
3. Canterbury Museum
Location: Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch, Canterbury, NZ
To understand the history and culture of Christchurch then do not miss out on a visit to the Canterbury Museum in the centre of Christchurch. The vast collection housed here over three floors explore the past, present and future of this city.
Walk the historical timeline and be amazed by the sheer number of exhibits covering both New Zealand history as well as international history. Stroll through Christchurch Street and imagine how life must have been here in the 19th Century.
Then explore Asian artworks and objects that are incredibly well preserved and some of which date back to the Ch’ing Dynasty and Neolithic times. On display are artworks from China, Korea and Japan.
By far, the most popular exhibit here though is Tash Pen Khonsu- a female Egyptian Mummy- complete with an ornately designed coffin. The mysterious and fascinating Egyptian exhibit gives a small glimpse into this historic period.
The hieroglyphics on the coffins are deciphered and modern day CT scans reveal the age she was when she died of unknown causes.
"Canterbury Museum is must visit attraction in Christchurch sprawling over three floors and bursting with a vast collection of artefacts from the past and present covering natural history, geology, cultural heritage and of course local history."
Fast forward a couple of centuries and the museum will take you to Polynesian settlement in Aotearoa with artefacts on display while art aficionados will appreciate the Iwi Tawhito exhibit that tells the story of Moa people.
Canterbury Museum is an all encompassing museum that features some insightful geological exhibits too.
Visitors will get the most out of the Living Canterbury display showcasing the region’s natural resources including the water, land and coastline while the geology exhibit on the third floor brings people in contact with a huge amethyst geode and incredibly a 485kg fragment of a Meteorite.
And these are just some of the permanent exhibitions. There are much more to explore here including special exhibitions that always ensure that no visit to Canterbury Museum is ever the same.
Young enquiring minds can get involved with an interactive discovery zone on level 3 in addition to the captivating collections within the Canterbury Museum.