Q Sun
08:10 22 Jan 25
Interesting museum, a few hidden doors which gives you suprises throughout the museum. Free for residents, and $5 for a adult visitor.
Jeanette Cook
03:53 12 Oct 24
I am an Australian visitor to the Tairawhiti Cafe, and today was my second visit. I only had a hot chocolate on this day, but it was so delicious! The ladies serving are very friendly and efficient. This place is obviously quite popular. The menu isn't huge, but sufficient.
Jasmine Hannah
07:37 15 Sep 24
A small entry fee for out of towners like myself, but absolutely worth it. The exhibits were amazing and extensive.
Yiru Tan
00:42 20 Apr 24
$5 per entry to know about history of his born
Alireza Mokhtar
01:34 10 Jan 24
Very informative specially the cooks landing stories
Alex Ahuriri
00:46 31 Dec 23
Always nice to be back in town to see this place. Nice pieces of local history to soak in and the remember from when I was a child.
Edgar Kidulis
02:16 11 Nov 23
Great place, many exhibitions at the same time. Loads of local, cultural and artsy presentations for all ages, also seems to be a good place for the coffee and hang out, they do breakfasts.I would visit again as presentations change all the time and the ability to be close and intimate with all the works makes you think closer about the impact of art on human everyday existence.
Donald Henninger
04:19 29 Oct 23
Was expecting more cultural information on past and present Maori activities in area. Some local fabric and art displays in back. Major emphasis on the trappings of the local mayors as the city expanded.
Damith Ratnesekera
05:20 28 Oct 23
Fabulous museum and art gallery. Free for residents and $5 for visitors. Changing exhibitions and greatocal historical items. Loved the inclusion of local artists mad ideas. A must see if visiting Gisborne.
Harin Gunasekara
23:34 18 Oct 23
Such a wonderful museum! amazing setup and displays a significant chunk of our nation's history.
Leith Seymour
20:15 14 Oct 23
Beautiful and clean our museum met with a lovely smiley lady at reception 😊
Ruary Laidlaw
07:04 05 Oct 23
I enjoyed the well exhibited displays - fashion, art and history. I most enjoyed the video of the two old Maori men describing how they experienced a "visitation" from an ancestral canoe which the next day had vanished.
Sam Walker
19:51 23 Aug 23
Its been years,feels and looks bigger,Maori,European history section,New section of fabric art not opened yet,I'm not arty but was amazed,the old boat,surf,fishing,waka ama displays.Thankyou note:Awesome Job Eloise and 3 staff from the museum came out to Te karaka/Takipu marae to collect precious toanga/photo's of our treasured loved ones after Gabriel,I was at marae helping with scott in restoration process,I had the privilege of taking down my mums and great grandfather photo's for safe keeping/restoration,much appreciated 🙏 .Thanks Taha for the karakia,song,blessings of our Wharenui,Ka pai.
Terry Trail
02:49 27 Mar 23
We dropped in here and found we had the place to ourselves. An absolute credit to those who set up these amazing displays.With more time on our hands we will be back to continue our tour and enjoy the exhibit cafe as well.
Lori Trigwell
02:30 06 Feb 23
Very interesting museum, art gallery, especially liked the old boat that is incorporated into the building. We really enjoyed our visit and would thoroughly recommend it.
Memz Moke
09:20 03 Dec 22
Wow haven't been here in years. Only went to meet my daughter and see her non her non school trip and wow so much to look at definitely going back. Receptionist was awesome too
Tahurei MRV (Bubbles)
01:19 30 May 22
Would have been better if the stories written in the museum were from both sides iwi and pakeha but it is what it is good history lesson for those who need it
Cliff
19:10 13 May 22
The have a very rare collection on at the moment. Captain cooks first Maori artifacts he traded and took back with him to England to present to King George the 3rd.These photos are the actual artifacts
Jamie Hogg
08:44 20 Feb 22
One of the most profound and understated Museums I have ever been to!
David Adams
19:42 09 Feb 22
The museum has a relaxing cafe with a shaded outdoor deck. A wide range of historical information, some captions were a bit hard to read. The art gallery is very large and makes the visit really worthwhile. Only $5 for non residents.
Mike DiNovi
02:09 29 Jan 22
Very nice museum with a strong Maori presence. We enjoyed the historical pieces and the cultural education we received.
Craig Mackey
04:47 13 Jan 22
Worth a visit, parking on the street. Really on this visit only went to see display for Maori Battilion - Company CThis was excellent and we'll presented
Nigel Kynoch
01:36 24 Dec 21
A really amazing museum. Too much to see in one visit. Well done Tairawhiti and those that created this.
Oits Jay
22:59 23 Dec 21
Despite the museum looking small, it packs Maori history, an art gallery, European and Gisborne history. Cost is $5 for non Gizzy residents and free for people from Gisborne. Good solid hour of fun.
Tautuhi Pakaua
05:51 09 Oct 21
Well worth a slow visit, lots to see
Nigel McAuliffe
01:58 06 Oct 21
An interesting local history experience at the moment for $5!
TheBkh1
09:39 16 Jul 21
was more than meets the eye from the road, a very interesting and engaging museum, highly recommend
Zaf Khouri
09:47 17 Jun 21
Fascinating. Large space to wander around and learn from a wide range of different, well-represented displays.A great way to kill a couple of hours.
Godfrey Jathanna
10:17 03 Jun 21
It's a different experience, shows you more about Maori culture. Don't miss Captain James Cook's ship. The receptionist was so good to guide us as we were from Auckland.
Colin Robson
04:51 18 May 21
Well worth a visit, plenty for the whole family to look at. Some great stories are told within too.
Nathan McLoughlin
18:52 07 May 21
Being new to Gisborne my family absolutely loved & highly recommended it.Great coffee at the cafe ☕Exploring the Star of Canada exhibition was a hit !
Renee Brown
11:08 30 Mar 21
Really awesome and interesting. I loved the East Coast settlers exhibition, Star of Canada ship and the old local photos the best. My 9yr old loved it too which was surprising. We spent over 2 hours here. Gift shop has really nice things. I wish the café was open though, I coffee afterwards would've been good and I heard people that visited from out of town on Coach bus say the same.
CJD
03:16 30 Mar 21
Much bigger than expected with a huge range of interesting local and cultural exhibits. Check out the captains quarters and wheelhouse, historic photos from the area, art collections and taonga. Free for locals and dirt cheap for the rest of us. You can easily fill a couple of hours in here on a rainy Gisborne day, or maybe enjoy the air conditioning as you admire the displays.
Rhonda Maindonald-Balsom
21:09 21 Jan 21
Its an art gallery and museum rolled into one. lots of nooks and crannies to go visit and it tells the tale of Cooks landing which prompted me to walk around to the actual landing site. A great visit - recommend but the cafe let's the side down a bit. Great gift store though
Egg Sandwich
21:11 19 Jan 21
Love coming here to see the new exhibits, if you're from out of town or out of the country there are a handful of great exhibits here to get a taste of our local history. Art displays change regularly to showcase local talent and interesting history. Quaint, cozy Café at the front to refresh at with a gift/souvenir shop that sells high-quality crafts and trinkets.
Darren Cottingham
05:45 19 Jan 21
Interesting Captain Cook exhibition and some great photos of old NZ houses. When it was built, this was the conversation: "Hi, Doors 'R Us, how can I help you", "Yes, hi, this is Gisborne Museum. We'd like the noisiest sliding doors you have." "Sure, how many?" "Oh, about 20 of them." "Certainly, we have them in stock. Would you like our additional hyper-sensitive sensors which will have them opening if someone comes within one parsec of them?" "Yes, that sounds perfect, it will allow our super-chilled air to permeate quickly throughout the building to make it feel consistently like winter even though it's a pleasant 23 degrees outside."
Richard Williams
23:13 16 Jan 21
Great museum with local stories and history. The current exhibit was educational, the Professor's private collection, impressive, the NZ contemporary art exhibit stunning and never too old to enjoy the Star of Canada! Highly recommended 👍👍
Emily Bell
06:49 13 Jan 21
Worth the entrance fee. Lovely to look around. Not just a collection of local items like many provincial museums, but everything has been put together thoughtfully with good descriptions of items to tell the story of Gisborne.
Toby Stokes
23:00 12 Jan 21
What a lovely little museum. Stacked with local history. Excellent exhibitions. Their cafe was super cute and yum coffee.
Sally Cale
18:20 07 Dec 20
Lovely little museum. Nice local art displays, city history, go look at the Star of Canada and go to the Maori Batalion memorial and Wyllie cottage on site.
Simon Lawler
07:48 06 Dec 20
Great museum. Lots of local history that is interconnected throughout. Beautiful exhibits. Very clean and well put together. Kids loved the star of canada section of the museum which is a real old ship.Very enjoyable experience all round and will certainly be going back!
Carol Wang
06:48 29 Nov 20
Nice, little museum by the river. There's also a gallery.Five dollars entry fee for visitors.
Rochelle Wagstaff
04:28 17 Nov 20
Lots of early settler stuff and Maori artifacts. The art is amazing, from local artists mainly, could spend a good day soaking in the inspirational art!
Pani M
09:46 26 Oct 20
Barb offered me a seat & we chatted, she was a lovly warm welcoming kuia, the main museum needs a bit of work, bit old school.. maybe its ready for a $21m makeover
Heni Fabre
22:23 04 Oct 20
Very informative of national and local history, art and culture that range range from pre-colonial era through contemporary time!
Vanessa Were
03:13 21 Sep 20
Great way to spend a lazy Saturday, small but fab collection...and Art Gallery was awesome
Deep South New Zealand
06:38 20 Sep 20
really good museum can recommend
Ann Stannard
19:55 09 Sep 20
Great little spot for lunch and to meander through the exhibitions
Dave Keen
22:46 08 Sep 20
Much more than a museum, mostly an art gallery with some really thought- provoking exhibits. Really worthwhile the entry fee. Also it's a big place, allow plenty of time if you like art.
Ken Rogers
03:44 06 Sep 20
So cool I been in Tolaga bay for 17 years first time at the museum
Eugenie Dervin
04:10 26 Aug 20
Wonderful place to visit, enjoying the arts and history of Gisborne. Also a great place to relax and have a coffee and bite to eat at Exhibit Cafe especially after taking in the exhibitions and exploring of the museum.
caleb craig
22:04 07 Aug 20
Great learning environment for the kids! Really friendly staff too
Glen Moon
22:32 04 Aug 20
Very cool museum. Well worth a visit if you're in the area
Ruiha Raimona
02:38 19 Jul 20
Really enjoyed my visit upon arrival
Espen Laum
04:13 07 Jul 20
Nice little museum, if you're around. Eclectic collections.
James Armitage
04:18 05 Jul 20
Beautiful little place full of culture and very cool art pieces.
PETER Hunter
03:09 18 Jun 20
Feels a little bit more like an Early Settlers museum. Very nice displays.
Reuben Bennett
03:16 13 Jun 20
Must visit! Excellent art gallery and also homes a lot of local artifacts. Everything is explained well and building itself is much bigger than it seems
Peter Simmons
09:20 07 Mar 20
Well organised. Beautifully displayed.Very informative explanations. Easily spent several hours there.
Colin Slark
19:24 27 Feb 20
Great museum with lots of historic indiginous displays & art. Liked the Star of Canada exhibit
Raymond Kelman
04:55 15 Feb 20
Loved it a credit to the various groups which put it together. Also the high light of my day was the C Company Museum brillant
Karen Denby
22:46 27 Nov 19
Always the place to be when you want a perfect greeting card or a special gift for little kids & big kids. Reception always friendly & smiley. Exhibitions & music arvos interesting. Cafe manager always pleasant.
Graeme Vercoe
19:37 19 Nov 19
Local artworks are unique and fascinating. The local stories and artifacts are revealing and really interesting. The displays have been crafted with love and respect for the region's taonga. Great job Turanga.
Charlie Holland
01:52 12 Oct 19
Great pieces of art, really enjoyed our visit
Rachel Duckworth
05:42 10 Oct 19
An amazing exhibition - on until March 2020.
Marie Gibson
07:36 09 Oct 19
Fantastic exhibitions, a privilege to witness the return of the taonga from Captain Cook's expedition back to the whenua from which they were robbed from. Huge congratulations to the museum curators involved.
Stephen Harris
23:18 08 Oct 19
I was drawn to see the temporary exhibition of artefacts collected during Capt James Cook's voyages. This was worthwhile, though avoided describing two crucial days of the initial "collision" - as a local iwi calls it - of first contact in October 1769. The rest of the museum held many and varied displays of interest, though a 'political map' was lacking as a description of how tribal dispersal and shifting loyalties shaped the development of Tairawhiti (greater East Cape region) before European settlement and since. The moving memorial to Maori Battalion Company C, in an adjoining building, raised so many questions about the origins, motivations and fates of the young men whose faces grace the walls. These stories deserve a wider telling.
Bridget O'Regan
03:48 23 Sep 19
We are not usually museum people but highly recommend a visit here. Excellent displays including the Maritime Museum (a big surprise for us)
Linda Thornton
04:33 15 Sep 19
A couple o e hits closed but otherwise much better on indigenous culture than in the past.
Hernán Vázquez
12:40 24 Aug 19
Nice to see part of Gizzy history! Will be good if they change the part of the art exhibition a little bit, the las few years it never changed
Wally Tukukino
18:32 16 Aug 19
Outstanding facility on local artefacts, good stories on local information.
Kelly Gray
22:20 11 Jul 19
Was nice. Good place to learn about the history. Sadly some screens were turned off and some displays were down
nickynoo96 .
06:51 10 Jul 19
We took our tamariki from Pohutakawa Kids Homebased Care to visit the museum and learn all about matariki. We did some different crafts, sung a song about matariki, and had a walk around the museum. It was tailored perfectly for the young minds and they really enjoyed it.
Amber Harding
06:13 01 Jul 19
Beautiful local history. Great Artwork from local talent and the awesome boat for kids.
Melanion Hendra
02:26 19 Jun 19
Great museum, with heaps of interesting exhibitions about the history of Tairāwhiti and it's people
Dave Beard
08:25 08 Jun 19
Nice cafe attached. Displays are very informative and user friendly. Small and intimate. Helpful staff.
Stephen Purkis
03:13 01 May 19
Very worthwhile and some of the collections were great. However, falsely advertising "free" entry. Upon entering we found that the free entry is only for locals. Tourists needed to pay. Pretty poor form we thought.
Sarah L
06:02 23 Apr 19
Good museum with a nice amount of history and art - the collection of photographs and the lalique vases were the main high points for me. Worth the $5 entry for non locals.
Christina Scott
04:16 18 Apr 19
Great local history. Loved the Star of Canada.
Martin Rust
05:59 12 Apr 19
Absolute gem of a museum, well laid out and very interesting displays both historical and contemporary.
Marty Pilott
03:12 06 Apr 19
This is a very impressive museum. It is well curated with a quality art collection, a large part of an old ship to look inside, Maori history, and local history and artifacts. Strongly recommended!
Nicola Jan Smith
16:14 03 Apr 19
This is a well-presented museum with many interesting exhibits. My daughter and I spent an informative time in the room dedicated to the suffragete movement in the area. There are long-term exhibitions with information about the different cultures in the area, our maritime history, the Maori Battalion and of course Wyllie Cottage, the first European house in the area. There was also a Flying Moas exhibit on and Jack Richardson's exhibit on decorative arts. I also have to mention the cafè - the food there is fantastic.
Ray Jensen
19:21 01 Mar 19
Warm, friendly staff. Good art exhibition. Good maritime exhibition.
Shane Auckram
06:19 17 Feb 19
Definitely a place to visit. All museums offer a touch of their home town. History is a great learning tool. It teaches respect for those who were born there.
Erin Pincock
04:04 23 Jan 19
Really enjoyed the art and always enjoy seeing the Star of Canada and Wylie Cottage(still get as excited as I did when I was a kid)
Chris Thompson
04:22 20 Jan 19
The Tairãhiti Museum is worth taking the time to absorb what is on show, many displayed items that are of great historical information. Don't miss the boat at the bottom of the stairs. The fit will enjoy climbing up to the top deck.
Lee-Ora Lusis
08:56 13 Jan 19
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit. For a small museum it had alot to offer. Both from a gallery point of view as well as its local history. The C company exhibit (in a separate building) was excellent. Un fortunately we had arrived 15 mins before closing time...it is a wonderful memorial for those brave men. The Wyllie Cottage was also very interesting.
luke oldfield
09:33 06 Jan 19
Excellent C company display (Maori batallion) adjoins the museum, which is free. Museum itself is a great place to visit, excellent and timely displays on the history of Aotearoa / NZ.Only major drag was an internal sliding door toward the back which screeched on opening, it just lowered the mood of the place, just remove the bloody thing!Otherwise, Ka pai.
Peter Cowley
04:52 06 Jan 19
I visited Wylie cottage and it was a fascinating glimpse of early Gisborne history. A video presentation and various informative displays kept me there for over an hour and it really needed another hour to do it justice.I will go back another time to see what i missed as there was so much i didn't know.
Evelyn Fickling
05:20 05 Jan 19
Interesting historical details of the area. Well presented.
Luca van Gorkom
05:37 16 Dec 18
Plenty of information and interesting things. Lots of hidden exhibits though, worth checking out, but hard to find down hidden passages. They need more signage! Also a pity they only open for 2.5 hours on sunday after 1:30. All other times they're open from 10 until 4.
Gaelene Burton
00:39 13 Dec 18
A great museum loads of memories, very relaxing, and lovely food in the restaurant
Louise Sutherland
02:23 25 Nov 18
Good art work and some of the historical things! Like the little house outside most of all!
Lisa Settle
06:28 08 Nov 18
Larger than I thought. The mock-up of the ship stern was incredible! Many other Maori exhibits we're well done and beautiful. Definitely takes a few hours, at least.
Michelle A
00:52 02 Nov 18
Fabulous museum and art gallery. Free for residents and $5 for visitors. Changing exhibitions and greatocal historical items. Loved the inclusion of local artists mad ideas. A must see if visiting Gisborne.
Karrie Roberts
02:16 09 Oct 18
Outstanding! Nice local touch. Very reasonable price.
Glennis Rickard
13:42 05 Oct 18
Wonderful place staff so helpful and pleasant 😀
Jason Borell
01:16 27 Sep 18
A great place to visit & see the many who sacrificed their lives for king & country..
Noeline Proffit
02:49 20 Sep 18
Amazing asset for Gisborne. Fabulous exhibitions. Great customer care. Many thanks to all concerned
Daniel Diack
16:03 16 Jul 18
Great little museum with a few great surprises.....loved the surfing tribute ...steam boat ....and lots of Maori history ....great afternoon with the kids
Peter Harris
18:57 03 Jul 18
Small but good. Nice Gallery and shop attached.
John Skinner
00:33 05 Jun 18
Very well laid out museum. No lack of information
Helen Costello
01:56 03 May 18
Fascinating exhibitions. Well run children's school holiday workshops
Charlotte Lemay
08:33 28 Apr 18
Bigger museum than I expected. You get a lot for your money (5$ for visitor).There is a good exposition about the Maori story, one about Da Vinci, some modern art and a boat.Well located, beautiful view of the river.
Clarke Redshaw
20:22 23 Apr 18
Much better than you may expect from a 'smaller' museum. Excellent content and the Da Vinci section is a must see
Karen Cheer
08:34 27 Mar 18
An excellent place to learn about the area. Well presented displays. Loved that the daVinci exhibit was there too
Brandon Terekia
16:41 23 Mar 18
great little museum with awesome exhibitions on the regular.
Survey Gisborne Limited
08:18 17 Mar 18
A must place to visit and spend time. Nice cafe too.
Renee Miller
21:56 14 Mar 18
Nice museum about the region. Definitely a good dose of culture for an afternoon in Gisborne.
Winston Seah
10:04 04 Feb 18
On the whole it's ok but historical showcase was rather shallow instead beautiful art & craft were displayed for sale.
Paul Kaua
03:09 25 Jan 18
Pleasing visit and excellent customer service particularly by Mrs Taipana who was fantastic when relating to the history of the area
- Keith C
A professionally done museum featuring the culture, history and products of Gisborne and the East Cape region. Such an interesting layout, with a number of different themed galleries -... read more 
February 5, 2020 My grandson loves museum’s so it was great to visit Tairawhiti Museum. Enjoyed the whole experience. My grandson really enjoyed the boat & I must say I did too. Was... read more 
3ComB1
April 18, 2019 It’s a short walk from the harbor and downtown. The grounds have some impressive mature trees. The museum tilts more toward local history than art. If you... read more 
Vernman
March 21, 2023
