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All 189 Christchurch Attractions »

International Antarctic Centre

International Antarctic Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand
64 3 353 7798
Ranked #19 of 149 attractions in Christchurch
4.0 of 5 stars 111 Reviews
Type: Museums
Useful Information: Activities for young children, Activities for older children
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111 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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    17
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    5
Date Rating
Gilbert, Arizona
Senior Contributor
49 reviews 49 reviews
Reviews in 25 cities Reviews in 25 cities
44 helpful votes 44 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 12, 2012

Well I love penguins so it was great to see so many of them. It was sad that all of them had some sort of disability.... They were so cute though and I loved the underwater observatory thing... The 4 d video was nice but they sprayed me with water 4 too many times. One time was ok for fun... More

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See 4 more reviews by DebyAZ for Christchurch
Christchurch, New Zealand
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 9, 2012

This is a really cool place - absolutely loved it growing up. Still go now. So much to see, do and experience More

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See 7 more reviews by Katie12491 for Christchurch
Cardiff, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 4, 2012

If it was not part of our tour we might not have visited the centre. Unfortunately we did not have enough time and were only booked on part of the centre visit. It was nice to experience the stormy condition those who explore the Antarctic have to go through. A lot of information to absorb and if one interested then... More

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See 4 more reviews by Chander_62 for Christchurch
Brisbane, Australia
Senior Contributor
48 reviews 48 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 29, 2012

There is alot to see and do here, so allow plenty of time !. Its very interactive - dressing up to experience a snow storm, penguin feeding, etc. These are held at regular slots during the day. My favourite was the 4D movie - brilliant. Dont miss! The ride in the haglund (snow terran vehicle) was fun as well. Hold... More

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See 4 more reviews by Casa62 for Christchurch
Hobart, Australia
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 26, 2012

The Arctic storm simulation was quiet good, almost like being back in Moscow in January. More

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Tel Aviv, Israel
Senior Contributor
44 reviews 44 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
25 helpful votes 25 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed April 24, 2012

We arrived at 5:20 and received an arrogant refusal to enter, because it gets closed at 5:30. We said we don't care - we'll go in just for 10 minutes to see the penguins, just because we promised the children. We were refused and got looks as we tried to rob the place. Really dissapointing... More

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See 3 more reviews by Lord_Jade for Christchurch
Auckland
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2012

We went to the Antarica centre with an open mind. I feel for one adult the $65 is probably a bit overpriced, the Hagglund ride was pretty good as was the Antartica experience -15, it was cold. The penguins are nice but I always thought there would be more and maybe a variety of species, Kelly Tarlton's penguins are better... More

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See 2 more reviews by kevinblakeman2004 for Christchurch
Florida
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2012

My wife and I visited the Antarctic Centre as part of an excursion from our Holland America cruise. Our excursion included a guided tour of the facility. There were about 30 people in our group and we had around 2 ½ hours to explore the center. Our tour guide attempted to speak to the group without a microphone and we... More

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Canberra
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2012

We had a great morning here. The kids ages were from 6 to 13 and everyone loved it. There is a a lot of hands on stuff as well as information stations. The screen footage was wonderful. More

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Sydney, Australia
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2012

The Antarctic Centre is at Christchurch airport and well worth a visit if you have some time up your sleeve - leave at least 2-3 hours. The little penguins are cute, the snow room good fun and it offers a real insight into Antarctic life. It was our third visit in 15 years - it has constant minor upgrades -... More

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