Wellington Museum

Wellington Museum See something new (but old) at Te Waka Huia o Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho, Wellington Museum. House Rules for Wellington Museum's page

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From gun barrels to grill marks… This 70kg grill plate, now on display in Capital Kai, once fired up meals at the legend...
09/06/2026

From gun barrels to grill marks…

This 70kg grill plate, now on display in Capital Kai, once fired up meals at the legendary Green Parrot Cafe.

Introduced by ‘Big’ Tony Marin in 1932, it’s rumoured to have been made from melted First World War gun barrels. For decades, it served everyone from politicians and movie stars to taxi drivers and port workers.

Tucked away in the Green Parrot attic for years, it was rediscovered and donated to Wellington Museum in 2022 by Kosta and Chris Sakoufakis.

Now here’s something to toast to...
📸 Snap a photo with the grill in our exhibition
🍷 Head to the Green Parrot in June
✨ Show your photo when you dine and receive a complimentary glass of wine

History never tasted so good.

On this day in 1987 Aotearoa became nuclear‑free. The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act w...
07/06/2026

On this day in 1987 Aotearoa became nuclear‑free.

The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act was passed into law, making this country a nuclear and biological weapon‑free zone.

This moment didn’t happen overnight. It was the result of decades of protest, from anti‑Vietnam War activism in the 1960s to the mass movement of the 1980s that called for an independent and ethical foreign policy.

One symbol of that movement stood right here in Wellington.

This sign, painted by Mark Roach and erected by John William Urlich, Mike Rashbrooke, and the Wellington Peace Forum on Hiroshima Day in 1988, became a familiar sight on Calabar Road in Miramar. A piece of guerrilla activism, it stood proudly for over 15 years before being removed by Wellington City Council in 2004.

Today, it lives on in our collection.

At the time the law was passed in 1987, the decision to go nuclear‑free strained relationships with allies, but it reflected what many New Zealanders believed. By 1989, more than half the country said they would be in favour of breaking defence ties rather than allowing nuclear‑armed ships into New Zealand harbours.

A bold stance then and still a defining part of New Zealand’s identity today.

03/06/2026

Your favourite Wellington goodies… on sale? Say less 👀

Shop Wellington's mid-year sale is live and features some of our most-loved Pōneke makers, including Apostle, Wonderland Chocolate and Wundaire.

Enjoy 15% off site-wide and extra sweet deals on our sale collection.

Shop now: https://shopwellington.nz/

T&Cs apply.

On this day in 1930, a breakthrough beneath Mount Victoria quietly reshaped Wellington. At 2:30pm, tunnellers working fr...
30/05/2026

On this day in 1930, a breakthrough beneath Mount Victoria quietly reshaped Wellington.

At 2:30pm, tunnellers working from opposite sides of the hill finally met in the middle, after 15 months of labour underground.

The first to step through the opening were tunnellers Philip Gilbert and Alfred Graham, marking the moment when a physical divide between the city and the eastern suburbs was overcome. What had long been a slow and difficult journey was about to become a daily passage for thousands.

Constructed by Hansford and Mills at a cost of around £132,000 (equivalent to roughly $12–14 million today), the Mount Victoria Tunnel was a feat of modern engineering. When it officially opened in 1931, it became New Zealand’s first mechanically ventilated road tunnel, setting a national precedent for urban infrastructure.

But the tunnel’s history is not only one of progress. Just weeks after the breakthrough, construction was halted during the search for Phyllis Avis Symons, a 17‑year‑old whose disappearance became one of Wellington’s most infamous crimes. Her body was found among tunnel spoil at Hataitai, tying her story forever to the project. Phyllis was buried at Karori Cemetery (Friends of Karori Cemetery), and her life and death remain an integral and troubling part of the tunnel’s legacy.

Today around 45,000 vehicles pass through the Mount Victoria Tunnel each day, a lasting piece of infrastructure shaped by many stories, both well known and less often told.

29/05/2026

Order up 🛎️☕

Capital of Kai is now open at Wellington Museum. Celebrating 100 years of Wellington’s tastemakers, including Havana Coffee Works and Havana Bar ✨

A little taste before the big day.Capital of Kai opens tomorrow from 10am… come hungry.
29/05/2026

A little taste before the big day.

Capital of Kai opens tomorrow from 10am… come hungry.

Shop Wellington is turning one, and you’re invited to celebrate 🫵We’re giving you 15% off full-priced items online at: h...
29/05/2026

Shop Wellington is turning one, and you’re invited to celebrate 🫵

We’re giving you 15% off full-priced items online at: https://shopwellington.nz/

🎂 Use code BDAY15
🎂 29 May–2 June

T&Cs apply: excludes sale items, memberships, donations, gift vouchers, and Cornelia Parker limited edition prints.

Fit for a long weekend 👑This replica of St Edward’s Crown is part of a set of Crown Jewels created for the Centennial Ex...
28/05/2026

Fit for a long weekend 👑

This replica of St Edward’s Crown is part of a set of Crown Jewels created for the Centennial Exhibition, now tucked safely away in our collection and not on public display.

Wellington Museum and the Cable Car Museum are both open as usual all King’s Birthday weekend, including Monday.

[EVENT] Celebrate Wellington’s hospo history at Capital of Kai Opening Day 😋Join us at Wellington Museum for a day of FR...
27/05/2026

[EVENT] Celebrate Wellington’s hospo history at Capital of Kai Opening Day 😋

Join us at Wellington Museum for a day of FREE foodie fun, live demos, tours and tasty tales from the capital’s kitchens.

Saturday 30 May
11am–3pm

On the menu:

🍽️ Chocolate-making demo with Baron Hasselhoff's
🍽️ Sausage-making with Waikanae Butchery
🍽️ Curator floortalks
🍽️ Guided exhibition tours
🍽️ Tasty Treasure Hunt for tamariki
🍽️ Food truck eats from Kai Kart

Hungry for more? Visit our website: https://www.museumswellington.org.nz/capital-of-kai-opening-day/

Address

3 Jervois Quay
Wellington
6011

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+6444728904

Website

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