Learn about the maritime heritage that helped to shape New Zealand’s capital city, at this free museum.
Packed with an array of exhibits including fascinating maritime memorabilia, holographic reconstructions and interactive exhibits, the Museum of Wellington City and Sea is a fun day out for visitors of all ages. Uncover the rich history of this great city, and find out more about the people and the events that have helped create the city as it is known today.
Housed in The Bond Store, a cargo warehouse dating back to the 19th century, the museum hosts exhibits and shows held over three different themed floors. On the ground floor, find out all about Wellington's 20th century history, whilst upstairs on the first floor you can discover more about the city's maritime heritage. On the top floor, take a trip all the way back to the very early days of the settlement.
The Bond Store exhibit has been designed to recreate the atmosphere of the original warehouse environment, complete with hessian sacks, wooden barrels, virtual vermin and authentic sounds and smells. In the next gallery, see the tall screen rising up to the top of the building, showing short films about the city on a continuous loop.
Go to the next level up where you'll find artefacts from Wellington's maritime history. Enter a recreation of a captain's cabin, whilst the kids enjoy being seafarers in Jack's Boathouse, an interactive area with a dinghy and other maritime objects. Here, there’s a documentary charting the tale of the sinking of the Wahine, a ferry that succumbed to a fierce storm in Wellington harbour in 1968, causing the deaths of 53 people.
Finally, at the top level, you can watch a 12-minute video installation called 'A Millennium Ago'. This showpiece makes use of holographic actors as well as special effects to tell Maori creation legends
Located on the city's waterfront, you can reach the Museum of Wellington City and Sea by cable car, getting off at Lambton Quay, followed by a short, two minute walk. If you're driving, paid parking is available under Queens Wharf or on the street. The museum opens every day through the year except on Christmas Day and admission is free.
