Permanent Exhibitions

First Stop - The Bond Store

Enter the Museum through a re-creation of the 1892 Bond Store, complete with sights, sounds, smells - and virtual vermin!

The 1968 Wahine Disaster

On 10 April 1968 this interisland ferry sailed into a savage storm and sank at the entrance to Wellington harbour . Fifty-one people died on the day and a further two people died from injuries sustained during the sinking.

More than forty years on this is still the most significant event in Wellington's recent history. A moving film by renowned New Zealand filmmaker Gaylene Preston screens daily in the memorial gallery.

Find out more about the sinking of the Wahine (PDF: 92KB).

giant Cinema Screen

Stretching up all three levels of the Museum is a giant screen showing exclusively commissioned films of Kupe & tall ships.

Te Whanganui a Tara

Get a closer look at early M?ori and European settlement in Wellington. These carvings tell the story of the creation of New Zealand and Wellington harbour. Find out more about the early settlement of Wellington (PDF: 64KB).

Wellington a Century Ago

Pick up an old telephone to hear about Wellington in the 1900s. These audio accounts recreate everyday life in Wellington 100 years ago. You?ll hear from a banker, a cab driver, a fisherman and a seamstress.

By the Sea We Live

800 years of Wellington's maritime history, from waka to container ship, are celebrated on the central floor of the Museum. Climb into the captain's cabin and steer a course on the ship's wheel. Find out about the Cobar, Penguin, NZ Fishing Industry, shipwrecks & shipping (PDF: 58KB).

A Millennium Ago

M?ori creation legends are told in a dramatic 12-minute show with special effects. Learn about the Taniwha that created Wellington?s harbour and hear how Maui tricked his grandmother into giving him fire.

Telling Tales - Wellington's 20th century

Follow the timeline of diverse stories of 20th century Wellington life. The 101 lively mini-scenes illuminate some lesser-known corners of Wellington's colourful history. A range of feature exhibitions explore different art-based responses to these stories.

The Board Room (The von Kohorn Room)

Once the meeting place of the powerful Wellington Harbour Board, this opulent room has been restored to its former 1920s grandeur. Hear the Board?s business first hand by listening to re-enacted board meetings.

Plimmer's Ark - conservation project

The remains of the sailing ship Inconstant, now known as Plimmer's Ark, were rediscovered in 1997 during restoration of an historic building on Lambton Quay.

The bow (front) section remains on display under a glass floor in its original location in the Old Bank Arcade on Lambton Quay .

40 tonnes of material extracted from under the Old Bank are undergoing conservation treatment on Queens Wharf. This conservation project of its type in New Zealand. Find out more about Plimmer's Ark (PDF: 306KB).