1 / 3East Coast Museum of Technology
π Makaraka, Gisborne
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Best for curious kids and their grandparents on an open Saturday. A volunteer-run museum of everyday technology at Makaraka: fire trucks, cars, farm machinery, radios and household gadgets across several sheds, plus a boat to climb into.
π Family Action Verdict
A rare museum where the grown-ups talk as much as the kids, and children get to open doors and climb into cabs rather than look through glass. Best from about five up, with a hand on toddlers around the machinery. Check the open Saturdays before you drive out, and bring the grandparents if you can.
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π¬ What Families Are Saying
View all reviews β75 Google reviews
G Reviews from Google
Amber Kabbabe
7 months ago
βFantastic place to visit , very insightful. Harrison and the team do an amazing job.β
Danella Allen
3 months ago
βSucks its only open once a weekβ
Sarah Hearfield
8 years ago
βGrab your parents and enjoy a trip down memory lane with them. I learned so mu h sharing this place with my dad as he recounted his memories or those of his parents and grandparents. Such a young history yet so vibrant!! Rob the curator was fantastic adding local knowledge to bring the buildings to life as he filled us in on their lifespan. Only 10 each and over two hours spent here. Enjoy!!β
π Commonly mentioned in Google reviews
Based on Google review tagsKids
6 reviews
Volunteers
5 reviews
Cars
5 reviews
Things to see
3 reviews
Old cars
2 reviews
Overview
The East Coast Museum of Technology is a volunteer collection on the main road at Makaraka, ten minutes from Gisborne, and its charm is that it is deliberately unpolished. Sheds and yards hold fire engines, vintage cars, farm machinery, washing machines, radios and early computers, some restored and some not, with a boat children can explore inside. The curators are locals who fill in the stories behind the machines. Entry is cheap, under-fives are free, and it opens on selected Saturdays.
