1 / 3Tairāwhiti Aviation Museum
📍 Elgin, Gisborne
Best for plane-mad kids, on a Tuesday or Sunday morning. A small volunteer museum in the Gisborne Airport precinct with vintage aircraft including a restored wartime Avenger and a flying Tiger Moth, a play corner, and cockpits you can climb into.
Really cool museum. They have several old planes (e.g. from WW2) in good condition that you can get up close to and see, or even go inside of! The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. Try to bring cash if you have a foreign card because the EFTPOS machine can be temperamental. A great way to spend an hour or two, especially if you are waiting for a flight.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
A short, cheerful stop for a child who loves planes, best combined with watching arrivals at the airport next door. Half an hour in a cockpit is the usual outcome for a six-year-old. It is small and volunteer run with limited mornings, so check before you go, and take cash in case the card machine plays up.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →29 Google reviews
Harry Crimmins
“Really cool museum. They have several old planes (e.g. from WW2) in good condition that you can get up close to and see, or even go inside of! The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. Try to bring cash if you have a foreign card because the EFTPOS machine can be temperamental. A great way to spend an hour or two, especially if you are waiting for a flight.”
Katie Mitchell
“My Three Sons and I had a great morning here! We learnt so much and really appreciated the Staff chatting to us about some interesting history behind the aircrafts and other machinery and equipment they have there. Highly recommended and we will be back!”
e-Commerce Product Photography
“They have kids playing area suited for 3yrs and up. Good information about the aircraft. It has improved a lot over the past 2 years. The annual wings and wheels event is a must do.”
Sin Play
“My son was really looking forward to this and he wasn't disappointed. Him and his mate sat in the cockpit for about 30 min playing around in there. Thanks Tairawhaiti”
Reviews from Google
Overview
The Tairāwhiti Aviation Museum is run by the Gisborne Aviation Preservation Society from a hangar on Aerodrome Road inside the airport precinct. The collection includes a restored ex-RNZAF Avenger torpedo bomber, an airworthy Tiger Moth, a big Bristol Hercules engine, local aviation history and paintings and models by Gisborne artist Graeme Mudge. Children can get close to the aircraft and into some cockpits, and there is a play corner for the smallest visitors. It opens two mornings a week.
