Train Rides · Swanson

Crystal Mountain

4.12,803 Google reviews

Toddlers (0–3)Younger kids (4–8)Older kids (9+)Outdoors

How muchTe utu: $15–$25
Their siteHe pārongo atu anō: crystalmountain.co.nz
Last checkedI tirohia: Last checked 8 Aug 2026

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LocationTe wāhi

Swanson

Directions Website

What it is

Tucked into Swanson, Crystal Mountain draws families in with an unusually broad spread of things to do — children can clamber through Mystery Mountain's indoor play area, ride the train through the Animal Park to meet farm animals, and explore the Crystal Mine Museum, all on the one site.

The retail gallery stocks what is claimed to be the largest variety of crystals and minerals in New Zealand, carefully sourced from around the world and quality-checked by an onsite gemmologist. From rough clusters and geodes to polished spheres and fossil specimens, there is genuine depth to browse, and staff are on hand to help with selections.

When energy flags, the Café on the Rock serves barista coffee and house-made cabinet food in a setting calm enough for parents to actually sit down. The site also hosts birthday parties, making it a practical choice for families marking a milestone as well as those after a straightforward day out.

What other parents say

Francesca Potter2 months ago

I took my 7 year old niece here and it was perfect for her age. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the soft play area, rides were sweet and appealing. Animals largely looked well cared for and enclosures suitable size. Small animals had good homes that looked interesting and Roomey. One emu looked distressed and trying to escape and was in a small enclosure. Goats didn’t look like they had a lot of shelter when it rains. We were greeted warmly by the lady selling tickets but unfortunately several of the staff looked very glum. Enthusiasm and interaction with the public was limited. We went into the small animal barn. There seemed to be bags of food but no prices and no instruction on what happened in this barn. There was a bunny out in a wheel barrow but I was unsure if you could cuddle them or not. The girl in that room sat on her phone the entire time. Didn’t acknowledge anyone that went in or give any kind of information about the animals or suggest we feed or hold them. I even queried what one animal was quite loudly and encouraged my niece to ask the lady. My niece was too shy and the girls head remained buried in her phone. The girl driving the red train looks absolutely bored out of her mind. Cafe workers pleasant although food in soft play not good. Low quality chicken nuggets. More variety in the cafe by the shop. Nicer tasting too. Shop workers friendly and helpful. Several attractions open with lights all around but then no staff on attendance so unable to play the game. We loved the crystal chairs and benches and tables. My little niece a little dissapointed that there was no crystal mountain but she loved the underground museum.

Kelz A5 months ago

We loved this place. The kids had a blast. With the crystal and fossil museum, and feeding the animals. The train ride, tractor rides, spinning cup and saucer were great and of course the roller coaster. Bouncy castle, indoor play land, with Bumble Bee and Optimus Prime. The excitement was real for Mr 4 and 5 $110 for the 4 of us but we were there for 4hours and would have been longer if it wasn't such a hot day and didnt have a 2hr drive. We'll worth it to see the kids faces light up.

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Gary Steel3 months ago

We took our kids (7 and 11) there during a trip to Ak in the school holidays, and found that it was a great option to keep the little monsters happy. There's plenty to do, including a fairly large indoor playground with its own cafe so you can sit and relax while the kids are doing their thing. Outdoors, there are entertaining dinosaurs placed around the grounds and a range of alive animals as well, including apalcas, ponies, and various birds including peacocks, etc. (You can also buy small bags of feed for the animals). There's also a small rollercoaster and a few other rides. Then there's the Crystal Mountain venue itself, which comprises another cafe with a wider range of food, a shop selling various crystal-related trinkets, and a "cave" where you can see a range of crystals and the bones of extinct creatures. We thought the kids might be bored by this part of it but they loved it all. There's something a bit crusty and damp about Crystal Mountain and it feels sort of 1980s, but this aspect almost added to the sense of fun and surprise. The combination of fun things is so wrong that it's right! One thing we weren't enamored of was the small cockroach on the cafe table, which escaped before we could squash it, and the toilets were really stinky. But those are relatively small negatives when there's so much to enjoy. My advice is to get there while it still exists, as it feels like housing subdivisions are slowly squeezing its perimeters.

Shaun Smart5 months ago

The array of stones and amethyst displays always amaze me. Ended up buying a chess set that was $150 which was very happy with. - Loaded wedges 8.0/10 Was told it needed more cheese, but for $14 it was ok - Spaghetti carbonara 8.3/10 Cooked nicely, nice chunks of mushrooms and good amount of parmesan. The bread on the side probably not necessary, as there wasn't enough creamy sauce to scoop up off the plate. Overall must visit, and say hi to the local peacocks.

k verma5 months ago

Amazing Fun for kids and adults both. Easy walking and free train ride. Lot of farm animals to look out for. Big dinosaur sculptures were fascinating to watch. The indoor playzone is awesome and great for kids to be busy. Cafe was busy but good. The cupcake size is huge and enough for 2 people. Dont forget the visit the crystal shop and museum which full of millions of crystals!! One of the best places for families and tourists to visit.

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