Tawhiti Museum

Widely regarded as the best private museum in NZ, Tawhiti Museum features thousands of life-size models and scale figures to tell Taranaki’s history. Attractions include Traders & Whalers, Tawhiti Bush Railway, Farmpower Hall & Mr Badger’s Cafe.

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Contact us by

  • Phone +64 6 278 6837
The Pact, Tawhiti Museum Diorama
Diorama representation of a Maori Village
Pig Pen, Tawhiti Museum
Traders & Whalers attraction, Tawhiti Museum
Traders & Whalers Canal Boat, Tawhiti Museum

About

What started out as a hobby has become widely regarded as the best private museum in NZ. Tawhiti Museum is an impressive & engaging visual history of Taranaki. Life-size exhibits & scale models are used to capture the past in super-realistic displays. All displays are created onsite in the ‘body shop’ - part of the museum visit. Further on-site attractions include Traders & Whalers - a unique & innovative historical presentation of the Taranaki coast in the 1800s with an underground canal boat ride; Tawhiti Bush Railway – a dramatic historical presentation of the logging railways in Taranaki; Farmpower Hall – a collection of farm machinery depicting their evolution from the 1930’s & Mr Badger’s Cafe – offering fresh home-baking & coffee.

Opening times

  • Business hours: Every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday 10am - 4pm. SUMMER SEASON - Open every day from Boxing Day to the end of January. WINTER SEASON (June, July, August): Open Sundays only. Groups by arrangement outside these hours. Mr Badger's Cafe open same days and hours as Tawhiti Museum.
  • Months of operation: All months of the year

Facilities and Features

  • Proximity to airport: 50 minutes drive from New Plymouth airport
  • Proximity to coach terminal: 10 minutes drive from Hawera
  • Proximity to town: 10 minutes drive from Hawera

Physical address

Tawhiti Museum, 401 Ohangai Road, Hawera, Hawera, Taranaki, 4614, New Zealand.

Pricing and Conditions

Adult $10.00 - $20.00
  • Other charges: Museum - $10 adult / $3 child; Traders & Whalers - $10 adult / $5 child; Bush Railway - $5 adult / $2 child
  • Further pricing information: Children under 14 years must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Young children may find aspects of this attraction scary. Guests must be ambulatory. No photography permitted.

Contact us by

  • Phone +64 6 278 6837
  • Fax +64 6 278 6837

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