly enjoyed the National Geographic 50 Best Photographs display. Took a 10 year old who wanted to go to the mall but afterwards she said the Museum was better so felt that was a good endorsement.

Free to visit, donations welcome. The Canterbury museum. Is a good place to visit for those who are interested in the history of Ōtautahi from a geological perspective, early life with the indigenous Maori, the Victorian colonisation, till the modern day. Best curio exhibit is the Fred and Myrtle's Paua shell house and whatever special exhibitions that are ongoing. A good place wander for an hour or two...exit through the gift shop.

A great museum with lots of local history and natural history. Took a group of 5 adults and all enjoyed. The current green stone exhibit was very enjoyable. And its free admission

A great place to visit with family. We all thoroughly enjoyed a couple of hours there and plan to revisit soon to see the rest. Friendly staff and a lovely shop with a variety of goods for all.

It is the second time to visit Canterbury Museum last week since many years ago. It's much greater than before, a lots of updated display items and new subjects. Wonderful!

My 7 year old grandsons favourite place to go,the 12candc15 year olds like it as well staff are very welcoming, displays amazing, the perfect family outtingcfir all aged

Great museum and free as well. Highlights for me were the Mauri and greenstone exhibitions, as well as the Antarctic expedition items and stories. There's also some very interesting stuff from Christchurch's past. Well worth a visit for the day!

Very nice museum to wander through with some interesting exhibits to explore. If you are a fan of history or animals you'll have plenty to gander at.

A must see for any visitor to Christchurch. Great fun for the kids and they might learn something. Nice gift shop and tasty cafe though both are pricey catering for the tourists. Lovely setting in the Botanical gardens and near old University/Arts centre.

Great fun, educational and interesting. Lots to keep little ones entertained for an hour or two. The current moon exhibit is fantastic.

Excellent place to see some unique exhibits relating to Christchurch, the art gallery showing unique photographs was a highlight, shame their is no on-site parking

Went into the museum after a trip around the botanical gardens. Great little museum where you can learn loads about the local culture and history. There is also a really good section on Antarctica too. Highly recommended.

Fantastic! The Wildlife Photography Exhibition is superb, and who can go past Christchurch St? Friendly service too.

Beautiful exhibit of old and new - local and global. Clean facilities and a place to explore if you are in Christchurch.

It's a surprisingly good museum. In some kinds different than the other bigger ones in NZ. I liked the rebuilt old street an the arctic section most. You'll defenitely lern more about NZ's history in the Auckland or Wellington museum, but definitely worth a visit. Especially because the entry is free!

An awesome museum for the price of free (donations welcomed)! For those who love museums, you will thoroughly enjoy walking the endless exhibits that the museum has to offer. I would recommend setting aside a minimum of two hours for it.

Great for kids and adults. Exhibits include a replica historic Christchurch street, Maori history and Antarctic expeditions. There's also the House of Shells, the contents of which was donated by a Christchurch couple. It's free and in my opinion at least equal to many paid museums.

Another great visit to the museum. Staff were very helpful. Pottery exhibition was great. Good clean facilities.

There is a street of shops in the museum, like Christchurch used to be in days gone by. I enjoyed the Japanese, and Chinese display on the 3rd floor. There is a lot of interesting things to look at, plus a gift shop. Entrance is only by donation.

Was ok to visit. Not to much to get to excited over but worth a look. The moon exhibit was interesting a very popular so could not spend to much time there

ム.

The finest museum in NZ

The quality of the exhibitions was excellent. It was busy; however, the weather was poor. We spent 90 minutes and could have spent much longer if it were not for other commitments. My main criticism is that the place is a rabbit warren, so go luck tracking a logical path or getting out.

A wonderful experience - staff polite and helpful . A great asset to the City of Christchurch .

Beautifully organised. I learned so much. Some really excellent displays. I do feel some guidance on how to view the 1000 most studied people would be nice. It is not the typical left to right back to front layout.

Excellent time spent here with my grandchildren, friendly staff very helpful, wonderful exhibits.

Not being a museum person myself we decided anyway to have a look in after a walk through the gardens. Sooo glad I did. Was the best thing I did in christchurch. The Maori history exhibits were so amazing as was everything else in there. First time in a museum where I never got bored. Had limited time and wished I had longer as had to breeze through some of the rooms. Totally recommend a visit here and unbelievably its free. There is a donation box which I gladly put $20 in for that experience.

Awesome free museum! Lot of exhibits, so expect to spend at least a couple hours here! Nice little interactive things for kids. I always love mock city streets in museums like this too.

Very huge garden and beautiful

Loved it friendly staff Loved the cafe very nice food great service too

Absolutely love the museum. There is a kids room called discovert world- $2.0p per child and adult. It is full of wonderful learning resources and sensory items. Great place for mums to hang out and let the museum educate them! There is a lot to be seen at the museum including a whole area on our culture and maori settlers. Plenty to see and do at the museum. Parking can be hard but if you park on the otherside of the botanic gardens and make yourself through the beautiful park you will find yourself there.

Nice place to visit has some very interesting pieces and definitely learnt a few new things from there

Pretty interesting place to come check out. On top of it being free minus the Discovery area (only $2) it was great. You got to know the history of New Zealand. The history to be found in this building.

I love this Museum came here on multiple occasions as a local and it doesn't disappoint. Lots of great memories and learning made here.

Excellent local history and natural history museum of a type seldom seen anywhere in the world. Interesting for young and old alike. There are halls and displays devoted to Maori culture, Antarctic exploration, geology and natural history, an eclectic but engaging mix.

Took out 3yr old grandson and we thoroughly enjoyed it as much as he did. Great displays and discovery centre. Also great cafe on the top floor.

Pretty cool museum! There’s something for everyone and you can spend so much time learning and looking at all the different things! My favorite was the Paua house! The people working there are nice as well!

The museum free entrance but donations are welcome. Suitable for all ages discovery centre fun for children to touch, feel and see. The museum is a great place to visit for locals and tourists.

This was a fantastic place to go and visit. Well worth it if you are in christchurch

We visited the Museum to see a Tapestry exhibition. The exhibition was produced in England to commemorate WW1 and the NZ soldiers who were recovering in a hospital in England during the war. It is currently touring NZ. The works by the tapestry artists are stunning and are worth a visit if you are in Christchurch NZ during October.

I loved this museum. It's free (but you should donate! and there's so much to see yet it's not overwhelming in size like the museums you would see in a major city (e.g Wellington or London). There is a special area just for kids with lots of activities, a gift shop, WiFi and a café. Lots of interesting exhibits on New Zealand and Canterbury's history as well as the Antarctic expedition. I loved the section on birds of new Zealand (containing taxidermy Australasian birds). It's on the edge of the botanical gardens.

Interesting museum filled with exhibits from indigenous New Zealand to the local history of Christchurch to modern day quirks like the Paua House. Give yourself anywhere from an hour to 2 and a half hours to get through everything. The museum is quite traditional, however some of the newer exhibits do make a good effort to be more interactive and technology based.

Good to see so many children at the museum good place to visit for children and adults when it's open

We have young children under 10 so we purchased the yearly discovery pass. The kids always find something new making it a cheap and easy outing. Take a packed lunch so they can run around the gardens after taking in some history. Parking is across the road (not free) but easy access.

Excellent place. It's a small museum, but very interesting and all you see there is lovely. They also have always interactive things to do, for all the family.

Awesome display. Kids were delighted and entertained by what they saw.

Pretty cool museum, discovery room was a bit run down

First time here, exhibits are interesting because they are all so very different from each other, yet theres a cohesive layout and flow from start to finish. I appreciated the artworks and artifacts very much so.

Probably not the best museum I've ever been in but still interesting when the rain comes to visit the Chch sky. Informations about the city, and NZ history. May worth a quick stop if you're in town. Otherwise, the Wellington's museums are way more documented and exhaustive.

We always take kids here on school holiday with friends. Same place but different experience each time. Friendly stuff too!

One of the greatest attractions in Christchurch, allow at least 2 to 3 hours to enjoy all the exhibitions. It entertains all age groups. Great location, admission is free but donation is recommended. If you are new in Christchurch I must suggest to visit.

I'm mixed about my experience there. The content and exhibitions displayed are fantastic with a wide range and deserve 5stars. The customer service, on the other hand, was on the brink of atrocious. The museum states clearly that no food or drink are allowed in the museum. But they failed to be more specific- that no food and drink was allowed AT ALL- not even within the gift shop's doors! If they could warn visitors of this strict rule sooner, I think we would have a more pleasant visit. As it was, I was literally 'shooed' away for being in a coffee- the attendant was very very specific- he waited till I was clear of the gift shop's entrance doors. In summary, don't want to ruin your visit? Don't bring in ANY food ANYWHERE near the museum, and you'll be fine 😉

I recommend the Canterbury museum for a family outing. The current Air New Zealand exhibit is heaps of fun for the kids (including pilot dress up and coloring in activities). The best thing about the museum really is that its right next to the botanic gardens, which you can take a stroll through afterwards.

For a relatively small town in the antipodes, this is a surprisingly large, diverse and fascinating museum. Well thought out interesting displays showcase the historical origins of human arrival, development and diversification in the Canterbury region. Along with sections devoted to local flora, fauna, geology, technology, plus Antarctic exploration, a children's section and a few unexpected surprises, you won't be disappointed. Entry is free and there's a lovely cafe on the top floor overlooking Hagley Park. Allow at least half a day - preferably more to do it justice.

Love it here, could easily spend half day or even a day here. Wide range of exhibits from pre historic , Canterbury history, animals, fossils, colonial etc. Free admission.

Incredible amount of history inside this building. So glad I visited

I feel there's a few missed opportunities for locally centered exhibitions, for example there was no coverage of the anniversary of women's suffrage in New Zealand. Also the displays that are there could do with being modernized, they haven't changed in my entire lifetime! (22yrs)

I love museums, they are a good place to learn all types of history about our world, my favourite part was the 100 or so old fruit cake they have preserved from the war I think it was.

Enjoyed this museum and offered a place to pass the time for a few hours. Lots of good information related to history and she. I love that this is free to the public - very impressive and a great public service.

Always great to go and see what's happening with different exhibits, it is one of the best museums as there are so many things to see and for kids it has a great education science area costs about $2 for the kids and really great. can easily spend a afternoon here

Considering the size of the city and the odd layout this museum punches well above its weight. With stunning exhibits, you'll be taken on a journey through history. If you in chch and haven't been there you are missing out.

I stayed in Christchurch for one week and visited here three times. They have plenty of information provided including the Maori culture, the Antarctic, the Giant animals and so on. Highly recommend

Great free museum on the outskirts of the city, next to the park. Lovely staff and range of both historical nz exhibits and a selection from round the world also. Highly enjoyable

They had everythimg under one roof. The exhibition was nicely displayed. I only spent a couple of hours in the museum but definitely need more to cover everything.

Beautiful place to visit. Lots of interesting things to see. Fabulous staff and friendly. Gold coin donation. Love the shell house. Stunning. Take your time to see what they have to offer and learn.

What an amazing museum. Had my wee grandchildren totally captivated for a good hour and a half! Lots of variety, well done to all the staff who work there. AAA+

I love the museum. Lots to see and explore. A nice quiet cafe (except when kids are having birthday parties). The old Christchurch street is one of my favorite exhibits.

A great place to visit with well done permanent exhibitions and 4 galleries of temporary exhibitions. A superb Cafe on Level 4 with friendly staff, great coffee and an awesome view overlooking Christchurch's Botanical Gardens.

Nice old building. Friendly staff. One of the better Museum's I've been to in NZ.

Good, cheap (free) place to spend time. Also really good exhibits and things to learn about. A must place to visit when you're in Christchurch.

This is small but beautiful museum. Walk the replica of a classic Christchurch street in wich you can have a glimpse on how was living in Christchurch like hundreds of years ago.

Wonderful scenes of early Christchurch, I enjoyed talking to Nurse Maud. I saw children having a great time in the kid friendly spaces, and trying out the penny farthing bicycle. Massive collection of china and silver objects. A good range of dresses and uniforms on display. Even a tiny child just toddling recognised the dinosaur skeleton

Love this place. Always a pleasure to visit. Love the way they do the displays. Lots of interactive learning.

Place it’s really awesome and free so the best of it and worth for a visit like this offer. Should be more places like this around Nz most of them charge (Auckland) for residents it’s free but everybody should be able to enjoy this cultural museums.

Very interesting history. Well displayed. Early chch fascinating and wonderful Maori history of Canterbury. Moa and bird display 1st floor is amazing

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11 Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8013, New Zealand

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