Taupo Museum and Art Gallery

Lake Taupo Museum and Art Gallery offers visitors the chance to discover artworks by local and national artists and learn about Taupo’s history. The museum features vibrant exhibitions with beautiful Maori pieces, nautical exhibits, wood carvings, vintage items and other art displays. There are spaces for contemporary art displays by upcoming artists who showcase sculptures, paintings, photographs and visual displays. Some of the highlights of the museum include a Kiwiana Caravan that dates back to the 1960s, a carved Maori meeting house, a moa skeleton and a replica of a 19th Century shop. You can also observe displays of fishing and living on the water.

You can also experience a virtual tour of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and also get a peek into the industrial and cultural life of Taupo using interactive technology. The exhibitions showcase how the city evolved throughout history and you can view a huge wooden sculpture of Ruaumoko, the God of earthquakes and volcanoes. You can find artifacts in the Tuwharetoa gallery that showcase the heritage of Tuwharetoa, the local Maori tribe. One of the most interesting features of the museum is the Ore Garden which is considered a living exhibit and a perfect way to end your visit. This is a geothermal landscape that features man-made silica terraces and over 1,000 native plants. You can also observe the hand-carved wooden sculptures among the endangered plants.