Canterbury Museum, Christchurch (must see)

Canterbury Museum is one of Christchurch’s leading cultural institutions, presenting the natural and human history of Waitaha Canterbury. It was first opened to the public in 1867 in the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings, with collections shaped by geologist Julius von Haast, who became the museum’s first director in 1868. Its purpose from the beginning was to collect, study, and present the region’s geology, natural sciences, Māori taonga, colonial history, and wider cultural material. Over time, the collections expanded far beyond Canterbury, with material connected to the Pacific, Asia, exploration, and everyday life in New Zealand.

The museum’s home is itself a major heritage landmark. The first purpose-built section, designed by Benjamin Mountfort in Gothic Revival style, opened in 1870, and the building expanded over time with additions in 1876, a roofed courtyard in 1882, later wings in 1958 and 1977, and further strengthening and development in the 1990s. The historic building suffered only limited façade damage in the 2010–2011 earthquakes, and most of the collections were unharmed, although the William Rolleston statue outside was knocked from its plinth.

For generations, Canterbury Museum has introduced visitors to the region through displays on Antarctica, geology, natural sciences, indigenous birds, Māori and European history, costume, decorative arts, and local life. It has also been known for much-loved objects and displays, including the Christchurch Street reconstruction, the blue whale skeleton, Antarctic collections, and Fred and Myrtle’s Paua Shell House. The Antarctic material is especially important because Christchurch has long served as a gateway for expeditions to the frozen continent. Exhibits linked to early exploration, scientific work, and polar travel help connect the city’s museum collections with its wider role in Antarctic history.