The Whanganui Regional Museum is a bicultural waharoa (gateway) to local social and natural histories. It stands proudly in Pukenamu Queen’s Park, the cultural heart of Whanganui. The Museum has a special relationship with mana whenua, those Māori who have historic and territorial rights over this land. It is also warmly supported by the many communities who continue to help develop it.
Learn about the people, objects, and stories that make this vibrant region so important through our stunning collection, which includes outstanding Taonga Māori, the Gottfried Lindauer Gallery of paintings of Whanganui Rangatira, a remarkable moa collection, and a noteworthy collection of historical fashion and textiles.
Fully acknowledging our past, explaining the present and preparing for the future starts here, at your museum.
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Other Exhibitions
Te Hunahuna – Beaked Whales
Beaked whales dive deep under the sea off the Whanganui and Taranaki coast. They are magnificent and mysterious.
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Nga Manu o Whanganui – Birds of Whanganui
The birds of Whanganui once thronged the forest, riverbanks and shoreline. Some are gone forever while others struggle to survive.
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Nga Moa – Moa
The amazing story of the different moa species that once lived in Whanganui.
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All Exhibitions
Collection Highlights
2002.34.6
PHOTOGRAPH; Taupo Quay in flood.
This photograph was taken on Taupo Quay near the Old Tram Shed, after the flood of the Whanganui River in 1940. Four people can be seen rowing a boat down the flooded street. The Durie Hill Tower is visible in the background.