Canterbury Museum

19th century portion

Tena koe, my name is the Canterbury Museum. I was born in 1870 and was originally designed by Benjamin Mountfort. You can see my younger sibling, the Arts Centre, also designed by Mountfort just across from me. Infact, as you get to know the various heritage buildings in Christchurch, you’ll soon realise there are quite a few more designed by him.

I’m built with grey volcanic rock called basalt that came from the Halswell Quarry. The portico, which means a porch held up by pillars, was added in 1976. Can you spot my animal friends peeping out from the pillar capitals?

You could say I’m one of the most popular buildings in Christchurch amongst people of all ages, thanks to my large collection of museum objects. When I say large, I don’t mean just hundreds or thousands, I mean well over a million!

External links

• > Canterbury Museum > A brief history
• > Heritage New Zealand > Canterbury Museum
• > Christchurch City Libraries > Canterbury Museum