Nairn Street Cottage
📍 Mount Cook, Wellington
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.
I've been in Wellington for 14 years, and it's my first time to visit one of Wellington's oldest homes. My family liked the place. Interesting story of the time when the cottage was built. We're glad to see and have a bit of a taste of how the Wallis family lived in the cottage for three generations back then. Would love to come back and visit again for the second time.
🏆 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
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →65 Google reviews
Charlete Dennis (Charlie)
2 years ago
“I've been in Wellington for 14 years, and it's my first time to visit one of Wellington's oldest homes. My family liked the place. Interesting story of the time when the cottage was built. We're glad to see and have a bit of a taste of how the Wallis family lived in the cottage for three generations back then. Would love to come back and visit again for the second time.”
Renata
2 months ago
“What 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!”
Marg Skelding
2 months ago
“Really 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.”
Jess E.
3 months ago
“Beautiful experience. You can only visit the cottage by booking a tour. It's well worth it. Very interesting tour, lovely tour guide and gorgeous gardens.”
Reviews from Google
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.
