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
Following a long break of a decade from my last visit, it was exciting and refreshing to see so many interactive activities for all ages!
My whanau of all ages had fun spending most of the day visiting all the exhibitions and areas of interest as well as taking the tram and Little Flick ride.
Every single person was friendly and super helpful from the time we entered to the impressive tram conductors and staff saying goodbye.
Poignant moments included our mum, in her 70s, reflecting on her time in the schoolhouse including how she used inkwells and in the telephone area as a telephone operator and some of the experiences she remembered.
I love local history so enjoyed chatting to staff about different aspects as well as reading the relevant information.
Poor mum was zonked after all our walking (sometimes running to catch the tram or beat my niece to the next exhibit) but there were plenty of chairs for her to rest while waiting for us.
We were fortunate to visit before the school holidays- so basically experienced everything at our own pace.
Glad to finally get time to make the most of MOTAT- definitely won't leave it for another 10 years or more of my stuff will be exhibited there!


We are glad you enjoyed your visit. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review of your experience. We hope you visit again soon.
We went to MOTAT on the last day of Auckland's Level-2 lockdown due to Covid-19.
While all other public transport in Auckland was operating, requiring people to wear masks, the tram service between the two sites was not operating.
Another disappointment was that the café on the premises also had very limited choice ... AND we had to eat without cutlery.
While there were some interesting halls, the majority of things provided nothing for me that justified anything more than a quick walk-by. So, their suggestion of a 2.5 - 3-hour stay was more like 1.5 hours for me.
For me, MOTAT is one of those "been-there-seen-that" places.

Thanks for taking the time to give your feedback. We are sorry your experience was not as positive as we would like. Your feedback will be taken on board and passed on where appropriate. We don't operate our trams under Level 2 restrictions. This is to keep our visitors and the MOTAT Team safe during a period of heightened risk.
MOTAT has so much potential but needs a well
thought out refurb. For starters the entrance needs to be more of a landmark so people know where to enter, especially out of towners. The children’s playground is old and has no shade. It isn’t clear how to make your way around the site.
There are some really interesting displays/buildings but each display needs to be interesting for all age groups including under 2’s. Imagine how many mums with babies/young children would come on weekdays if there was more to do!! E.g. the fire engine display is very cool but that room needs something for all age groups, something the kiddies can climb on, buttons to press that make sounds etc. so that the adults can read the displays whilst the kids are kept busy.
More activities and things you can interact with are desperately needed. I remember when I was a child that there were a lot more things you could touch and things to do. There were magic plasma balls that young children would love to touch and Spirographs where you could create your own drawings. It got me excited about science and technology. There are a whole heap of ideas just like this that could be implemented fairly cheaply. I’m guessing that MOTAT relies on public funding. Gosh I have so many ideas but don’t want to go on forever! I noticed that there isn’t anywhere on the MOTAT website where you can make direct contact with your feedback?! Surely they would want to hear people’s ideas so they could make improvements?
The tram ride was definitely the highlight and worth the admission price.
I would hate to see MOTAT close. I really hope they can make some much needed changes to keep people wanting to come back.

Thanks for your feedback. Our visitors are important to us, and we are always looking at how we can improve your experience at the Museum. We currently have a number of projects on the go, including a refresh of our entrance. You may be interested to read more about what we are working on in our Annual Plan, which is available to the public on our website here. www.motat.nz/about/corporate/annual-plan
We visited during the school holidays and while Auckland was at level 2. The website informed us about displays etc that would not be available which was good, although disappointing to not have the tram experience. The displays are well managed with some good information. The museum was a good mix of displays and a more hands on learning. The hands on learning was great and enticed the younger members of the group. The more traditional aspects of the museum could have been displayed in a more inviting way especially for the younger members of the group. Overall a good day.

Thanks for your feedback. We are glad to hear you enjoyed your visit and hope to welcome you back to the Museum again now we are back at Level 1.
Spent a full afternoon just wandering around looking at and learning of all the exhibits on the site. It was a scorching hot day so we were glad of the shelter. A lot has changed in 6 years so needed to have a look at those changes and was really impressed. The site has more touchy feely things as well as looking at some both Auckland and NZ history.
Included in the entrance fee is a ticket for the tram to go to the aircraft museum. It is approx 10 mins away and is out passed the zoo.⁰ in

Thanks for your fantastic review! It's great to hear that you enjoyed your visit to MOTAT.
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!
