Very cool place with lots to look at from a tram ride to the aircraft hanger, old technology... read more
Very cool place with lots to look at from a tram ride to the aircraft hanger, old technology... read more
This museum houses some nice collections of transport and technology and is the main location... read more
Parking is a tad tricky, recommend you go to the aircraft place where you can pay and then take the frequent tram back to the main museum. The aircraft section is excellent, I'm not really into planes but found this collection and the info really hits the mark. The pumphouse is pretty cool, other than that, it's a slightly wierd and eclectic mix of random stuff spread around random places in a large area. We did enjoy our visit, tram ride was cool, the driver Albert really friendly and informative. We were very surprised at how few people were there, looks like most the visitors are school groups for the science sections. We think MOTAT needs a bit of focus and a freshen up. Other than the tram and planes, could be any small town museum collection and it's certainly not a gold coin donation to get in!

I went MOTAT with my collage friends🙆🏻🤷♀️🙎♂️ and really love the experience there, first I saw the maze there but it was finish so early then my told me it designed according for kids🧒. Cafe available inside the Museum but you need to pay extra for your meal as food is not included in Museum ticket🎫, then we had Lunch🥙 there - after a while we waited outside for Tram🚃 and when tram arrived we all were settled down and visit to the another section of the Museum. Good place to get informationℹ️ about New Zealand🇳🇿 History.





Thanks for visiting us and for amazing review, Peter! Glad you enjoyed your experience at MOTAT.
Loved seeing the Lancastor bomber and the Mazda R100. Had a really day. Enjoyed the tram ride. And staff were very helpful and friendly when our party got separated. Would love to go again for longer this time.



Thank you for your positive words! We are happy you had a great day at MOTAT. Hope to see you again soon.
I'm in a mixed mindset about MOTAT in 2020. On the one hand, I can vividly remember visiting there as a child, and even as a younger adult, and loving some of the classic technology they had there like large trains on display. Much of that has been removed or shifted, but on the other hand, a lot of what they have there is perfect for kids (young and older).
The staff are very friendly, from the people selling us the tickets through to the exhibit assistant who helped deal with a toddler tantrum from our 3yo. She was very professional and happy throughout, despite an absolute melt-down taking place!
I'd definitely say much of what is at MOTAT will be better absorbed and appreciated by kids 8+. because so much of the educational value is in reading the display information beside the exhibits. Our 3yo was mostly interested in the 'MO-TOTS' play area, which he absolutely loved.
There are plenty of large-scale exhibits that will wow people of any age, such as the pump house and the room which told the history of computer & communications technology in NZ. But for younger kids, the amazement is brought about from the scale of the exhibit, not the educational quality.
The tram ride is a lot of fun, although the operater at the platform seemed confused about what time the next tram would be running... We almost faced a 45min wait until we realised one was boarding right behind us. The staff on the tram are very friendly and helpful, being very courteous with our infant's pram and going out of their way to ensure we boarded safely.
MOTAT2, the plane museum, is very impressive, and again if you don't read any of the exhibit text boards you'll still be wowed by the scale of the place. Our toddler, who by now had reached the limits of his energy, enjoyed seeing all the planes and pressing the button to activate the replica plane sounds.
Best things: Signage and information is good, the under-5's area is great, there are a lot of interesting exhibits and plenty of educational value to be had.
Downsides: Some exhibit halls were closed or under rennovation. The tram workshops didn't really let you see the trams up-close (aside from the one you took to MOTAT2).
It seems like there is a constant calendar of activites that will appeal to families of various ages, and we didn't get the chance to experience on of these, but I'd say I would happily re-evaluate my opinion of things until I'd had the chance to experience an organised event.

We are glad you enjoyed your time at MOTAT both when you were a child and now, Kerry. We have lots of exciting events and experiences coming up this month at MOTAT - Pasifika, Dig It and Science STEM Fair, to name a few. Hope to see you there!
Was very disappointed with visit, the historic village to start with, laundry not open, shops not open and hardly any displays, same with homes dark and half not open. Print shop and blacksmiths not open. Area 5 and 6 just plain boring. Sorry but not worth the money the 7 of us paid. Where were the rest of the vintage cars? I came here 15-20 yrs ago and it was amazing!

We are so sorry to hear you had a disappointing experience. Our Print Shop is open every Sunday, and the Road Transport Workshop is currently in operation on Wednesdays and Sundays. We hope you can visit MOTAT again on one of these days and make more amazing memories.
MOTAT has an interesting collection of aircraft and NZ aviation history displays. (Did a kiwi beat the Wright brothers to powered flight?). My kids prefer MOTAT 1 (trains and cars), I like MOTAT 2 - aviation.
Would be great to see the Lancaster flying though. Static displays always seem a little depressing to me. NZ Warbirds have a couple of hangars of interesting aircraft at Ardmore Airfield, which actually fly, so I highly recommend taking a look at their collection also.

Thank you for your review, Mike. We are happy to hear you and your kids loved the trains, cars and aviation.
You are correct, Richard William Pearse bet the Wright brothers to a powered flight. Witnesses interviewed many years afterward claimed that Pearse flew and landed a powered heavier-than-air machine on 31 March 1903, nine months before the Wright brothers flew. Thank you for your recommendations regarding the aircraft's.