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Museums & Landmarks

Bill Richardson Transport World

📍 Hawthorndale, Southland

★4.8(2,502 Google reviews)

One of Southland's genuine standouts for anyone who loves anything with wheels. Huge, beautifully presented collection of cars, trucks and tractors, plus quirky extras like wearable art and themed bathrooms.

✓ Huge vehicle collection✓ Beautifully presented exhibits✓ Themed bathrooms✓ Allow 2+ hours✓ On-site American diner✓ Gift shop pricing

🏆 Family Action Verdict

If you've got kids (or grown-ups) who love anything with wheels and an engine, this is a genuine standout - people compare it to a world-class facility and mean it. Just know it's enormous, so a typical family visit will skim over a lot; go in expecting a couple of hours minimum and don't try to see every single exhibit.

â„šī¸ What to Know Before You Go

💡Allow at least 2 hours, and more if anyone in the family is a real transport enthusiast
⏰Don't skip the themed bathrooms - they're part of the fun
đŸŽŸī¸Look out for the wearable art dresses, Matchbox toys and McDonald's toy collections beyond the vehicles
🚗There's an American-style diner attached if you want a meal on site

đŸ’Ŧ What Families Are Saying

View all reviews →
4.8
★★★★★

2,502 Google reviews

5★
2,104
4★
311
3★
50
2★
20
1★
17

G Reviews from Google

D

David Bridson

7 months ago

★★★★★

“What is so impressive about this place is the quantity and quality of the exhibits. The trucks, cars, wearable art, Matchbox toys and even the hundreds of toys from McDonalds have not only been collected, but they have been presented, and in most cases presented beautifully, with shiny paint and all. This is a classy transport museum, and, I would think, world class. It's a real credit to all those who have put it together and continue to maintain it.”

A

Anthony Terranova

a week ago

★★★★★

“Fantastic museum, and was fantastic to see and learn about the history of old school cars, trucks, tractors, and machinery. Even seeing the displays of the old picture theatre, the matchbox cars room, barbershop, workshop, prison cell, the old engine oil range from Mobil, Castrol, Shell, BP, etc. was excellent! Definitely is a must see when travelling to Invercargill!”

J

Joe Townsend

9 months ago

★★★★★

“So much to see, so little time. This is apparently one of the biggest and I believe it. Cars, Bikes, Trucks, Tractors, fuel â›Ŋī¸ bowsers. Engines from old Fords to late model Nissan Skylines. Well worth the visit, brings back so many memories from growing up. So may photos 📸 not enough space to show you all.”

📊 Commonly mentioned in Google reviews

Based on Google review tags

Old trucks

77 reviews

Car collection

54 reviews

Truck collection

22 reviews

Wearable art

20 reviews

Fords

17 reviews

Overview

An enormous, beautifully kept collection that people compare to world-class museums and actually mean it: cars, trucks, tractors, motorbikes, old fuel bowsers, even shelves of Matchbox and McDonald's toys. The wearable art dresses and famously decorated bathrooms are the sort of quirky detail kids talk about afterwards. It's genuinely huge, so plan for a couple of hours minimum and accept you won't see it all. Parking and pram access sorted.

🕐 Opening Hours

Monday10:00-17:00
Tuesday10:00-17:00
Wednesday10:00-17:00
Thursday10:00-17:00
Friday10:00-17:00
Saturday10:00-17:00
Sunday10:00-17:00

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