Te Awamutu Space Centre

“After months of encouragement/pestering from my 7 year old space mad boy we decided to come here as a family ( he had been before and had always wanted come back with the rest us to show us around). It may not be as fancy as some museums but you can tell it has been put together with a lot of passion and imagination. There is a huge amount of relevant information that is really well laid out and easy to follow, which is an aspect that has been overlooked in many museums I have been to. There is also a lot of interactive screens, interesting space memorabilia and a huge array of space books (as a mechanic I fell in love with the collection of Haynes Manuals on the space equipment, I could have read them for days) The VR show is really well done and is a must do also. I loved the fact that there is a lot geared towards kids including the opportunity to earn badges for doing quizzes and other trivial type worksheets. Great way to spend a few hours with the kids if they are into space and a great place for adults to expand their knowledge and their minds. Really enjoyed this place and we will return. Booking in online isn't necessary but it is appreciated if you do.”

“Would give this museum 6 stars if I could! One of the highlights of our 10-day North Island tour, and one of the best museums I’ve been to. Was searching for a stopover to break our journey from Rotorua to Raglan and saw all the fabulous Google reviews of this space museum, so we booked a slot. The owner and curator, Dave, is a man full of passion for space and everything in this museum was painstakingly collected, compiled and curated by him. One can see the passion and love he has put into it, even in the way the facts are displayed. It is not a big building but we spent 1.5 hrs there, and could have lingered longer if not for the press of time. My kids (and us, too) enjoyed the activities including activity sheets to earn cadet badges, quizzes and games, live international space station feeds, videos on living in space, the amazing LEGO displays (including the ‘Find It’ activity), and of course, the VR space tour which was superb and educational. We managed to chat a bit with Dave, and must say, do keep up the good work, Dave!”

“So good. This place deserves all 5 stars. More stars if I could. We spent 2.5 hours there and only left because we needed to have lunch. The kids absolutely loved it and so did my wife and I. Dave is clearly very passionate and his experience with UI definitely features in the attention to detail and intuitive use of quizzes and games around the exhibits. Terrific and definitely worth the drive from our home in Paeroa.”