We went to the Carter Observatory in a cold and windy day in Wellington(!) and its a perfect thing to do! The displays in the observatory are very good and more extensive than I though. Best of all they have a display room just for kids which includes a self drive game where the kids can drive their rocket to... More

The Carter Observatory is perfectly situated at the top of the Botanic Gardens. From time to time various exhibitions and educational shows take place there, At times the genius of such can diminish due to some underwhelming host introductions.

The exhibit is deceptively big - there is a lot to be learnt here, especially if you have an interest in space but know very little about it (like me). The show was also fascinating, and makes great use of the screen and seating. Afterwards the host was very enthusiastic about her explanations of the night sky, and there were... More

This was a well set up observatory and the film in the theatre was very informative & interesting. A lot to see and explore. Kids would love the hands on things to do & would learn a lot.

We bought Star Passes for our family and you 'break even' in about 2.5 visits. The kids love it, it's a great day out and you get to watch as many movies as you like. Make an evening of it and go star gazing a couple of nights a week. It's really interactive for kids and there is always someone... More

Wonderful treat-escape from the hub-bub of the city Highly recommend for young & old, engaging, informative & helpful staff ... patient with questions. Return trip in hand

kind of the best $20 i ever spent. there was a giant annimation called we are astronomers and it was narated by David Tennant and I am a huge fan. it was very informative and fun. i had a great time. and they have a little museum type thing you can go into too with a little piece of the... More

Stumbled upon the observatory after wandering through the botanical gardens when I left the cable car. Wasn't willing to pay the entrance fee until I noted a sign that a U2 event was playing that evening to accompany wine and beer and a review of the southern hemisphere night skies. I bought a ticket ($35 if memory serves) and returned... More

This is just below the cable car station - so it's worth a detour if your are up there. Wouldn't make a special trip......kinda a bit run down.