1 / 3New Zealand Timber Museum
📍 Putāruru, Waikato
Best for families with kids drawn to trains and old machinery, set across a six-hectare reserve of historic buildings, forestry exhibits and native tree groves south of Putāruru.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
This suits families who enjoy hands-on history and have kids drawn to trains and old machinery, with Train World the clear drawcard. Worth doing at least once, though families watching the budget should note that admission for several children adds up, and there is enough to see that a single visit may not cover it all.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →275 Google reviews
G Reviews from Google
Rochelle Hunt
2 months ago
“Finally stopped in for a visit after driving passed many times talking about needing to visit one day and glad we made the stop. Was pleasantly surprised by the cafe, food was great and had GF/DF options available. The amount of detail at train world was incredible and a fun little activity for the kids to find things. Lots to see and explore with so much history, didnt manage to get through everything so will need to visit again.”
Rebecca KEENAN
9 months ago
“This is a great museum taking one through the history of the timber industry machinery and the different companies. It is well spread out it includes a Train section but we did not pay for that part. Definitely worth a stop.”
Sepali Galappaththi
2 months ago
“A great little museum showcasing New Zealand’s timber history and heritage. Really interesting, well presented, and worth a visit.”
💬 What parents mention
Overview
Spread across a six-hectare reserve, this is a walk through New Zealand's forestry past: eleven historic buildings including a 1911 pioneer schoolhouse, working vintage sawmill machinery, ancient totara stumps and a native forest grove you can wander through. TrainWorld pulls in the model-railway fans, and there's a wildlife exhibition with taxidermy displays, vintage cars and a WWII trench to explore. The Village Green gives kids room to run between exhibits.
