Akaroa Museum

Akaroa Museum (Te Ware Taonga) was established to share a deep view of the history of Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula in the form of art with a growing collection of artefacts.. The main complex welcomes visitors for a brief walkthrough of Akaroa's French, British and Maori history.

The museum hosts three kinds of exhibitions, Temporary Exhibitions, Long Term Exhibitions and Digital Exhibitions. The temporary exhibitions showcase various faces of the region from different perspectives. The long-term exhibitions focus on the region's diversified culture, including the native Maori culture and the impact of French & British cultures thereafter. The digital exhibitions generally cover the region's transformation of art and fashion over the past centuries. They also throw some light on important local industries like whaling and agriculture. The museum manages some historic buildings with magnificent French architecture reflecting absolute grandeur. Some of such well-known buildings are the Langlois-Eteveneaux Cottage and the Customs House. A small historical theatre, ‘Court House’, still stands intact and is open to the public for a brief video about the region’s rich and diverse history.