Auckland War Memorial Museum

It is also known as Auckland Museum, and is one of New Zealand's most important museums and war memorials. Its neoclassical building constructed in the 1920s and 1950s, stands on Observatory Hill, the site being the remains of a dormant volcano. Museum collections concentrate on New Zealand history (and especially the history of the Auckland Region), natural history, and military history. Its collections are organised into three principal areas: documentary heritage (manuscripts, correspondence and other historical documents in archives, along with pictorial art); the major branches of the natural sciences; and human history (broadly, material culture). Among the areas of significant focus are Māori and Pacific cultures, the human and natural history of the Greater Auckland region, New Zealanders' involvement in global conflicts, and exploration and discovery. Very popular place, lots of tourists and locals. Keep an eye on your valuables. You can get here by public transport or car. We took the car and found it not a problem parking at a paid public car park. Fair bit of walking around this large building under shade. Wear comfy shoes, take water. Toilets available inside the building. Gift/souvenir shop available on site. Fee charged for entry. Book in advance. You can spend several hours here, depending on your interest. Great place for photography.

I highly recommend the Māori experience! It’s not a show but a sharing of culture. So don’t expect a long form of entertainment. I really enjoyed being part of it and being able to ask questions afterwards. The museum itself had a lot of items from many different wars and countries! It was interesting to see whole fighter planes up close! I’m only a bit disappointed that the main Māori exhibit is closed at the moment but it was definitely an informative time!

I would say this museum offers some of the best exhibitions in New Zealand. It features a wonderful collection showcasing Māori art, culture, and New Zealand history- from artefacts, paintings, and carvings to impressive life-sized pieces like the Māori waka (traditional canoe). The museum has also hosted incredible showcases such as the Guo Pei exhibition and, more recently, the DIVA exhibition in collaboration with the V&A in the UK. I travelled all the way from Wellington just to see DIVA! Tickets are reasonably priced (around $25) and include headsets, which is a great touch. The building itself is beautifully designed with sweeping ceilings and a bright, welcoming foyer that houses a café, restaurant, ticket counter, and access to toilets, a drinking fountain, and exhibition spaces. The layout is accessible and easy to navigate, and the facilities (including the toilets) are clean and well maintained. There’s also two floors of undercover parking located downstairs, accessible via lift. Parking payment is made at kiosks by card.

What an outstanding museum! The style of the building is gorgeous. Inside you are presented with a variety of areas related to New Zealand culture and history. At the time of my visit in late August 2025 , plenty of areas were closed off hopefully by my next visit, they will be open. The highlight for me was the World War level and everything related to our past. Would recommend to anyone who can appreciate NZ history! Also note the statue of Zealandia 🤍 If visiting, you should consider a donation. Entry is free for residents of NZ with proof of identity.

I had a good experience at the war memorial museum, though it was somewhat dampened by the museum being approximately half-shuttered due to long-term repairs being made to the building and galleries. The ticket cost was reduced by 50% to compensate, which seems about right. Highlights included the Auckland exhibit, which was very colourful, progressive, and optimistic while also reflecting on more difficult parts of the past. I also really enjoyed the gallery about New Zealand’s flora and fauna. It was especially cool seeing reconstructions of giant flightless birds. WWII scholars will love the reconstructed Zero. When I went on a weekday, it was quite busy with many children, so just be aware!

They discounted my ticket because so many exhibits were closed but I was still disappointed. I really went out of my way to get here from the cbd and there were only a couple of interesting exhibits. Further, I went here on a weekend and experienced a lot of small children screaming and running around. I believe because admission is free for locals and parents were looking for a way to occupy their children. I enjoyed the war memorial exhibition, but was disappointed parents didn’t explain to their children that the exhibit deserved a little respect. I would recommend avoiding this museum when children are not in school.

An impressive museum with clear, well-structured exhibitions covering New Zealand’s history, culture, and heritage. The architecture is stunning, and I was impressed by how many school groups visit, it shows the museum’s role as both a landmark and an educational space.

There is an impressionist art exhibition at the Auckland gallery and one of the paintings on loan, is by Paul Gauguin of Polynesian life. I just came back from Melbourne art gallery with another impressionist art exhibition, again with a Paul Gauguin on loan. Paul Gauguin visited Auckland in 1895 and sketched Maori artifacts at the Auckland Museum before continuing to Tahiti, with these sketches influencing his Tahitian period art by combining European and Pacific aesthetics. His visit was part of a larger journey to find inspiration in "ancient " cultures. He visited the Auckland Museum, where he studied and sketched Maori taonga (treasures), such as carvings. Gauguin who sketched several Maori items later incorporated them into his Tahitian period paintings. The visitors' book entry attests that Paul Gauguin visited the Auckland Art Gallery in August 1895 during his journey to Tahiti. During his brief ten-day stay in Auckland, Gauguin made sketches of Maori carvings he saw at the gallery and the Auckland Museum, which would later influence his art.

I love visiting museums when I travel, and while in Auckland, I only had time for one museum. I like learning the history of the city or country I am visiting, so I chose the Auckland War Memorial Museum to visit. The museum has three different sections: the history of the Māori and people of New Zealand; the natural history of New Zealand; and the history of New Zealand's role in several wars. While I certainly learned more about the history of New Zealand, I didn't find the museum overly interesting, compared to other museums I have visited. It wasn't a bad museum, but it didn't wow me. It's a good museum to learn more about New Zealand's history, but not a must see, particularly at $28NZ for admission. [Yelp collections: NZ/Fiji 2023; New Zealand 2023; Museums and Art Galleries]

Great place to learn and appreciate Auckland's indigenous people's history and culture. Even though the museum is called the war memorial, only 10% of museum's content and displays were about the two world wars. Majority was about the Māori history and displays of artifacts. The museum also serves as Auckland's geographic and natural history museum. It's a modern museum, nicely laid out, easy to walk through, and plenty hands-on experiences for kids. Very family friendly. We're LEGO fans, so the icing on the cake was the special exhibition - the LEGO RELICS exhibition. Google it for info b/c there's simply not enough space for me to describe here. I'll just say it was nothing short of AMAZING. With or without the LEGO exhibition, this museum is worth the visit if you're in Auckland.

Wish we visited the Auckland Museum before going to see our first Haka. There was so much to see here. I would definitely recommend packing a lunch and spending at least half a day here.

On a gray and dreary day in Auckland I set out to explore the Auckland Domain and Wintergardens. After spending lots of time outside, I headed for the war memorial and attached museum. If you're in Auckland for a while, it's a must to spend a day in this area and this museum is special. The Auckland Domain is mainly parade grounds, but at the top of the main hill sits the War Memorial Museum. In front of the big steps is the War Memorial proper, which honors New Zealand's fallen in conflicts throughout history. This area also offers a beautiful view of the CBD and harbor beyond. The museum itself is worth a few hours of your time. Free for Aucklanders, $28NZD for visitors, the price is little for getting to see so much. It's a combination of natural history, cultural history, and general interest museum, with mainly a focus on New Zealand itself. The main atrium as a pair of Tyrannosaurus Rex skeletons, the cafe, and gift shop. Tickets are also available for the special exhibitions wing (on my visit it was Ancient Egypt), which is an extra fee. The museum's floors showcase Maori culture, colonization, modern New Zealand. The top floor is where most of the war memorial exhibits, flags, and honor roll of names can be found. Despite the solemnity, this is a happy museum filled with happy children on school trips, families, and visitors. The staff here were all very friendly and welcoming to share and guide as needed. Restrooms are clean and found on every floor; the museum is also accessible for all with the option of elevators. I also went to the gift shop and found some great special items, much better gifts than a lot of the touristy stuff found downtown. If you're interested in New Zealand culture and history, this is worth your time on your next visit.

Quite the hike up some steep hills from downtown. The museum is free to New Zealand residents, but visitors pay $25NZ, about $17US. The ground floor is a great introduction to Māori history and culture. Stories about Auckland and also where the gift shop and two T Rexes are located. The floor 1 currently has a local wildlife photographer exhibit, the Imaginarium, the Weird and Wonderful. The last two are great areas for kids. Floor 2, War and Remembrance floor, was were I spent most of my time. Here are several memorials and commemorations to all those from New Zealand who have fought in any war. It was surprising how many wars and people. Also several war galleries. They walked you through wars fought before the country was formed and during the discovery. Then from WWI, WWII, to today with UN peace missions. Several displays were comparable to ones I have seen in Europe. Incredibly well done. The museum sits in the large park called Auckland Domain. There are several small parking lots around the museum and some street spaces.

This is the place to find out everything about Maori culture, with daily cultural shows and an internationally significant Maori and Pacific collection to explore. We were told that the Auckland Museum is a must see attraction, so we started here. A Māori was at the main desk when we entered & she eagerly circled must see galleries. The museum is housed in an Iconic building within the grounds of a tranquil park, the Auckland Museum is a place to discover and learn about New Zealand's culture and its natural history. Since 1929, the Museum has served as place of remembrance for the many Aucklanders who have sacrificed their lives in war. The WW I and WWII memorials were vast & very moving as were the Holocaust first person accounts. I enjoyed Olaf Petersen, one of Aotearoa New Zealand's finest nature photographers. The gift shop was filled with books, art, childrens items.... There was a large cafe and a coffee shop in the original foyer. We were wowed by the Māori galleries. The collection of clothing, jewelry, weapons, boats, art, home goods & information was incredible. There were many huge, intricate, life size buildings & boats. We skipped the exhibit about Stonehenge, the children's exploratory rooms, the library, the dinosaurs and all of the things that didn't relate to New Zealand. We spent two hours here and we could've easily spent a day. They were lots of places to sit and take everything in. I was amazed how empty the museum was, Tuesdays they're open till 8:30 and they were very few cars in the parking lot. We've walked about a quarter of a mile uphill once we got off the bus to the museum & leaving had a longer walk down and through the domain.

An Auckland trip is not complete without a trip to the Auckland Museum. Originally a war memorial, the museum indeed commemorates those who served from WWI onward. As a general museum, there is a significant emphasis on Māori history and culture. Ceremonial meeting buildings have been meticulously reassembled in a main hall. I'm addition, large war canoes with intricate carvings are fully displayed. Māori cultural performances are also available during certain hours of the day. Please check online for particular schedules. The building itself is a neoclassical behemoth that exists within a large green area called the Auckland Domain. If you like city walking or hiking, the Domain is perfect for jaunts without even visiting the museum.

Not to be missed on any visit to Auckland. A very impressive collection of NZ history. The word war is misleading. Allow two hours. It is $28 NZD.

This museum was INCREDIBLE! It's large and I recommend spending a whole day here (we did half a day and felt like we missed out). It is filled with amazing examples of Pacific Islander's lives, including a plethora of amazing information about their seafaring skills and how adventuresome and amazing these people are/were. Learning about the Pacific migration was mind-blowing and I would encourage anyone to go and see it - absolutely incredible. The Maori cultural experience was super fun and educational and came with traditional songs, dance, and stories!

This is a wonderful museum to learn about Maori culture. We parked near the museum for free and ran in on a rainy day. It had enough to keep my 10 year old occupied and interested. I would not have gone to visit if our tour guide had not recommended it to us because the name made me think it was something different. It's definitely worth a visit.

Learned a lot about NZ's history, as well as some generally cool stuff like the huge T.Rex fossils. Surprisingly good lunch at the bistro, too!

This is THE MUST SEE museum if you find yourself in Auckland. Surrounded by gorgeous parkland, the museum itself is very organized with a wide-variety of exhibits that are interactive. Many are catered to children, providing unique engagement opportunities while educating on cultural and historical elements. For example, there is an entire section on volcanoes and the history of New Zealand, with a large re-creation of a volcano for children to touch and play with. The section on New Zealand involvement in World War I includes smaller scale construction of actual trenches to demonstrate trench warfare, with very believable mannequins dressed for the parts. The attention to detail, which is an art in and of itself, is represented throughout the museum. From something simple yet fantastic as a submarine door in the war section, to the systematic respectful organization of flags throughout the war memorials. I found myself surrounded by the laughter of children throughout the museum- from the reconstructions of Maori ancestral homes and Maori significant historical items (from weapons like spears and clubs to jewelry and historical carvings created as archways to homes) to a section all about dinosaurs and historically large bird fossils from New Zealand. I learned quite a bit in this museum, which is wonderful. For fellow international visitors, admission is roughly $20-25. Well worth it. You could easily entertain yourself visiting the three floors for a few hours. The one aspect I wish I had time to participate in was the special guided exhibit on Antarctica. In terms of pro-tips, I like to avoid crowds so found a ladies restroom on the bottom floor to the right of the entry. Does require stairs however. Going off peak hours on a weekday is good.

The is a great museum, there are 3 floors of exhibits. The quality and display of the exhibits are on par with many of the exhibits I've seen all over the world, even though its natural history section is on a smaller scale it is however very relevant to New Zealand and explains why NZ animals like the Kiwi developed much different from the rest of the world. I enjoyed the 3rd floor (Scars on the Heart) because it details the involvement of New Zealand in all the World Wars and civil wars. There are a number of stories and letters from family members and heroes from the front line. They have an extensive war medals collection and impressive flags drawer display and a touching holocaust section. They also have a full size British Spit Fire, Japanese Zero and German V1 aircraft on display along with a number of weapons used during those periods. The 2nd floor - Natural history unique to New Zealand and on the ancient species such as the moa, kiwi and the tuatara. The 1st floor - Stories of Pacific people, Maori and island culture. Very interesting to see the migration traced from South Asia and their continued migration after the 2000 year period known as "The long Pause" when migration continued towards Hawaii,Tahiti and New Zealand . The carvings and massive canoes show the craftsmanship and skill exhibited by these people. There are many others detailed exhibits on volcanoes and a children's discovery area. The museum gift shop and cafe are worth a stop. Also worth a visit nearby within 2 minutes walking distance is the Aucklands Wintergardens.

Great museum. We took the tour, and are glad we did. There is a lot here, and the tour moved fast, so we ended up coming back to a couple places we wanted to linger. Plus the place was a bit crazy with a bunch of school kids when we were there. So happy to have a tour guide taking us through it all. It's a bit of a trip to get here. We used Uber rather than public transport, and that was the right choice, as the museum is in the middle of a huge park. It would have been a hike just to get to the building from the street.

Visitors should be warned that unlike Auckland's art gallery, the museum is not free (unless you are from Auckland and have a card). Nor is it even close to free, which puzzles me. Museums are not meant to be expensive; the idea is to share knowledge with the public. I'm no hypocrite either; Aucklanders traveling to my hometown can enjoy a bounty of free museums even if they don't pay U.S. taxes. The whole price thing is controversial even here. But let's say you pay. It was rainy and this looked cool, so I did. The interior is substantial. The exhibitions are wildly varied. There are several on New Zealand wildlife, a level devoted to New Zealand's war history, a wealth of Maori art, and a pretty sweet section on volcanoes. Nor is that the end of it, with the kids exhibitions and a library and other rotating sections. It takes several hours to go through even if you go quickly, and you could spend a day there without getting bored given all the variety. Most people will find at least some of it interesting. I may have missed out by not doing the Maori performance or the tour, but those cost even more. Despite its somewhat austere bearing, this like most museums has a lot of kids, mostly school groups. The exterior of the museum is a park called the Auckland Domain (which I did not review because I didn't see the whole thing), and walking out the museum door on one side leaves you looking down a hill at the whole region. That's a plus. Parking is either paid through an underground garage, or in one of the free aboveground spots in the Domain. These are plentiful but fill quickly, and they are timed to two or three hours. Plan accordingly.

This is a fantastic museum and should be at the top of list on a visit to Auckland, it provides a wonderful introduction to New Zealand. I recommend going earlier in the day. We arrived 1:30pm on a Friday and we ran out of time. The exhibits include Maori culture, military history, natural historr, activities for children and more. We were lucky to be there for a wildlife photography exhibit which opened July 8th. The cafe is a nice spot for lunch, also be sure the check out the gift shop. We also attended the Maori show, performed in museumtheater, performances are scheduled througout the day. We attended the 1:30 which was the day's final show. There is an additional charge for the performance but it is worth your time and money, the Maori performers are very good and stay for a meet & greet after the show.

One of the great things about traveling the world is getting every countries perspective regarding multiple things: food, culture, love and even war. Until visiting the war museum I had little, well frankly, NO knowledge of kiwi involvement in any wars whatsoever. It humbled me to visit this place, to know that men and women sacrificed their lives to secure the way of life for persons an ocean away. How the kiwis fought side by side with men like my grandfather in the Pacific in WWII, was intriguing. Since I'm a former Marine war museums have always been a must see when possible (DC, London, Munich) and this was no different. As you can imagine this might not be a place for the kid that isn't into reading and getting to know history, but if he/she is...... IT'S A MUST SEE.

The Auckland War memorial museum is one of the top things to do while in Auckland, New Zealand. It tells the history of New Zealand in vivid imagery you wouldn't believe! I spent a Thursday September 2018 afternoon here at the museum, just because I really didn't have anything much to do while in downtown Auckland for a majority of the afternoon before checking into the hotel in Newmarket later that night. The museum is hella big and seems like the architecture of the building seems to mimic those grand old government buildings you see in other major cities around the world. It was large and definitely it was expansive inside as well. It was an educational experience here, as well as an enlightening one too. It was possibly one of the good times during my stay here in Auckland, but it was great to learn about New Zealand's history. We got to look at exhibits dealing with New Zealand's pre history with the Maoris and later on, the Initial contact with the European traders and explorers in the early 12th century. The museum is pretty fantastic and have basically absorbed many knowledgeable facts while reading and remembering what I had learned at the Canterbury museum in Christchurch earlier in the week. The Auckland War memorial museum basically encompasses all New Zealand history and not just just North or South Island. All New Zealand. The overall experience here at the Auckland War Memorial museum was very neat. I spent a good 3 hours here at the Auckland War Memorial museum on a brisk Thursday afternoon. It was way better than roaming through aimlessly around the downtown areas. The Auckland War memorial museum is located at the Auckland Domain in the Parnell district of Auckland, which is basically next to the central business district and the Newmarket district. Can't miss it really! Admission fees are comparable for visitors, but it helps to be a resident of Auckland. There is no entry fee for residents of Auckland. There is also no entry fee for New Zealand residents, but a donation is appreciated. However if you are not from New Zealand, you are required to pay $20. And that helps the museum find is a various projects throughout the year. I'm sure many international tourists come to this museum on the daily basis you learn something fun and exciting about New Zealand history. For the most part though, it was a good three hours well spent. I enjoyed many of the exhibits, including the war exhibits and how they are detrimental to life and New Zealand society as a whole. And as always, War is never a good solution, but it changes our communities and our world. New Zealand has been a great place to live in, and supports the road and everything we do. Running about the history of New Zealand open my eyes to what is possible for the future ahead. The museum offers guided tours, which was nice to hear the audio portion of the tour instead of walking around aimlessly. They offer also cultural performances by various Maori groups at certain times of the day / week. Be sure to attend one of those while you are here at the museum, because it will help you understand the culture of the indigenous people of New Zealand. It was nice to see them perform and remember similar performances in Hawaii of different Polynesian groups. Pacific Island cultures have a way of telling their stories through song and dance. It is definitely beautiful and inspiring. I would totally recommend coming if you are in Auckland New Zealand and want to enrich yourself spiritually and learn about the history of New Zealand. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A

I love visiting museums when I travel, it really immersed you in the local history and culture if you didn't already know much about it. I learned so many different things from this museum, specially about New Zealand and WW2 involvement and volcanoes. It was all so interesting. My favorite exhibit was about the local culture of the Maori and all those artifacts. Definitely stop here if you are visiting !

For history buffs, you'll absolutely love this museum. And being one myself, I really enjoy discovering things I've never seen before! This museum is more "historical" and "cultural" with tons of artifacts, versus being more "scientific". There's even a cafe right next the the entrance so you can grab some breakfast. Or just start off with some pastries and a coffee. Believe me, you'll want your stomach to be full before you begin your journey around this place. As far as admission and ticket package, the lady that helped us at the ticket booth was very helpful and suggested we try a package deal. So we did the Moa Package, which includes entry, a guided tour, and a Māori Cultural Performance. The price was $40(nzd), but totally worth it. Museum highlights: ~ The Māori performers sharing their music and lifestyle. ~ Ending with a "Haka" chant. ~ Hundreds of Māori totems and sculptures. ~ Polynesian boats and survival tools. ~ Various old violins and other musical instruments. ~ A few geological rocks and minerals. ~ Different taxidermy kiwi birds, as well as other birds from the region. ~ Insects too! ~ The Giant moa. ~ Dinosaur bones and sea life creatures, like a pterodactyl. ~ Some Roman, Asian, and Egyptian art. They've got a mummy! ~ Our 45 minute tour with our knowledgeable guide was fun. ~ Stained glass windows and huge stained glass roof. All honoring veterans. ~ All types of weapons of war and how New Zealand was involved in them. ~ Guns, cannons, swords, medals, etc. You name it, it's probably there. ~ Not one, but TWO World War II planes. ~ They even have a library with old delicate books. ~ And much much more you've got to see. Overall, it's not my favorite museum of all-time, but with the vast amount of things to see here it's no doubt in my top ten. You can practically spend the whole day here, or I'd say you can probably see everything in about three to four hours. The kids will enjoy it, so you won't be disappointed. If you're new to Auckland, then this is a highly recommended thing to do!

This is an amazing museum, well worth visiting. My husband and I went on a cold, rainy winter afternoon and our only regret was we did not have enough time to really see it. We tried to do the most with our limited time so we did the cultural presentation by the Maori people - excellent. And then we did a guided tour, also excellent. We learned a lot and saw some of the highlights. But we left at closing wanting to see more. As a tourist, I think it's a must see if you are interested in the history of New Zealand and the people that settled there from the beginning, onward. I have pictures but there are already so many excellent ones posted I didn't really have any new ones to add. Browse through and you will have only a taste. Plan at least a day, if you don't get too tired, and you enjoy history, to experience it.

Great views from the front of the Museum. Consisting of 3 levels of various Heritage from the Maori to the South Pacific and artifacts from all over the globe. Would at least take you half a day to complete majority of the exhibitions. My favourite part was the Volcanoes exhibition where they had a simulation in the event of a real life volcano as well as the aftermath! Great way to educate people on natures dark side. We did not get a chance to try out the cafe but will do next time! Also i think they need to have a bigger shop with more things for sale!

I heart the Auckland War Memorial Museum. It's an absolute must for tourists but even as an Aucklander, I try to go at least twice a year. Built in the late 1920's, the building itself is beautiful with large pillars and low steps leading up to its bronze doors, embossed with poppies. Inside there's three stories of exhibitions. Whilst some exhibitions are temporary the war memorial, NZ natural history and maori exhibitions are permenant. There's also a great kids section called weird and wonderful which has lots of interactive elements. To find out what else is on when you plan to visit head to there website - it is very comprehensive and easy to navigate. NB. Whilst the Museum is free for Aucklanders there is a price for international travelers and a suggested donation for out-of-towners.

This museum is absolutely fantastic. Free for residents, but $25 for non-resident adults. While I will say that it is worth the $25/pp, that is still a little steep for a museum. All of the displays were very well cared for, so, like most things in New Zealand, you can actually see where the money is being put to good use. (Just an observation) You could easily spend half a day here. My wife and I took our time and were there for about 3.5 hours. There is a cafe in the atrium with coffee, sandwiches, and other types of drinks and snacks. I highly recommend you stop in for a quick bite/sip during your time at the museum to break things up a bit. While this is a War Memorial museum, there is also a lot of great information on New Zealand (Aotearoa for the initiated) history, culture, and Polynesian/Maori historical data. Being "American," I often wonder what it would be like to have such a rich cultural history - and I envy those who do in a way. Very cool stuff, and I hope that these people hold on to their heritage as long as they possibly can. Being a small percentage Native American, I can somewhat relate to the things the Maori have been through here in Aotearoa. While colonization and manifest destiny does have its merits, I am glad we now live in a time where that type of thing is more looked upon as barbaric and irresponsible. The museum grounds are well kept and beautiful. There are some great views from right outside. Keep up the good work, Auckland.

EXCELLENT MUSEUM This museum has just about everything you would want to learn about the City of Auckland or New Zealand itself. A huge natural history section featuring animals and birds, both endemic and extinct, as well as flora. A section on geology & volcanoes and one on Colonial history and occupation. Another section on the indigenous maori people and one on the various wars NZ has been involved in. Cost is $25, but it's worth it!

The museum was good however not the best in New Zealand; the Te Papa is much better and free! I however feel the top floor of thw Auckland War Museum is fantastic; especially the WWI and WWII artifacts and memoribillia! And the current exhibit of wildlife photographs on the bottom floor were amazing! The museum is over priced and the parking is aweful!

Big beautiful museum with 3 floors full of exhibits that not only cover NZ wartime history but also some NZ native history. The outside of the museum is large and sits on top of a hill in the Auckland Domain. We got above ground free parking that was down the hill but not far. The entrance is huge and just gorgeous to look at. If you turn around you have a gorgeous view of Auckland. Entrance was free for Auckland residents. I paid 35 NZD which was the base admission. You can upgrade to a package which included a Maori welcome which I'm told is really amazing. It was almost double the price and also my little cousins would have had to pay 35 NZD each even though they are residents, so I skipped it. Would have liked that to be a little more accessible. There's so many different exhibits I'm not sure if I even saw everything. There's a maori exhibit which was cool, south pacific artifacts, NZ fashion, an exhibit on NZ education, a volcano exhibit which was just ok to me (there's a room that shows how a real eruption would look/feel but it was not really worth the wait), NZ prehistoric and native animals and also a few art pieces. Inside are plenty of bathrooms, lots of interactive things for the kids, a cafe and WiFi! I loved the museum and wish I had more time to really explore. I think next time I'd pay to see the Maori welcome as long as there wasn't a huge group of us. Highly recommend the museum to get a sense of NZ history.

What a place! We visited today and viewed the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Awesome. The Museum has many more interesting exhibits. A great FREE outings for families who live in Auckland. Parking can be found in the surrounds but get there early and if you go on school holidays, ensure you allow for that.

I visited Auckland for the first time in August. As I was traveling alone, I was actively searching for things to do that would productively occupy my time. I made the walk from my hotel to the museum and was instantly amazed at the architecture and setup. I truly believe the experience you get is worth the cost of the ticket. I easily spent at least three hours there, and even went back to look at certain exhibits a second time. The only negative thing about my experience is that the floor dedicated to war was under renovation, therefore taking away the war aspect of a "war memorial" museum. I don't find that reason enough to knock off a star however, as maintenance is a necessity from time to time. I did enjoy the war offerings that were available, as well. I loved my time in Auckland and New Zealand as a whole. If I am ever so lucky to travel out there again, I will most definitely pay this museum another visit.

GREAT MUSEUM TOP 3 in the world! I highly recommend buying the full pass to include the temporary exhibit and the Maori cultural show. The Haka is awesome. My favorite exhibits are the volcano exhibit and the third floor. They are immersive and try to relay not just objects but the mood and period. It puts you in a sense of honor. This is a Must Visit, especially if you have kids.

The Auckland War Memorial Museum is another example of the great architecture that can be found around Auckland. The majestic building with large pillars is situated in the perfect location - it towers over the Auckland Domain and is easily visible from attractions such as Mt Eden and the Skytower. The Museum hosts world class exhibitions from ancient to modern times, and includes interactive exhibits for children. Weird and Wonderful is one of these and is designed to both entertain and inform kids of all ages in a fun and exciting way. Though the hands-on experience is not just limited to kids, adults can listen to stories and biographies of Holocaust survivors in the WWII exhibit. This exhibit is one of my favourites and moves me to tears no matter how often I go. The Museum also hosts independent exhibitions and exhibitions relevant to local culture. One of these was the Outrageous Fortune exhibition, where the set was completely recreated and visitors could walk through and touch real props, as well as read real scripts and see behind the scenes footage. Though it has been open since 1929, the Museum was recently refurbished and is now more than capable of wowing tourists and meeting their expectations.

I love this iconic building sitting boldly on the hill at the Auckland Domain. For me this is one of Auckland's most if not our most impressive building. You can come here just to admire the architecture even if you don't want to enter into the museum. The museum is well worth entering as well and offers collections and history for many parts of the world. However as it should it has a large area dedicated to New Zealand and Maori collections, art and history. You can also come here for the daily Maori cultural performances. Also they have many different exhibitions during the year as well as varied and interesting talks. Entrance to the Museum is free if you are Auckland based, if not is a $10 donation and well worth it. I believe every Aucklander should visit the Museum a couple of times a year. The views from the front entrance to the museum are also very impressive and its a wonderful place to come for wedding photos, and it is available as a wedding venue hire, wow wouldn't that be spectacular and unforgettable. I love our Auckland Museum.

Iconic Auckland landmark and a must-do on any visitor itinerary, or locals for that matter. We had Americans in town and since we couldn't get to Rotorua with them, decided to head down to the Museum for the Maori culture performance. How disappointing since it was very kitch indeed and way too expensive. This was the sentiment from us Kiwis and the Americans too. However we were not disappointed with the museum itself, the Maori section and Oceania next door is pretty impressive to get a slice of New Zealand history. We picked up a few things from the souvenir shop, again most things were on the pricey side. The café was lovely, the downstairs toilet hand basins are nice.

Very cool place. The artifacts were sorted very nice and the tour was informative. The start of the show was the Mauori performance and the "Haka"!

This is really a fantastic museum. It includes bits and pieces of all kinds of New Zealand history: animals / natural history, volcanoes / earth science, NZ in wars, and Maori history. The exhibits are quite rich with plenty of artifacts, mannequins, and stuffed animals. There is a bunch of text to read throughout, so I'm not entirely sure how much children would enjoy it, but it's a really wonderful introduction to New Zealand history. A nice overview.

And to think I almost left Auckland, New Zealand without visiting this Museum. I thought I saw all what can be provided in your typical Museum: artifacts, history, etc etc. Thank goodness for impromptu day. LOCATION I casually woke up one morning and thought maybe I should stop by the Auckland Museum today. No plans, just spontaneous. I had a Latte and vegetarian quiche around the corner. I casually walked to the bus station (CityLink) to check the times. The next bus would be around 1P (and hour). Impatient, I decided to walk the distance. It says, after all, would take 26 minutes. So with a brief look at the map (big mistake), I started to walk. 30 minutes later, I was starting to think I should've taken a left turn somewhere. I stopped by a gas station and check their maps. Sure enough, I should've taken a merge left off the overpass and onto Park. This time, I took several photos of the map and I back tracked (20 minutes). This 26 minutes ended up being a good hour. I walked around, up the stairs and apparently walked in without needing to pay for general admission. PARKING Parking can be located at the bottom or outside the parking and ponds area. Regardless where you park, you will be doing a bit of walking either up a very steep hill or through the park and ponds. Not bad for a walk though, the view is very scenic. DECOR/ARCHITECTURE I arrived to what seems to be a never ending soccer/football field. I walked around (the long way) it and finally arrived to the parking lot of the museum. Surrounding this structure was a nice view of the wide green grass field, hills, beautiful old trees, parks and ponds. Many tourists stood outside near the entrance was taking photographs. Instead of doing the same, I decided to just embrace the environment and view (yes, this one is for me to remember and enjoy). From afar, the structure looks very Greece like with tall columns. In the window, has names of countries -I'm not sure what those represent. Perhaps of the countries they represent inside? Inside, the ambiance was very warm and cosy. The first floor has the most modern day artifacts (e.g. photographs from all over the world from different photographers, artifacts from the most recent foreign settlers in New Zealand -fashion, furniture, things of interest). Making your way through the corridors and exits and stairs, you will find yourself in a maze (at least for me, it was). You will find from fashion to lifestyles, from weapons to mobile vehicles & vessels, insects to birds, crustaceans to large sea mammals, prehistoric creatures to endanger species. I have to honestly say, there was so much to see that during my 1.20 hours until the Maori performance was going to start, I barely finished the first floor of the museum (there was just so much to see and read!). MAORI PERFORMANCE I watched this performance on a Sunday morning along with 3 other people (which was expected since they offer this performance daily and several times a day). Even though with such a small group, they were able to produce the energy as if there was 100 people in the small performance area. I was very impressed of the commentator (very pretty by the way) by her professionalism and how she projected her voice with great authority and power. Throughout the performance, humorous gestures from the performers really made it entertaining. The Haka Maori performance even impressed me more as they were able to project such power and passion in their voices that I honestly thought I was going to shed a tear (I know my eye glistened a bit). CUSTOMER SERVICE I walked up to a very attractive, short hair lady and inquire to purchase tickets to the Museum and the Maori Performance ($45 for Adult General Admission). It came as a packet deal (one ticket receipt, one museum ticket and one performance ticket). She kindly -with a smile- helped me processed this and helpful with how everything was going to play out. She was very sweet. VERDICT I would love to return here and spend more time reading the most captions. Since I spent a little over an hour getting there (mostly walking), I was quite fatigued and didn't have the energy to read. This is a must stop by if you're in Auckland. So much to read, study, and learn in this one spot alone. I love it!

If you only have a day in Auckland, make sure to visit the Auckland Museum. Although you could probably spend at least a week there if you really sifted through all the history, culture and information it has to offer. There is so much to see and do but when I arrived fresh off the first hop on/hop off bright yellow tour bus, I encountered the most helpful ticket attendant who helped me plan my itinerary. First of all, I got a discount on museum admission since I had a day pass for the tour bus. I told him I wanted to see everything, which included a tour and the Maori show. So he handed me a map and let me know which exhibits to visit first since they weren't included in the hour long tour. Then he told me what time and where to meet for the tour and then the show, respectively. All in all it cost about $50 NZD for about 3 hours of "edutainment." Here are some key words to whet your appetite: Volcanoes, sharks, dinosaurs, local, Maori, haka, WWII, taxonomy, Pacific, Ancient, Asia, Art, WOW. My personal favorites were the World of Wearable Art (temporary) which looked like a peek inside Lady Gaga's whimsical closet, and the traditional Maori performance. Oh, and they have free public wifi all day, every day! I try to visit at least one museum in every city I travel to and this one is top of the list!

Great museum to visit when you are in town. Everyone should check it out at least once. I paid for a guide that took us through a small portion of the museum and she was great. She provided valuable information that you would not get if you walked around the museum on your own. Highly recommend a guide. The Maori performance at the end was also very good and you get to take pictures with them. FYI - We took a taxi from our hotel that charged $32 NZD but I think he ripped us off. It should probably be around $20 NZD. We stayed at Sky City Grand Hotel.

Convenient location, beautiful building and a great afternoon learning the history of Auckland and New Zealand. When we arrived it was busy but we were able to get in relatively quickly, spent a few hours exploring the various galleries - enjoyed learning about New Zealand's history and the Maori culture. Initially I wasn't too keen on coming here but once I did I was quite glad I did, it was both informative and entertaining - they also had this amazing display of photographs of elements in nature which I really enjoyed.

Perched prominently atop the green expanse of the domain, the museum overlooks Auckland imperiously and is visible from all sorts of vantage points around the city. It's much more impressive up close though where you can truly appreciate the scale of the pillars that form a most grand facade - the architecture alone warrants a visit. The museum itself is my favourite of the big museums in New Zealand - Te Papa has always seemed a bit theme parkish to me. While you could level that criticism at the Maori cultural performance, the Auckland Museum is otherwise all business with some amazing collections including early Maori/Pacific artifacts, a great 'natural world' section, and a very impressive section documenting NZ's involvement in the world wars. The museum is also an excellent research facility with an extremely well-resourced library of artifacts available on request. I documented the history of some local soldiers in 7th Form history using this resource, and was able to examine personal effects and correspondence from wartime - haunting and amazing that this stuff is available for anyone who asks.

I enjoyed this museum. Tells a great history of the indigenous Mauri people of New Zealand and the battles, wars, traditions, and customs. I recommend a tour guide to explain if you're keen on history or just walk around have a look yourself.

Free to aucklander's if you have something to prove you actually live in akl. Has loads of interesting displays and has regular extra exhibits (normally for an extra charge but not over the top) eatery ok clean, good selection and not overly priced (but not cheap). Sucks the public transportation but if the day is clear the walk through the domain is pleasant

Maybe it was because I came in with reasonable expectations, but I thought this museum was pretty awesome. It's free for NZ residents, so definitely have your photo ID in hand when you visit. Don't miss the two planes tucked away up on the second floor...very cool to see them up close.

The history you learn here is amazing. You must do the local Māori cultural show!!! The staff are knowledgable and friendly. If you visit Auckland and don't come here, shame on you. It's a delightful way to pay respect to the Māori people and those who have fought to make NZ what it is today. It was an honor to explore this museum.

We loved this museum. HUGE place. Great cultural experience, for sure. We spent the better part of the day there taking it all in. Great location, too, nice views. Definitely worth a trip if you're in the area.

Been here many times has changed some of the exhibitions and quite interesting to go through all of them. Great place to learn about New Zealand and its history great place for tourists.

Well it's the only real museum in Auckland, so best by default! Plus my family name's on the wall so I'm a tad bias.

Quite interesting. Partially colored by the fact that I'm operating on a small amount of sleep after flying here from San Fran

Although this is one of the few museums in Auckland that charges admission, I highly recommend it. Foreigners may be put off by the steep admission fee but I personally felt it was worthwhile. I thoroughly enjoyed the view of both coasts from the top floor. The exhibits explaining the history of New Zealand and the role of Kiwis during WW2 were particularly educational. There are also sections on Maori culture too.