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The 10 Biggest Museum in Napier-Hastings, New Zealand

Napier-Hastings, located in the Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand, boasts a rich history and diverse culture, which is reflected in its numerous museums. These institutions are treasure troves of knowledge, offering visitors a glimpse into the region’s captivating past, vibrant art scene, and unique heritage. From exploring the region’s Maori history to marveling at stunning art collections, Napier-Hastings’ museums cater to a wide range of interests and provide captivating experiences for visitors of all ages.

Step into a world of discovery and immerse yourself in the captivating tales of Napier-Hastings’ museums. Journey through time and uncover the stories of the region’s indigenous people, admire exquisite artworks, and delve into the intriguing stories of the region’s past. With interactive exhibits, knowledgeable guides, and thought-provoking displays, these museums offer an unforgettable journey into knowledge and culture.

Top Museum in Napier-Hastings, New Zealand

Napier ( NAY-pee-ər; Māori: Ahuriri) is a city on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Hawke's Bay region. It is a beachside city with a seaport, known for its sunny climate, esplanade lined with Norfolk pines, and extensive Art Deco architecture. Napier is sometimes referred to as the "Nice of the Pacific", although that is largely outdated and a more common nickname is 'The Art Deco Capital of the world'.
The population of Napier is about 67,500 as of June 2023. About 18 km (11 mi) south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighbouring cities are often called "The Bay Cities" or "The Twin Cities" of New Zealand, with the two cities and the surrounding towns of Havelock North and Clive having a combined population of 136,290. The City of Napier has a land area of 106 km2 (41 sq mi) and a population density of 540.0 per square kilometre.
Napier is the nexus of the largest wool centre in the Southern Hemisphere, and it has the primary export seaport for northeastern New Zealand – which is the largest producer of apples, pears, and stone fruit in New Zealand. The Hawke's Bay wine region is now the second largest in New Zealand after Marlborough, and grapes grown around Hastings and Napier are sent through the Port of Napier for export. Large amounts of sheep's wool, frozen meat, wood pulp, and timber also pass through Napier annually for export. Smaller amounts of these materials are shipped via road and railway to the large metropolitan areas of New Zealand itself, such as Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton.
Napier is a popular tourist city, with a unique concentration of 1930s Art Deco, and to a lesser extent Spanish Mission, architecture, built after much of the city was razed in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. It also has one of the most photographed tourist attractions in the country, a statue of the figure in local Ngāti Kahungunu mythology, Pania, on Marine Parade, Pania of the Reef. Thousands of people flock to Napier every February for the Tremains Art Deco Weekend event, a celebration of its Art Deco heritage and history. Other notable tourist events attracting many outsiders to the region annually include F.A.W.C! Food and Wine Classic events, and the Mission Estate Concert at Mission Estate Winery in the suburb of Taradale.

Top Museum in Napier-Hastings, New Zealand

National Aquarium of New Zealand

  • Address: 546 Marine Parade, Napier South, Napier 4110, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.3 (3841)
  • Phone: +64 6 834 1404
  • Website:
  • Opening hours:
    Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Art Deco walk in Napier-Hastings, New Zealand
Art Deco walk in Napier-Hastings, New Zealand

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The 10 Best Museum near Napier-Hastings, New Zealand

Art Deco walk in Napier-Hastings, New Zealand
Art Deco walk in Napier-Hastings, New Zealand

Napier isite Visitor Information Centre

  • Address: 100 Marine Parade, Napier South, Napier 4110, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.5 (1039)
  • Phone: +64 6 834 1911
  • Website:
  • Opening hours:
    Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Reviews:
    Laura Spriggs Gray✭✭✭✭✭
    3 weeks ago
    Located directly on the beach this visitors center has friendly and helpful staff who can answer questions, provide directions and even help you book a tour last minute. Free maps and advice no matter whether your interest is cycling, wineries or exploring the art deco historic centre. Also free clean toilets right next door.
    Balakrishna Masilamani✭✭✭✭✭
    3 months ago
    Napier is a fabulous place in newzealand, we can see there Black sand beach, some of shopping center for the essentials things, and spark free wifi spot is also there which is very good for the one who is fond of using internet, good place to explore, one must go to Napier for sure if you are in new zealand..
    Tom Stanton✭✭✭✭✭
    in the last week
    I think Napier is a great seaport city. It is small but committed to becoming a good tourist site. We loved the aquarium and history museum and art deco museum!
    Kim Lee✭✭✭✭✭
    11 months ago
    Heaps of helpful info. Loved our day in Napier, highly recommend hiring an electric scooter and finding the ocean murals all around town. This one was my fav.
    Clinton Lewis✭✭✭✭✭
    a week ago
    Very helpful information on how to get around town n staff were great and helpful to me and the people.

Napier Prison

  • Address: 55 Coote Road, Bluff Hill, Napier 4110, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.1 (656)
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MTG Hawke’s Bay

  • Address: 1 Tennyson Street, Napier South, Napier 4110, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.4 (653)

Botanical Gardens

  • Address: 19 Spencer Road, Hospital Hill, Napier 4110, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.6 (618)

Faraday Museum of Technology

  • Address: 2B Faraday Street, Napier South, Napier 4110, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.9 (277)

Hastings Art Gallery

  • Address: 201 Eastbourne Street East, Hastings 4122, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.3 (154)

Central Hawkes Bay Museum

  • Address: 23 High Street, Waipawa 4210, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.5 (119)
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Duart House

  • Address: 51 Duart Road, Havelock North 4130, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.6 (96)

Century Cinema & Museum

  • Address: 65 Marine Parade, Napier South, Napier 4110, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.2 (61)

Art Deco walk

  • Address: 7 Tennyson Street, Napier South, Napier 4110, New Zealand
  • Map: Click here
  • Rating: 4.5 (40)

Thank you for reading! If you have any additional information on the best Museum in Napier-Hastings, New Zealand, please leave a comment above. We would love to hear from you!

5 Replies to The 10 Biggest Museum in Napier-Hastings, New Zealand

  1. We saw Kiwi bird!!!
    First time in my life, I saw Kiwi- that was an awesome experience.
    A lot of different fish and funny penguins. They all look happy and healthy. Jumping around and splashing with their small wings. Very cute.
    Highly recommend to visit especially with kids, if you are visiting Napier, New Zealand!

  2. We had the pleasure of meeting our kiwi underwater friends in Napier. First of, Napier is absolutely stunning and the aquarium was so much fun and eye opening for us and the children. This beach front has pebbles which was absolutely fun to play in. There are diverse yummy food from different continents right across the street and a relaxing underground garden with sweet-smelling flowers. We met with a 45-year old turtle ? An absolutely magical experience ✨️

  3. Great place for a date or for a short trip with the family. This gem houses a wide variety of reptiles, fish, penguins and of course a Kiwi. The museum takes around an hour or so to walk through in its entirety. They have opportunities to watch numerous feeding sessions at various times throughout the day.

    At 10:30 they offer a limited spot behind the scenes tour of the animals, there is also the option to hand feed the penguins at 1pm in the afternoon. My only feedback is that the personnel incharge of the website make this information known as I only found out about the above in person.

    Otherwise loved my experience at the aquarium, would recommend if youre in ans around Napier

  4. A lovely family-friendly venue with a wide variety of aquatic life as well as some iconic NZ fauna (kiwi & tuatara). The little penguins are adorable and the tunnel through the main tank where stingrays fly through the water is amazing. Coupled with a yummy cafe and a good gift shop made a great excursion.

  5. Amazing place where kids and adults can learn about sea creatures and some land animals and see a kiwi bird. We didn’t expect much since this place was not listed among 10 best places to see Kiwi, but we were blown away by Kiwi. The enclosed is quite large for a single bird, and it is almost completely dark since Kiwi is nocturnal. But as your eyes adjust, you start to see objects behind the glass, and if Kiwi is not hiding, you will be able to observe how it finds food in the rotten logs or in the foliage on the ground. Besides Kiwi, you can also observe sting rays and other spies of fish, small penguins, giant sea turtles, iguanas, and other animals. Highly recommend!

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