Queenstown Museums and Art Galleries

(Queenstown, Otago, South Island, New Zealand)



Photo showing kiwi sculpture on the lakefrontClose to Queenstown itself, it is the neighbouring historical village of Arrowtown where tourists will need to head for museums. The Lake District Museum and Gallery is one of the main attractions in Arrowtown and regularly draws visitors from Queenstown, who come to learn more about the regions gold-rush days and early Maori settlements.

There are a selection of art galleries within Queenstown, of which the Central Art Gallery stands out as the best and is particularly easy to find, standing directly opposite the Steamer Wharf.


Lake District Museum and Gallery

Address: 49 Buckingham Street, Arrowtown, New Zealand, NZ
Tel: +64 03 442 1824
The Lake District Museum and Gallery is a mere 20-minute drive from central Queenstown and celebrates the history of the Otago region and the Southern Lakes area. Exhibits cover a number of different topics, with those relating to the town's fascinating gold mining past being especially interesting and dating from the middle of the 19th century. This museum was established as far back as the late 1940s and today enjoys visitor numbers currently exceeding 50,000 per annum.
Open hours: daily - 08:30 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children

Toi O Tahuna

Address: 11 Church Lane, Queenstown, New Zealand, NZ
Tel: +64 03 409 0787
The Toi O Tahuna gallery is a good place to check out the local arts scene and showcases up-and-coming artists from this part of New Zealand. Various temporary exhibitions are regularly staged here and are usually of a contemporary nature.
Open hours: daily - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: free

Kapa Design Gallery

Address: 29 Rees Street, Queenstown, New Zealand, NZ
Tel: +64 03 442 4041
The Kapa Design Gallery offers an array of art related gifts, which range from paintings and prints, to 'Maori Boy' glass ware, ceramics, decorated pottery, art tiles, traditional Maori-style face masks and even jewellery. An exhibition of photographs is also on hand and often depict local views.
Open hours: daily - 10:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Central Art Gallery

Address: 71 Beach Street, Queenstown, New Zealand, NZ
Tel: +64 03 442 7025
Ranking as one of the leading art galleries in the whole of New Zealand, the Central Art Gallery is certainly worth searching out and features exhibitions of many highly regarded traditional artists, such as Ralph Hotere. If modern art is more your thing, then there is also a wide selection of contemporary paintings and sculptures to peruse and possibly purchase.
Open hours: May to August, Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 18:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00; September to April, Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 21:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 21:00
Admission: free