Reviews of Southward Car Museum. (Museum) in Paraparaumu (Wellington).

Southward Car Museum

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Museum

Otaihanga Road, Otaihanga, Paraparaumu 5036, New Zealand

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Description

Information of Southward Car Museum, Museum in Paraparaumu (Wellington)

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Map

Open hours of Southward Car Museum

Sunday

9am–4:30pm

Monday

9am–4:30pm

Tuesday

9am–4:30pm

Wednesday

9am–4:30pm

Thursday

9am–4:30pm

Friday

9am–4:30pm

Saturday

9am–4:30pm

Popular times

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Reviews of Southward Car Museum

Absolute gem of a place even if not a car enthusiast. Everyone loves it. From Marlene Dietrich Daimler to The Delorean from Back to The Future. Stunning collection and very informative... Take the family

Having driven past so many times thinking this is a place I want to visit, now finally did and spent 3 and a half hours looking around and will come back again. What a incredible museum and collection of cars, fire trucks and bikes even some aeroplanes, this is a world class collection, the numbers of cars is simply outstanding plus the quality I'm sure isn't matched anywhere in New Zealand. So worth a half a day visit. The attached photos do not do this collection justice by a long shot.

Everytime I visit this museum I am surprised by how enjoyable it is. I'm generally not particularly interested in cars but seeing cars from across the years going back almost 150 years is fascinating. Each time have visited with my young son and my mum/dad who also enjoyed themselves. Worth the visit.

Visited with hubby & 2 children (4yrs & 12yrs) It was great, lots to see. Really like the info stations with the displays. Next time I going by myself so I have less interruptions 😂 and can spend a bit more time there.

Visited the museum yesterday Sunday. Awesome museum, beautiful display of a fantastic collection. Very disappointed with the cafe though. Selection wasn't great and the scones we had were very tough. The other pastrys felt like they had just come out of the freezer and had to request to warm them up and the coffee was tepid. And we were not impressed with a staff member vaping in the outside dining area. We all felt this was not a good look. Other than the cafe disappointment we really enjoyed our visit.

Very nice collection of vintage vehicles. Also has a coffee shop so you can grab a cup of coffee and spend time looking at the cars inside.

Very nice place, if you love the vintages cars and their own year history and country of origin.

If you're a car lover, you'll absolutely love this place. There are a lot of vintage collections.

Excellent museum with a lot of old and new cars, all sorts of odds and ends in between. Good place to spend an hour or 2,more if you take time to read everything or watch the videos at some of the displays. Gift/coffee shop for snacks and all sorts available.

Pretty cool classic cars collection. As a Mazda lover, I was surprised to see there weren't any single Mazda cars such as rx7.

Fantastic place there were really early cars, motorbikes and cycles on display. There is a store and a cafe next to it. The staff were really friendly. The cars are well maintained and most cars had good description about the model, manufacturer, year, technical specification and additional tidbits. Highly recommended for cars enthusiasts and regular people to understand evolution of these automobiles and companies.

There are so many beautiful cars there. And I love going there. I totally recommend it.

Located on the Kapiti Coast, the Southward Car Museum houses hundreds of cars as well as planes, motorbikes and other interesting vehicles and machinery. The museum was created by Sir Len Southward and his wife Vera. They started collecting cars in 1956. It become the largest private car collection in Australasia. They purchased the current site in 1976 which was then opened to the public. Ensure you have several hours available so you have time to visit the whole museum. There are three levels of vehicles plus lots of memorabilia.

One of the best car museums I’ve visited and I’ve been to quite a few around the globe. Really great place and some amazing cars to see. There was even a meet in the car park when I arrived so even more great cars to look at. If you love automobiles then you have to go.

Just a stunning museum to cars. Well worth a couple of hours for any but an avowed transport hater. World class.

Good place to visit on a rainy day. Found the exhibition quite interesting. A guided tour to focusing on some unique cars and their history would be a nice touch. Kids got bored quite quickly and we ended up leaving after 1.5 hours.

Well worth the visit. If anything, start early and visit long. But there's so much to see, so I would seriously suggest 2 hours in the morning and then hitting a local restaurant then do two hours in the afternoon.

Wow, was not expecting such a comprehensive collection of incredible cars. Worth travelling to see.

A great car Museum with cars of all eras, makes, models, and functions. Staff are great and knowledgeable. Remember to go and see the basement as well. There are also collections of vintage motorcycles and fire engines.

Didn't quite expect for us all to be quite so engrossed by all the cars! 2hr later, and could probably have stayed another hour! The highlight was seeing them back a beautiful, new Lamborghini into the foyer!

Great place for an outing with the family! The little cafe is great for coffee and snacks.

A beautiful collection of vintage cars. It's worth every penny you spend.

Located on the Kapiti Coast, the Southward Car Museum houses hundreds of cars as well as planes, motorbikes and other interesting vehicles and machinery. …

Pretty cool classic cars collection. As a Mazda lover, I was surprised to see there weren't any single Mazda cars such as rx7.

An amazing collection of cars from all over the world.

Great way to spend an afternoon, checking out the cars of yesteryear and some motorcycles also.

Awesome place a must see

Great place to visit. Very well kept as well. Myself could easily spend a day here.

A beautiful collection of vintage cars. It's worth every penny you spend.

Really beautiful place, staff are super friendly, nice and clean. Took the kids through in the pram (there is a lift) and then had a play on the beautiful lawns out the front.

Great way to spend an afternoon, checking out the cars of yesteryear and some motorcycles also.

awesome place , need at least 3-4 hours if you love cars.

Wow, couldn't believe all the different types of old cars. Was neat and clean and well laid out.

Awesome venue for Maisey Rika... Beautiful Concert

If your a car lover or just enjoy history then this place is a must see, very friendly staff and very well priced.

Great collection, well laid out, reasonable price, plenty of parking.

Excellent place for car enthusiasts, lots of vintage cars with information, can spend around three hours. Reasonable entry fee 👍

Great collection of cars, bikes and other transport. Well worth the stop. One little hint, if it is a void day best bring a good Jersey or jacket, the display area can be cold.

Great place for an outing with the family! The little cafe is great for coffee and snacks.

Went here for a concert. Great acoustics. Better seating would be nice. Good to be able to see the cars from the reception area.

My wife thought it was awsome and she doesn't even like cars ! Sums it up, we really enjoyed.

Really nice collection of cars, you can find here some rara stuff like Delorean DMC-12. If you are fan of wheels, it is definetely reccommended

So fun. Everything well laid out and a clean easy place to navigate around. My boys 10 and 9 were enthralled

Amazing collection of some very rear and historic automobiles. Cars, motorcycles, airplanes and other collectables all displayed very well with a brief description placard. Set aside a couple of hours to fully explore the collection set over three levels.

Loved the museum. Some beautiful and rare cars on display. I must come back again to read the details at each vehicle properly as my grandson was running from exhibit to exhibit. Still managed to spend an hour there with him. My favourite was a bright red 1930 Alfa Romeo C6 1750 GS. I felt a pang when I saw a beautiful speciment of a car I once owned, a Morris 8 coupe in the common red and black.

A great spot for a wedding with a pond and multiple facilities for the reception. Dave - Von Photography

Really lovely place to walk around! Air conditioned, so great in summer. Really good value for money

If you're a car lover this is definitely worth a look! Spent a couple of hours and could have probably spent more looking at the wide variety of early to modern vechiles. Something for the young and old. Not overpriced either. Merchandise in the cafe and shop to purchase on your way in or out. Would visit again

Went to a show here. The venue is fantastic, a very versatile space. The auditorium has great space and the layout is really good.

Clean tidy well presented and the displays are what you would expect. The cars are well preserved and a lot of care has gone into keeping them in their original condition. There is a lot of history here and a must to visit if you love cars and their history. There are motor cycles there as well. .

Even if you don't like cars, a must see. Beautifully restored cars and bikes from all around the world. A small sample pictired here. Cafe on site and nice grounds. A good way to spend from a couple of hours up to a day.

Absolutely brilliant place. So much to see. Highly recommend it to everyone.

Great way to spend an hour n a half with the kids. Fun for all ages

Well worth the trip, so well presented and the best layout and display for a museum.

I have been to this car museum so many times over the years. There has always been something new to see . I have been told there are many more vehicles in storage. The theatre and hall is of tremendous value to the area.

An amazing collection of cars from all over the world.

Lots to look and see. Some younger children may get bored as its eyes only, but still enjoyable.

Awesome place! Not only for the Museum but the beautiful grounds and the pond out the back. If you go to visit, make a day of it and take a picnic! There's also good coffee & snacks at the Coffee Shop

Great visit, cars in beautiful condition.

Went around the back to the lake and did the short walk. Beautiful.

I was surprised just how much I enjoyed this museum as I'm not particularly a petrol head, but it was fascinating. Two huge floors of cars and a mezzanine of motorbikes. Even an aeroplane. I particularly liked the gangster car full of bullet holes, the car used by the Queen and Marlene Dietrichs car. Highly recommend.

What a awesome place .car's and some bikes in there you won't see anywhere else!

Amazing collection, mint exhibits, great facility. 2 hrs easy …

Really amazing amazing place to visit, at first, a $20 ticket feels expensive to buy but once you enter there, it's a stunning collection of classic and antique cars n bikes. Maintaining such a huge collection of precious cars is a big job n 20 bucks is nothing for this. Marvelous work 👍

Very interesting to view all the cars etc

Great place .lots of cool beautiful cars to look at.

Great place to visit,its a must for any car lover

A huge and varied collection of vehicles that's well worth the visit.

Even if you are not a car person, you cannot help being intrigued by the car and bike collection at this museum. They are amazing and include some very rare cars. Old and modern, there is something for everyone.

Plenty of good exhibits for fellow petrol heads. It was just a shame that the rather surly lady on reception wasn't more welcoming. A shame as I simply went and spent my time and money elsewhere.

One of the most outstanding collection of cars in New Zealand! Really nice

Fantastic collection of cars and bikes, Clean and very Friendly

I hadn't really wanted to go, but was in for a pleasant surprise. This place is well cared for. There is an amazing range of vehicles including cars, motorbikes, planes and trucks among others. I enjoyed my visit and highly recommend a visit to others. Another bonus was the entrance price, which I thought was very good for what you get to see and how much it must cost for a place like this to run.

Great collection of old and new cars, quite a few are very rare! The coffee was very good as well.

Absolutely brilliant place, could spend hours and hours there

Walked round here a few times now and love it every time. They had a classic car auction on which was reason me and the other half came down. First time for her but she also really enjoyed it. If you're in Kapiti you gotta go take a look.

What a collection! It's great to see such amazing vehicles under one roof. Especially some of which have an awesome history too. My only issue is I'd love to drive some of them!

An amazing car collection accessible to everyone!!

Amazing collection and presevation of some beautiful cars! Huge variety of motor vehicles to admire and some intetesting stories to accompany them.

Much more than I ever expected. So many different makes and models of cars that I had never heard of. Well set out and even has a lift for those less able. I loved the display with the story of the man behind the museum - legend.

If you like cars, motorbikes, old, really old, not so old different this is your place Great historical information, digitised so interesting. Enjoyed the visit.

car and bike collection on display . good .worth a visit

Impressive collection of cars.... really enjoyed walking through

Could spend days looking at the exhibits, but took about 4 hours. Good coffee at the on-site Cafe. Nice little gift shop

It's a wonderful place to visit. If your in to classic style style of cars and the ground s and wonderful for out door weddings.

Such a awesome place for young n old

Cool cars, interesting stories

Awesome place a must see

Ive been here many times but when you're a car enthusiest, you wont complain. Theres always something I missed first time around. It is a big place that I highly recommend.

It's great! A large collection of vintage and exotic cars, motorcycles, and even a couple of planes. There is an attached theatre, and a gift shop that sells gifts and sandwiches. Doesn't change a lot, but fun to visit 🙂👍

Awesome car and motorcycle collection 👌

Lots of space (beautiful lawns). Loads of parking availability. Great cafe with friendly & helpful staff. Nice & clean bathrooms. Fantastic vehicle (motor; aero; water; war etc) display/showroom along with an awesome miniature train track.

A very big compound with many models of cars. A place for car lovers

Good assortment of classic cars. Plenty of parking. Three levels of vehicles. Well displayed

Fantastic cars and stories. You can spend hours in this place.

Great museum with a variety of car related displays

Really enjoyed it BUT asked about one car and it was in storage and not able to see it. But still a good collection

An amazing experience for any car nut. A huge variety of cars to suit everyone's tastes. Don't go on a hot day though. The heat inside the building on a hot day is almost unbearable.

Beautiful exhibitions there , loved it👌🏿

Classic. Great events hosted there, too

Stunning collection of cars, bikes etc. A must visit for any fan young or old of classic cars and bikes. Plenty room for parking.

Great place to visit with an awesome range of American, British and European cars and motorbikes from the early 1900s through to the 70s and 80s. There are some amazing cars there - something for everyone. $20 per visit or $40 per year unlimited!

So many cars who new a new zealander made a chitty chitty bang bang look alike. And the gangster car wow.

Want to see lots of cars from old to new? This is definitely the place to go do that. Classics. Oldies. Ugly. Beautiful. Historic. Heritage. This place has it all. You could take days to get through all of it. It could be the a great day out for anyone who remotely like cars.

Cool place worth the stop if your into anything automotive

A lot more bikes than you’d think!

Felt the service, greeting, was very slack, information on how best to view the display, how many floors etc, but overall we enjoyed the car display!

This is an absolute must see Amazing the range of vehicles in one area and we'll laid out Be prepared to spend a few hours here as you find yourself reminiscing over cars from your past and ones you will never see elsewhere

Fabulous collection of vintage and also not so vintage cars. I'm not really a car person so it takes some doing to impress me! Was really chuffed to see examples of cars I remember from my childhood (50s 60s) and even a Bugatti.

Love this place. Never go past without going in.

Love this place - so much to see! Great Cafe too. There seem to be more 'contemporary' cars on display this time so you too can play "I used to have one of these!" Lots of fun for everyone and not expensive

Well worth a visit. Heaps of cool cars..

Loved this place 4 hours there. Amazing beautiful cars trucks motorcycles planes. Shiny and gorgeous. Worth the price. Take your time and be amazed as I was. Ducks on the lawn wandering around. Has a Cafe clean toilets. You just have to go if you are in the area. Not far from wellington up the highway.

Lots of cars great to look around. Good information and anecdotes. Friendly staff.

Great place, have been there a dozen times it always changes, you cannot see it all in one visit, it is a must see place.

As we had 3 young children, including a 3 year old, an hour was long enough but the adults will be back again on their own. The information on each vehicle was really interesting and so great to see some fabulous old models that have appeared as names only in novels. The kids loved the crazy mirrors.

World class motor museum set in attractive parkland. It features a cafe worthy of exploration and a well equipped theater.

We enjoyed it my partner had never been before funny considering we live in Paraparaumu it takes a while there is a lot to see the history behind some of the vehicles is interesting some are one offs and some are the cars we grew up with and they seem different than what you remember if you have never been I highly recommend it. It is money well spent and you are contributing to the restoration of history.

Great variety of cars and motorbikes. Worth a look for anyone at least once. The collection is extensive so displays do change with time. Good coffee at the entrance to take in with you too.

A car museum that brings back memories. Beautiful examples of vechiles

Brilliant way to spend a few hrs

Well presented vehicles. But a sign to direct public to pay admission might be an idea. Or did I have a man look and miss it?

Excellent museum to attend if you’re a car enthusiast. Wouldn’t recommend it for small children though, as it’s a no touching zone and could get fairly boring for them. Staff friendly and helpful.

The biggest collection I ever seen. If you are interested in cars just a little bit, you have to come and see this. Two floors filled with many historical cars and one floor with motorcycles. They have some really uniqe pieces.

Good collection of cars. Thanks

Great exhibition. Fantastic stories & research about the cars. I understand why the cafe is small & doesn't have a wide variety, but that was a shame.

It's a bit of a drive out, since very cool stuff there, but once you've had a wander around the cars, that's about it. Worth it if you're really into cars. It's ok if you're not a car person. Enjoyable, but it's not something I'd return to any time soon, unless there was a new exhibit to see.

If you are into an interesting mix of a lot of old British and American as well as some German and a few exotic cars this is your place to go. Always worth a stroll. Most exhibits come with a good details plate and interesting background knowledge.

Extensive collection of cars. Also bicycles & motorbikes

Impressive display of a wide range of cars, vintage, modern, exotic and everyday. Some rare and, quite a few, one-off vehicles too. Allow plenty of time to see all 3 levels, at least two or three hours

A must see for any car enthusiast - and worth it for even a mild interest!

If u love Cars from different ages u love this place

I'm not a petrol-head or a car enthusiast, but I certainly enjoyed my time at Museum. Enjoyed the older cars more than the new ones and was impressed by the individual signs / placards for each vehicle with technical details as well as history of the vehicle.

If you are into cars, this is a must see. Good function and theater space too.

Huge, Amazing, varied collection. Well worth a trip!

Whether you're an enthusiastic or not, this place will move you. I love cars and bikes and though I'm not an enthusiastic, I can honestly say this place nearly has my heart stopped for it's awesomeness. I have to force myself to skip many things I want to look at else I'd better for a few days and still would have things to see. The photos are from upstairs only, there's more below. This is anabsolute must see

Attended a concert on this occasion and it was a totally good experience. I had previously visited the car museum in summer and found the heat unbearable! Air conditioning may be a cost but would be worthwhile. I regularly have visitors to stay but will never take guests there again in hot weather.

Amazing collection which my grandchildren loved. Wear a coat though, its chilly

Awesome place to visit and reminisce about the same cars we've once owned. The only let down was the coffee shop attached to the museum. We ordered large coffees, waited for 27 minutes to be approached by the barrista and were told that all the large cups were dirty but we could have a small coffee cup instead (without being reimbursed the price difference) or have it in a take away cup. The barrista had been too busy talking with a non customer during our wait (there were only 2 other occupied tables who had nearly finished and 4 customers who had entered while we were waiting). We don't often complain, but this was appaling as coffees are more enjoyable to drink out of dine in cups and don't contain the toxins/BPA that can be found in disposable items.

The museum itself is amazing and worth every penny and effort your take to get there. Unfortunately, cafe has only few sendwiches, so do not come hungry and plan you lunch in advance.

Really good collection, Cafe was out of food - just sandwiches left once we got there early afternoon.

I love this place, and enjoy semi-regularly visiting to see what they have added. There is a large selection of cars and motorbikes. One of which was donated by a family member (and I was named after) 9/10. Would be 10/10 if they let me drive a few of the cars :P

Southwards Car Museum is stunning! My favourite? Aha! Too many stunners to choose from.

Loads of interesting vehicles from army trucks to bikes and performance vehicles plus much much more. Theres a magnificent Copper car all hand beaten in approx 1920s. There is a nice picnic area outside too.

Stunning collection of vehicles for the car enthusiasts and not so enthusiasts! There's a cafe to hang out in whilst waiting for others in your group to get their fill of the immaculately presented vehicles.

If you are into cars you will love this place. If you are not into cars.... well you can either not go.... or go along anyway because you might be converted. Try and make it to their open day... normally.once a year around March. They open up the garages and workshops of all the restoration projects they are undertaking. Its world class!!!

Amazing place. Would recommend

Was at a Military and Hunting Auction , the venue is awesome, and easy parking. Good facilities, most impressed.

Great selection of cars. Have come here a few times, and there are always a few new vehicles.

A very extensive collection. However it's so cramped you can only view the exhibits from very limited viewpoints. Curation seems to be largely non existent. Visit the likes of omaka aviation heritage Centre to see how it could be done.

Step back in time and see one of the greatest collections of motor vehicles from all around the world. Certainly this Museum is a tribute to Sir Len Southward's vision and passion when he started the collection. Truly a great place to visit.

Always a pleasure to go to Southwards either for a stroll around the cars or to many a function I've been to there has been absolutely wonderful. Excellent Funtion Venue - lovely catering kitchen!

Awesome place large collection of cars,boats,bikes and plains would highly recomend also do drinks food and functions great staff.

Great collection! From the late 1800s to today. Spare a few hours to see it all

A must do for everyone visiting kapiti coast even if cars aren't your thing.

Me and my boyfriend found this on the way to Wellington. Before we realised we had spent over 2 hours there, clogged our phone memory up with amazing photos. Such great value for money. Particularly loved the gangsters car and the car that has never been done up.

This place is just amazing...

Amazing. Did not expect to find this place in Waikanae.

Really good collection, Cafe was out of food - just sandwiches left once we got there early afternoon.

Great museum!

Awesome place large collection of cars,boats,bikes and plains would highly recomend also do drinks food and functions great staff.

So many historic and famous cars

Amazing collection and presevation of some beautiful cars! Huge variety of motor vehicles to admire and some intetesting stories to accompany them.

An awesome museum and a tribute to the founder....well worth the time...

What an amazing collection of cars!

Loved showing Ian a car my dad had owned

Great selection of classic cars and bikes. Plenty of disabled parking.

Amazing place. A MUST see if you are even just a little bit into cars or motorcycles. Incredible collection of modern and old cars and bikes.

Great day out, best adventure in kapiti

Absolutely fantastic! 💯 Full of memorabilia, great stories and alot of hard work!! Highly recommended

Nice range of old and unique vehicles and equipment. Friendly staff, very happy with my experience there.

If you haven't been go... If you have been go again. Great collection.

This is an amazing place! Lots of cars from beginning of automotive era till nowadays.

An amazing, unique collection of old and very old vehicles, often with a story displayed alongside them. For example, the Gangster Cadillac, the Rolls Royce which was the only taxi in Arthurs Pass for 30 years and a Philippines Jeepney. Nice cafe too for a cuppa and cake after.

So many cars ,bikes and planes to look at. Our boys totally loved it.

Brilliant collection, wish I could have taken the NSX haha

This place has something for everybody, Ford guys Chevy guys hell even bike guys! And the gift shop has very reasonable prices so you can get a t shirt for the missus.

Wouldn't let me drive anything which was a bit of a loss, got my licence for nothing. Never knew how big New York taxis were in the 50s. Guess it really is true what the say! You can't beat Wellington on a good day

A really great experience. Wonderful facilities and a real blast from the past.

Really enjoyed my visit to the southward car museum. I went in there expecting it to be just older cars but there was a huge variety of everything. Definitely well worth the stop.

I was very surprised by the range of really special European Cars there. Seeing a Mercedes 300SL and a Ferarri 1750 Monza was amazing. Very good collections of Mercedes and early American cars. All housed in a bright, spacious and clean environment. Would have given it five stars if the cafe sold food. Highly recommended!

An excellent place to see the cars and transport sector changing in history. Well maintained and served. Family friendly place with facilities including cafe.

Highly recommend. A great selection of cars - well displayed and well lit. Good information and some elements of interest (hydroplane, gangster car, bikes, old engines). Theres a few hundred cars I would say - one of the larger car museums I have frequented.

I never get tired of visiting Southwards. The car's and bikes are first class. My missus even enjoys it. Reasonably priced souvenirs available, cafe and clean restrooms.

If you like cars and motorbikes (even some planes!) then Southward has an interesting and varied collection. Some historically interesting pieces also. Similar style to MOTAT. You do NOT have to book and can go in anytime like a normal museum (I thought from the website that I had to book which had put me off visiting for 2 years...you only need to book for functions...which is obvious...). Entrance fees were reasonable $40 for family pass. Annual pass available too. Gift shop. Cafe on site which looked ok but we didn't eat there. Will go again!

Always a pleasure to visit. New displays every time. Welcoming staff. Excellent display information. Value for money. Allow plenty of time.

Very good collection of cars and vehicles from all periods. Only complaint is the building was very cold. The downstairs collection could be easily missed

#pepperandpearls @Kapiti womens expo 2020.

Awesome mixture of vehicles

Amazing. Incredible collection of cars from the mundane to the outrageous. From a 390 CID (6.4 litre) V8 motorcycle to a Ferrari 308 GTS and a delorian. Plan to spend at least half a day here.

Great to see but too hot in summer...Aircon was only turned on part way through the day. Cafe has limited range and $$.

Fantastic, if often overlooked car museum and associated collections (motorcycles engines and at least one aircraft) close to Wellington, easy access an plenty of parking, well worth a visit

One of the best things to visit in NZ in my opinion. It is far larger that I was ever expecting, and if you are in any way interested in cars or recent history then it is a must see.

Visited over easter for VW Nationals prize giving what a fantastic place to hold an event

Very well organized and a very well informed event.

Love going to the cafe at Southwards when I go for bike rides. Staff are so friendly nice shop with souvenirs too.

😁

This place has many beautiful classic and semi-modern cars and a few modern supercars

Excellent and vast collection of motorised vehicles from different epochs, some of which with interesting history. Good place to bring your kids to get them acquainted with history of automobile industry.

Wonderful place to visit with your friends and family when you think about any types of car.variety of cars you can see at his place. everything well perfect.

A huge collection of cars from all parts of the automobile world. Holds events in the theatre room every so often. Great price for entry and a store at the front with everything cars.

Decent value for money. Well done on allowing for large families in the family pass. Awesome

Great museum for anyone, Prices are reasonable from what I remember and has a good collection of cars old and new. Would recommend anyone to go have a visit.

Beautiful, fantastic and amazing... a must for any car lover!!! Real classics, oddities, and some real nice ones, oh and a supercar or two...

Get off the Expressway at Waikanae and have lunch, then visit this car museum. It's truly world class easily the equal of some of the world's great car collections.

Have visited several times, and enjoyed it Every time. Always well presented and clean. A good look at some motoring history.

An amazing selection of cars and bikes from all periods set out for easy viewing. Make sure you set aside half a day in order to take everything in!!

Great museum, full of amazing vehicles and unique pieces of history. Would recommend to anyone who loves cars or engines.

What a fantastic attraction. If you have any interest at all regarding cars this is a must!

This Place is Amazing. Best Car Museum in Southern Hemisphere. A Labour of Love. Vintage Car Enthusiasts Heaven.

Rearranged display since my last visit has improved accessibility, however for elderly visitors seating could be placed at more regular intervals

First visit. AbFab. Go again to take in what I missed. Accompanied by two afficansdio s who explained so much.

Excellent place. Shouldn't miss this place👍

Feb2021: Cars&coffee Wow

Great place for all ages

Awesome collection, and worth every cent. Staff was pleasant, and the museum was clean. Ive never seen such a wonderful collection under one roof.

Incredible range of cars, most in mint condition and all with just the right amount of information to read.

A GREAT Display of new and old vehicles it bought back so many memories of car's and trucks I used to drive and own,

Cars I have never seen before, and I have been to hundred's of museums. Excellent

Many interesting cars including a gangster Cadillac complete with bullet holes! Wheel from Donald Campbell's world speed record car amongst interesting artifacts.

Really awesome museum which spans two levels. A must see for anyone even remotely interested in cars.

Great venue for anything from funerals to business awards and the museum itself is epic too! Well worth a look and impeccably maintained. Friendly helpful staff too :)

Beautiful collection 👍👍

Absolutely mind blowing, amazing cars from all over the world, well worth a visit.

The Southward Car Museum is an automobile museum housing a collection of over 400 vehicles, as well as three aircraft, located on Otaihanga Road, Otaihanga, just north of Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. The museum is run by a charitable trust, incorporated in 1972. The core-car collection was the personal work of Sir Len Southward and his wife Vera. A pioneering marine engineering and speed enthusiast, on 22 February 1953 he powered his boat "Redhead" across Wellington harbour to become the first man in Australasia to travel at over 100mph on water. He established Southward Engineering, which developed from marine engineers into a large steel fabrication business, supplying automotive exhausts, racking, light-walled carbon steel and stainless steel tubing (it is owned today by Melbourne-based Atlas Group). The couple began collecting cars in 1956 with a Ford Model T. Knighted in 1986 for services to the community, having established the largest private car collection in Australasia, in 1976 he purchased a 6 hectare site on which to establish a museum open to the public.

Went during weekday which meant there was virtually no one there! Fantastic display, we'll set out, and great cars

Such a variety and unusual collection of cars, very interesting and well worth the visit

Great large selection of vechile's well layed out

Wow an amazing amount of cars! So much to see the place is spotless with loads of parking. Well worth a look everyone

Cars, cars, cars! And I'm not really into cars, but this place is quite fun - love the old gangster ones, the Ford Prefect, and .. well, there's a lot really :)

Was very pleasantly surprised. Great for all ages.

Great for the family. If you need to entertain the kids for an hour or so this is for you. Good facilities and very clean. Coffee Shop is good too.

A fantastic place to visit if you love cars and the history of automobiles, pretty boring otherwise.

Great place for petrol heads motor enthusiasts and people interested in historic cars and motor bikes. 3 levels to explore

Fantastic fundraising show br Paraparaumu College and Dapa all proceeds to Cancer Society. Amazing Merrick Stein and Alicia Kindell. Thanjs

A really excellent collection of vehicles.

You dont have to like cars to love this museum there a loads of awsome cares motorbikes bicycles and in the basement is a awsome train i recommend this to all ages and intrests

Worth the experience even if you aren't very knowledgeable about cars. They have neat little historical blurbs about each one too.

Great place specially for car lover's. Worth visiting despite you passion or not about car history.

Always a joy to visit. This time to watch a car auction.

Love this place. The restorations are absolutely amazing.. would love to hear some of those old jukeboxes fire up. Would really warm the atmosphere

If you are into classic cars with a story, then this is the place to be. Come and check out the the newest addition of a 2006 Subaru Impreza STI C-Spec RA which built specifically for Ken Block to use in New Zealand during the 2007 winter rally season

Great to visit if you love cars. World renowned car museum well worth a visit

Magnificent Venue. Great day out at Shiny Side Up

Great place to visit!

Great place to visit with a little cafe. Some awesome cars on display. Well worth a visit.

An amazing collection of cars and bikes with some very rare models. Well worth a visit.

Awesome place to revisit. Great collection of vehicles...

My grandson loved the card. But it was expensive and the cafe was very poor.

An excellent place for all sorts of cars and bikes allow plenty of time to do it justice

Excellent. Some really rear and unusual cars.

Never seen so many amazing vehicles (from bicycles to planes) in one place. Terrific. Highly recommend a visit

Great array of old and some modern cars. Enjoyed it, a bit pricey.

Favourite car was the Snake Shelby! Kids young and old can enjoy

Just come back from enjoyable concert at theatre there. Museum is great. One of a kind and world class

one of the best car museums I have been to because of the rareness of some vehicles and diverse types.

Great experience, some cars I was not expecting to see at all. Really amazing collection!

As well as a good museum, it's a really good venue for a workshop and good team to help.

Was at a function in the theater and it was as cold as a fridge. Probably can't afford heating. The museum looks amazing.

Brilliant for car enthusiasts as well as motorcyclists. Great little cafe. Clean toilets!

Definitely worth the visit if you like cars and all things with motors. Great value for money.

Great place to visit .

Very cool, take your time & read the info about some of the exhibits etc. Interesting & educational

Didn't go to the car museum as such. Went to a dancing show there. But it is a nice place.

It was amazing to see cars that I and my family have owned in the past and for me to tell younger members of the family about them and incidents that occurred with those cars

Overwhelmed by the well presented collection, would definitely return.

Awesome place, so much history, nice seeing so many classic vehicles in one place. Highly recommended.

Great place for all family generations. I can spend days there. Exploring mechanical wonders of the past.

Fantastic collection.

Lots of fascinating old vehicles on display including models I have owned.

A wonderfully set out museum with an incredibly high quality selection of vehicles. A great mix of the old and the not-so-old.

An absolutely huge collection of cars and motorbikes. If you are an enthusiast you could literally spend half a day or more here!

We went to a funeral here. The venue was ideal and the catering upstairs was first class.

Lovely venue, great atmosphere and being able to access the museum during the event was a real treat!

if you're a car buff, definitely worth a visit - this is a world class collection of motor vehicles.

Excellent place to visit. Also a great event centre

Nice experience with a good range of cars to look at.

Very cool if you like vintage cars, bikes, etc and rare, interesting stuff

Best of the Best Great vehicles of all ages from all over the world.

Great day. Interesting. Good facilities. Lots to look at.

Great museum!

Fantastic selection, well displayed. Really worth a visit.

Fantastic place, vast array of vehicles presended sensationally. Cheap attraction for themfamily.

I'm not a car buff but I was absolutely facinated and completely lost track of time for a couple of hours. Thoroughly recommended.

Brilliant. Some great old cars and some great up to date cars. Loved reminiscing with a lot of the old ones

Fantastic location. Great variety of cars.

Superb, large & fascinating collection of vehicles, well worth a visit

An excellent collection. Lots of history in the vehicles

Good space to veiw concerts. Cool cars as well

Great place to take kids to look at the beautifully restored old cars very impressed

Amazing selection of cars kept here on 2 separate levels. Coffee is good too

Excellent venue. Really interesting range of automobiles. Well worth a visit!

Awesome venue. Classic cars. Brilliant.

Fantastic exhibition. Great grounds for family picnics. And superb venue for weddings and functions

Have driven past this 1000 times and had no idea it was this magnificent. Hundreds of amazing old cars.

Loved this place since I was a kid. Top quality exhibits and beautiful grounds

Always interesting. Great for the young ones too.

Such a great selection of automobiles

A good place for motor vehicle enthusiasts to visit

Car museum is fa3ntastoc, but the staff membee in cafe was rude and abrupt, not at all friendly on this occasion..

Very interesting and enjoyable

Loved this place. If you are into cars, motorcycles this is the place to be.

Awesome place for the family especially if you have car crazy kids.

Always try to visit this place when i pass the area. Huge collection of cars dating back from 1800s. A must see museum in New Zealand!

What an amazing collection of cars. Well worth the visit

Very cool cars and we'll worth a visit.

Amazing venue for an array of shows and the car museum is awesome too.

Great collection. Interesting stories behind quite a few of the cars.

Limited selection of cabinet food but amazing outdoor and indoor seating areas.

Such an interesting place even if your not a car enthusiast you will enjoy it

Great venue for hire. Staff on hand for all your needs.

An awesome museum and a tribute to the founder....well worth the time...

Massive collection with some unique pieces of history including some iconic kiwi vehicles

A great range of class and vintage cars with their stories

Great value for car enthusiasts just about every csr there ever was

What a excellent selection of cars. If your are planning a trip through the lower North Island this is a must look.

Amazing display cars , motorbikes ... Well worth a visit

Good mix of all transport, motorcycles, cars and trucks. Lots of rare and unusual items.

Haven't been for years. Always wonderful. Need to allow more time

What an amazing collection of cars!

Beautifully set out, spotlessly clean. Very interesting place to visit

Great to check out this amazing collection of cars and bikes.

Great venue for so many occasions as well as an interesting museum

What a great place to visit. Leave lots of time to visit as there is plenty of interesting things to see.

Love your classic cars and want to learn abit of history about it? this is the place to be

Awesome experience. Easy access and a massive range of cars, bikes and memorabilia.

World Class Museum with many unique exhibits.

So many cool old cars

So many historic and famous cars

Great place nice cars,could live there

Amazing collection so much too see need a good 3 or 4 hrs to do it justice

Fantastic experience, could spend a day here.

This was well worth seeing. I could have spent a lot more hours here if I had the time available.

Great collection of vehicles but cafe had poor selection

Great collection. Awesome for kids as well.

It's a really great time killer especially if you like cars

I went to the abba tribute band, great venue.

If you like cars and transport, Southward is a must, enough things to see to last all day.

Great family evening with the free outdoor movie night. Thanks Southwards and Toot Suite.

Great selection of classics - especially good collection of early pre-war cars.

Truly one of a kind. Well worth the visit for car lovers

Was there for the baby show - was a lovely venue. The kids loved all the cars

Great car display

Very good thoroughly enjoyed the experience my hubby was one happy man hehe

Amazing place with really really great cars, motorcycles and scooters

An absolute must for car lovers. Simply amazing!

Amazing. Did not expect to find this place in Waikanae.

Lots of cars, bikes, scooters and assorted motoring bits and bobs.

SOUTHWARD CAR MUSEUM WAS GREAT AMD ALSO THE TEA AND SANDWICHES WERE NICE AND FRESH

Awesome. And I'm not even into cars. Lot's of history here.

Huge place definetly need atleast half a day. My partner and his tourist parents loved it.

Everyone should enjoy this place at least once a year

amazing place a must see

If you want to see cars from yesteryear this place it is brilliant.

Great range, very cool

Excellent display of vintage cars to the modern era

Was very interesting

Great piece of history. Some fantastic cars, and even a couple of planes.

So many interesting vehicles and awesome Soviet style front of house architecture...

Fantastic place to visit...A MUST..took heaps of pics. Loved it

Great meet up for coffee and cars

If you like cars... this is definetly... a car museum.

Awesome display, well looked after!

Great to see all those old cars & bike's

Awesome experience. Must for every car lover.

Wow amazing collection of old vintage cars

Saw the 60s & 70s show there yesterday. It was really great.

We took my English family there amazing place a must visit for everyone.. Staff really lovely

Amazing collection. Well worth a visit

Awesome car museum best in the north island of new Zealand

Amazing collection well worth with a visit. Plan on staying at least a couple hours.

Very cool place and the historic cars where awesome

Could do with something new but still ok. If you have been once there is no reason to go again

Took two stars off for the price you pay to get in .....was to expensive ...not affordable for families , but it is worth going to see at least once .