Museum & Gallery · Auckland CBD

New Zealand Maritime Museum

4.62,873 Google reviews

Younger kids (4–8)Older kids (9+)Indoors Free

How muchTe utu: Free
Their siteHe pārongo atu anō: maritimemuseum.co.nz
Last checkedI tirohia: Last checked 15 Aug 2026

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LocationTe wāhi

Auckland CBD

Directions Website

What it is

Perched on the Viaduct Harbour, the New Zealand Maritime Museum | Hui Te Ananui A Tangaroa draws families into Aotearoa's deep relationship with the ocean. Permanent and changing exhibitions trace the country's stories of the sea, from Polynesian voyaging traditions to more recent maritime history, giving children plenty to take in at their own pace.

Beyond the galleries, the museum runs harbour sailings — a chance for kids to swap dry land for the water and see Auckland from a different angle entirely. A heritage boat shed adds another layer for those who like to get close to the vessels themselves.

Admission is free for Aucklanders, and the Viaduct Harbour setting means the day can stretch naturally into a waterfront wander afterwards. It suits families who like their outings to have real substance rather than just spectacle.

What other parents say

Edith Wong6 months ago

Loved the whole concept of the musuem. Took one of the sailings. Being an aucklander you get to go at half the price. Entry also free. 🤗😍 Love talking to the volunteers during the sails to know about auckland. We even could do up the sails .... It was slow cruise but truly learnt a bit on sailing 😊😊 also. Met some interesting tourists. Also loved the view from the museum.

Lou O'Brien3 months ago

We could have spent all day here! We started with a boat cruise of the harbour which was just incredible and such a fun, unique way to see Auckland. The volunteers both in the boat and in the museum were friendly and enthusiastic and full of amazing information that made it visit do much better. I loved how interactive the whole experience was. I would highly recommend adding this to your visit to Auckland.

Read 3 more reviews ↓

Fred Manuel5 months ago

Great place for all ages. There’s a lot of fascinating history and plenty of nostalgic displays that really bring New Zealand’s maritime story to life. We especially enjoyed learning about how tangata whenua first navigated and arrived in Aotearoa — that part was really well presented. Our favourite area was the America’s Cup section. Seeing the replica cup up close was awesome and a real highlight. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Auckland.

Sagar Godbole7 months ago

A wonderful museum where you can learn a lot about NZ Maritime history but also about sailing and seafaring in general! There's also hundred of models of canoes, sail boats and ships to see. Located right at the viaduct harbour, I could enjoy amazing gusting wind on a summer day. You can also buy tickets which include a sail boat sailing but the sailing gets full pretty fast so go early if you want that! There's 2 sail times - 10:30am and 1:30pm and it gets cancelled if the weather is acting up 🌨️

Tarciane Bilinski Assef6 months ago

The Museum is bigger rather you can imagine and brings you a world of interest information about the seas, it's creatures and the and humans adventures over them. There is always side activities like puzzles and colorings for the kids or while you need a little rest for your legs. We (my family) also enjoyed the Sailing Experience ⛵️ and it was beautiful!

Reviews from Google.