Formerly known as the Wānaka Transport and Toy Museum, now the National Transportation & Toy Museum is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest private collection open to the public and has been over 60 years in the making. The Museum’s founder, Mr. Gerald Rhodes, started his career with International Harvester and then went on to establish his own car and truck wrecking business in Christchurch, meaning he was always in the right place to pick up new items for his collection.
Wānaka was chosen as the home for Gerald’s collection for the dry Central Otago climate, which helps preserve the machinery. Building began in October 1994, and although there were many obstacles to overcome, the Museum started to take shape.
The Museum opened to the public on December 26, 1995, making the dream a reality. At that time, it was just two buildings – the Main Building and Hangar 1, which was built to look like the aviation hangars used in the 1940s with authentic hangar doors from Christchurch Airport. In April 2004, the Fire Station was added, followed in December 2005 by Hangar 2, to house military collectables, planes and motorbikes. In March 2023 the Marquee was erected giving an extra 2,600 sqm of indoor display space.
891 Wanaka-Luggate Highway, Wānaka 9382, New Zealand
P: 027-255-1153
Email:info@nttmuseum.co.nz
Adults: $22.00
Seniors 65+: $19.00
Child (U18): $6.00 – Under 5’s: FREE
Family Pass: $50.00
Plan: 1-2 hr
Daily 8:30 am – 5 pm
Image via https://www.facebook.com/wanakamuseum/photos_by
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