Art, Culture & Heritage

A must do when visiting the Timaru District, Te Ana Māori Rock Art provide the only guided tour to see real rock art in New Zealand! Te Ana provide a guided tour to a protected rock art site where you will learn the history of those specific drawings and movement of ancient Māori through the region. Pair a visit to the site with a walk through their state of the art, interactive centre in the Timaru CBD

The South Canterbury Museum has a focus on the natural heritage and history of the South Canterbury region of New Zealand - land, life and people. They collect specimens, artifacts, images, documents and information that can be used to explore the region's heritage.

Timaru’s Aigantighe Art Gallery on Wai-iti Road is home to an extensive permanent collection of New Zealand and international art. You can wander through the sculpture garden and head into the gallery to view featured works from its permanent collection or one of the feature exhibitions. The gallery is open every day, except Mondays, and admission is free.

For lovers of vintage machinery a visit here is a must. They have buildings full of unique vintage cars, vintage tractors, vintage farm machinery and plenty of other exhibits.  

Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden in Timaru is a must-see for rose lovers. Named after a local nurseryman and author with a passion for growing old varies, the garden was deemed ‘a garden of excellence’ in 2013 by the World Federation of Rose Societies.

Visit the South Island's only dedicated military museum showcasing rare last-of-their-kind vehicles plus large scale displays from Vietnam and Germany.

The Timaru District has the highest number of studied Māori rock art sites in New Zealand. This is due to our many river ways that early Māori used as their roads while travelling throughout the South Island looking for food as well as materials for medicine, clothing and weapons.

The Geraldine Historical Museum focuses on highlighting and showcasing the contribution that organisations and individuals have made to the development of the Geraldine and wider Timaru District. The museum is open 7 days a week, and admission is free.

This is a must visit if you're in Timaru District on one of their open days. It's been rated as one of New Zealand's best preservation railways, but there's loads more to this attraction than that. They run fully operational steam locomotives – including the 1922 locomotive Ab699 – and a rare replica of a Model T Ford Railcar.

Housed in the historic former Temuka Courthouse. This Museum is home to over 6,000 items recording the history of Temuka, from farming, to industry, family history and social history.

Discover a vast collection of vintage tractors and old farm machinery, plus a large display of classic and vintage trucks.  There are two working traction engines plus numerous steam powered items.  Come along and see some of our local agricultural and transport history.

Timaru is the largest commercial centre in South Canterbury and its CBD (Central Business District) features one of New Zealand’s most significant collections of Edwardian buildings. The high quality of the architecture reflects times of growth and prosperity in the district’s history. Weave your way through the Timaru CBD and learn the history of these beautiful classic buildings.