Wellington offers a vibrant arts scene, and its art galleries are a great way to experience the city’s creativity and talent. From masterpieces of classical art to contemporary works, there is something for every taste and budget in Wellington’s art galleries.
From the renowned Te Papa Museum to smaller, more intimate galleries, Wellington offers a diverse range of art experiences. Whether you’re looking to buy a piece of art for your home or simply want to enjoy the beauty of art, Wellington’s galleries are sure to impress.
Top Art Gallery in Wellington, New Zealand
![Wellington (; Māori: Te Whanganui-a-Tara [tɛ ˈɸaŋanʉi a taɾa] or Pōneke [ˈpɔːnɛkɛ]) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand, and is the administrative centre of the Wellington Region. It is the world's southernmost capital of a sovereign state. Wellington features a temperate maritime climate, and is the world's windiest city by average wind speed.Māori oral tradition tells that Kupe discovered and explored the region in about the 10th century. The area was initially settled by Māori iwi such as Rangitāne and Muaūpoko. The disruptions of the Musket Wars led to them being overwhelmed by northern iwi such as Te Āti Awa by the early 19th century.Wellington's current form was originally designed by Captain William Mein Smith, the first Surveyor General for Edward Wakefield's New Zealand Company, in 1840. Smith's plan included a series of interconnected grid plans, expanding along valleys and lower hill slopes. The Wellington urban area, which only includes urbanised areas within Wellington City, has a population of 215,200 as of June 2023. The wider Wellington metropolitan area, including the cities of Lower Hutt, Porirua and Upper Hutt, has a population of 440,900 as of June 2023. The city has served as New Zealand's capital since 1865, a status that is not defined in legislation, but established by convention; the New Zealand Government and Parliament, the Supreme Court and most of the public service are based in the city.Wellington's economy is primarily service-based, with an emphasis on finance, business services, government, and the film industry. It is the centre of New Zealand's film and special effects industries, and increasingly a hub for information technology and innovation, with two public research universities. Wellington is one of New Zealand's chief seaports and serves both domestic and international shipping. The city is chiefly served by Wellington International Airport in Rongotai, the country's second-busiest airport. Wellington's transport network includes train and bus lines which reach as far as the Kāpiti Coast and the Wairarapa, and ferries connect the city to the South Island.
Often referred to as New Zealand's cultural capital, the culture of Wellington is a diverse and often youth-driven one which has wielded influence across Oceania. One of the world's most liveable cities, the 2021 Global Livability Ranking tied Wellington with Tokyo as fourth in the world. From 2017 to 2018, Deutsche Bank ranked it first in the world for both livability and non-pollution. Cultural precincts such as Cuba Street and Newtown are renowned for creative innovation, "op shops", historic character, and food. Wellington is a leading financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region, being ranked 35th in the world by the Global Financial Centres Index for 2021. The global city has grown from a bustling Māori settlement, to a colonial outpost, and from there to an Australasian capital that has experienced a "remarkable creative resurgence".](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Beehive_Building_Wellington_New_Zealand.jpg)
Top Art Gallery in Wellington, New Zealand
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Address: 55 Cable Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (22157)
- Phone: +64 4 381 7000
- Website:
- Opening hours:
Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMTuesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMWednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMThursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMFriday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMSaturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMSunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
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Embark on a thrilling journey through the diverse array of Art Gallery in cities like Auckland, Wodonga and Gladstone across the Oceania continents, revealing hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Whether you’re a local business or a multinational company, these cities proudly display a rich tapestry of profesional services designed to cater to a wide array of preferences.
The 10 Best Art Gallery near Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington Museum
- Address: 3 Jervois Quay, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (2301)
- Phone: +64 4 472 8904
- Website:
- Opening hours:
Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMTuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMWednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMThursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMFriday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMSaturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMSunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM - Reviews:
5 months agoNo one should miss this place. It’s brilliant, informative, innovative, interactive, cool, and so on.Plus it is absolutely free of charge. I highly recommend going there while in Wellington.
The museum is well designed, providing lots of hands on activities for children and adults. Great for School holidays. Would love to have more places for kids to do more crafts, even if we have to pay.
4 months agoOne of the amazing Museum I’ve been through. If you’ll go to Wellington, you must not scape this lovely place, there’s a lot of things to interact with. And had such a lovely staff who would welcome you warmly. If you’re one of fond Barbie you should come and visit this place too. Of note, FREE entrance fee.3 months agoWent for the Barbie exhibition and it was good. Helpful and friendly staff at enternace. Parking was not easy. And could have better signs for the museum people from out of town.3 weeks agoForget boring museums, Wellington’s Te Papa is a history buffet for your brain! Maori myths come alive with ancient treasures, then boom you’re reliving WWII with interactive gadgets. Kids go nuts for the earthquake simulator (don’t worry, it’s gentle!), and the harbour views from the rooftop are Instagram gold. Seriously, pack your phone chargers! Overall, it’s like a time machine on steroids, but way more fun. Just wear comfy shoes – the building’s huge, and you’ll want to soak it all in. Bonus points for the cool cafe with harbour views too! Highly recommend if you’re in Wellington, even if you’re not a museum person. It’s like a giant playground for grown-ups, minus the tantrums (hopefully)2 months agoNice place to visit to know more about history. Seriously need a sign out side on the road as there is none (you think it is a left turn for Secure parking only.
Space Place at Carter Observatory
- Address: 40 Salamanca Road, Kelburn, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (1380)
City Gallery Wellington
- Address: Te Ngākau Civic Square, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.3 (1224)
Cable Car Museum
- Address: 1A Upland Road, Kelburn, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (1168)
Pataka Art + Museum
- Address: 17 Parumoana Street, Porirua City Centre, Porirua 5022, New Zealand
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (662)
Whirinaki Whare Taonga
- Address: 836 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt Central, Upper Hutt 5018, New Zealand
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (502)
Petone Settlers Museum
- Address: 130 Petone Settlers Museum, 160 The Esplanade, Petone, Lower Hutt 5012, New Zealand
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (291)
The Dowse Art Museum and Dowse Square
- Address: 45 Laings Road, Hutt Central, Lower Hutt 5010, New Zealand
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (159)
Katherine Mansfield House & Garden
- Address: 25 Tinakori Road, Thorndon, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (114)
Nairn Street Cottage
- Address: 68 Nairn Street, Mount Cook, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (47)
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5 Replies to The 10 Biggest Art Gallery in Wellington, New Zealand
What a fantastic museum. We took over 2.5 hours just to cover 2 floors and will have to return to see the rest. The interactive sections were really interesting and, coming from a country that doesn’t suffer from much ground movement, we particularly liked the ‘earthquake house.’ A great experience all round. Thank you Wellington.
Very nice for kids and family. My favorite section is Nature, my partner ‘s is War and my son loves Dinosaur and geology exhibition. We wish it has an ocean and marine ecology exhibition with alive aquatic plants and animals. There’s only a dry specimen collection for that.
Overall, very good for kids ‘ education.
Free admission.
Great exhibitions.
Highly recommend.
I was only able to see the nature exhibition, unfortunately.
Great for kids. Activities throughout the exhibition.
It is one of the best nature exhibitions I have seen. Colossal squid on show, which was a highlight.
Great way to spend a few hours.
Good gift store with local arts and crafts.
We visited the Gallipoli war museum part. The self directed tour was very well organised, easy to follow and displayed pieces were amazingly realistic
The war commentary part of every displayed piece was very well done and made the whole experience very touching and informative. We were glad to have visited and thoroughly enjoyed the displays
Museum is free! Only the dinosaur section is to pay for. Also the car park is about $10 depending on how long you’re there for.
The best place to visit when in Wellington! We spent a couple of hours here easy! Up to 6 levels of NZ history!
It’s worth visiting the 1st level which has the nature and bush area and the gallipoli which has large realistic statues of the soldiers!
There is a large heart by the toilets of level 1 where kids can go inside to play around in.
The Maori, Pacific and refugee section was interesting to see!
I’m not a fan of art but it was so stunning seeing the large art work especially the ceiling!
On a Sunday you can look out the window to see the Harbourside Markets which is worth going to btw!
The cafe is so busy but the coffee was amazing! Good to sit at when walking around for hours! Although there are seating areas throughout also!
I would strongly recommend visiting the museum! It’s kid and elderly friendly!
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