Photo of Nairn Street Cottage in Wellington
Museums & Landmarks

Nairn Street Cottage

πŸ“ Mount Cook, Wellington

β˜…4.5(69 Google reviews)πŸ‘ΆAll ages

Nairn Street Cottage in Mount Cook, Wellington offers guided tours of one of Wellington's oldest homes, tracing the lives of the Wallis family from 1857 through to the late 1970s.

βœ“ guided toursβœ“ heritage cottageβœ“ Wellington historyβœ“ original artefactsβœ“ friendly guidesβœ“ time capsuleβœ“ pram access

πŸ† Family Action Verdict

Reviewers describe the cottage as a perfectly preserved time capsule, and tour guides receive outstanding praise - particularly for making the historical narrative engaging and accessible to visitors of different ages.

ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go

πŸ’‘Visits are by guided tour only - booking in advance is recommended
⏰Pram access available on site
🎟️Birthday party bookings available - contact Museums Wellington
πŸš—The cottage sits in a garden setting worth exploring before or after the tour

πŸ’¬ What Families Are Saying

View all reviews β†’
4.5
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

69 Google reviews

5β˜…
50
4β˜…
11
3β˜…
5
2β˜…
1
1β˜…
2

G Reviews from Google

J

Josip Bojcic

5 months ago

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

β€œA genuinely beautiful place, and well worth the visit. What really stood out, though, was our guide, HARPER. She completely elevated the experience. Thoughtful, articulate, and clearly very knowledgeable, but more importantly, genuinely interested in the history of the place. That kind of enthusiasm is hard to fake, and it made everything feel much more engaging and alive. You don’t always come across guides like that (raise, please). :) The place itself has been preserved beautifully. The original wallpaper still being there (so cool) and furniture give it a real sense of authenticity. It’s easy to imagine what life there must have been like. A proper little gem, and definitely somewhere I’d recommend taking the time to visit.”

R

Renata

8 months ago

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

β€œWhat a fantastic tour! The Nairn Street Cottage is absolutely beautiful and feels like a perfectly preserved time capsule. My friend Siobhan and I had the best time. Harper, our guide, was the highlight-so friendly, helpful, and full of interesting stories. Don't miss this Wellington gem!”

M

Marg Skelding

8 months ago

β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

β€œReally good insight into the lives of early settlers to New Zealand beautifully told by our guide. The cottage is amazingly well preserved and sensitively restored using original items from the family who lived there. There’s also an interesting historical timeline in the welcome room.”

πŸ“Š Commonly mentioned in Google reviews

Based on Google review tags

Knowledgeable guide

9 reviews

Informative tour

5 reviews

Oldest homes

3 reviews

Cottage tour

3 reviews

Guided tour

3 reviews

Overview

Nairn Street Cottage in Wellington's Mount Cook neighbourhood is one of the city's oldest surviving homes, offering guided tours that trace the Wallis family's occupation of the cottage from 1857 to the late 1970s. Tours move through authentically preserved rooms furnished with original items from successive family generations, creating a layered portrait of domestic life across more than a century. The heritage-classified cottage is managed by Museums Wellington and sits within a garden.

πŸ• Opening Hours

MondayClosed
TuesdayClosed
WednesdayClosed
ThursdayClosed
FridayClosed
Saturday12:00-16:00
Sunday12:00-16:00

πŸ“ Similar Activities Nearby

View more in Wellington β†’
Free to use

Find more Museums & Landmarks nearby

Explore 1,300+ family-friendly places across New Zealand, wherever the day takes you.

  • Nearby activities

    Find great places close to you

  • Directions in one tap

    Get there easily with maps & navigation

  • Free to use

    No sign up. No cost. Ever.

Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App Store

Safe, secure and 100% free, no account, no ads. Learn more

Family Action app, venues near you, sorted by distance
Family Action app, venue detail with directions, website and call