Auckland Museum

Auckland Museum stands on the rim of an old volcanic cone in the Auckland Domain, a heavy neoclassical building from 1929 with later additions behind it. Its ground floor holds one of the largest collections of Maori and Pacific material anywhere: Hotunui, a carved meeting house from 1878, a long carved waka, cloaks, tools and pounamu, presented with the involvement of the communities they came from. Above that sit the Pacific galleries and the natural history floors, with moa skeletons, seabirds and a volcano gallery that ends in a room shaking through a simulated eruption. The top floor is a memorial hall, quiet and set apart from the rest, which explains the museum's longer formal name.

What you actually see

• The Maori Court - Hotunui the carved meeting house, a long waka, cloaks, tools and pounamu.
• The Pacific galleries - material from across the wider Pacific, shown alongside contemporary voices.
• Volcanoes - the gallery on Auckland's volcanic field, ending in a simulated eruption room.
• The Domain setting - the parkland, the wintergardens and the view back to the city from the steps.

When to go

Weekday mornings are calmest; wet days and school holidays fill the galleries fast. Maori cultural performances run several times daily to a set schedule, usually as a separate ticket, so check the times before you arrive rather than after. Summer suits pairing the visit with the surrounding Domain and the walk down into Parnell.

Honest expectations

Overseas visitors pay a full entry fee, which surprises people expecting a free national museum, while Auckland residents get in free or by donation. The building is large and dense, and two hours covers only a fraction of it. The walk up through the Domain is steeper than it looks on a map, and the cultural performance costs extra on top of entry.

Nearby

The Auckland Domain and its wintergardens surround the museum, with Parnell's shops a short walk downhill.