We spent basically the whole day here, there was so much to look at! The staff were very friendly, especially the train driver who even let us ride in the cab. It's a shame the steam engine wasn't running, but that just means we'll have to come back another time!

We thought it would be a quick outing and we spent 5hrs there. Soo much history to see and read about. Lovely experience. A must is the old time photos, a lot of fun. Everybody was really friendly, The only negative was one lady at the cafe who was fairly rude, service was slow for the few people there. All out a great experience.

A lot of potential but a rather sad experience. Slot of the audio experiences were not operating and the visual experiences on the tv’s were not available. Don’t believe it was value for money and the experience needs a bit of work. The train ride experience could be made alot more interesting and informative, rather than everyone just sitting there in the coach. Sorry guys.

I love this type of historical attraction normally but this one is looking a little tired and uncared-for. Many of the audio recordings did not trigger on approach - those that did were interesting though. Not all buildings were open to view. Only the little train and the refreshment outlet were staffed and I feel the experience would be better if there were knowledgeable persons to engage with.

Wanted to love this place a bit more but overall felt a bit conned. Entry is relatively expensive in relation to the actual experience. Yes, the site is extensive, there are genuine heritage items on display and some interesting storyboards. However, only three of the township buildings are original, many of the advertised additional attractions were not operational at the time of our visit and the train was a diesel loco, as opposed to steam. We still took the ride on it, although we opted out of the gold panning. Yes, it's fun for kids and it does lend a historical nod to the local Chinese-driven goldrush, but overall it unfortunately presents itself as a rather tacky visitor experience.

I last visited Shantytown as a young child and loved it then. So when my partner and I planned a road trip to the South Island I had to make Shantytown a must visit. I was not disappointed. It was everything I remembered and more. The little town was alive with all the history I remembered. You could see how folk lived and worked in the harsh conditions of the West Coast town in the gold rush error. It was also nice to see some things haven't changed, ie; The Bank of New Zealand, Hannah's Shoes Store and some items used today still have the same labels on them. I would thoroughly recommend Shantytown Heritage Park as a must visit. Pam

Our Notable Tours group of 45 loved it here. Staff were so welcoming and helpful right from the start. The train ride with informative drivers, gold panning etc. were well-patronised activities. Highlight was the buffet dinner in the saloon - brilliant!