1 / 2Whirinaki Whare Taonga
📍 Upper Hutt Central, Wellington
Whirinaki Whare Taonga in Upper Hutt Central is a community arts centre with a gallery, café, i-SITE visitor information counter, sports centre, and concert hall. Entry to the gallery is by donation.
Wonderful space with 2 exhibitions on the ground floor. Entry by donation. The receptionist was very helpful, telling us the rules of entry and provided a brochure with information on the exhibits. Photos were allowed in the Pop Garden light show, but not in the portrait section. A small shop had some reasonably priced items for locals and tourists. The cafe was extremely busy.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Reviewers highlight the diversity of touring exhibitions — 'from Dinosaurs to Batman, there's an exhibition for all tastes' — and the accessible, welcoming atmosphere. Staff are described as 'very friendly' with plenty of information. The donation-entry model means families can visit without a fixed spend.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →573 Google reviews
Janet Doyle
5 years ago
“Wonderful space with 2 exhibitions on the ground floor. Entry by donation. The receptionist was very helpful, telling us the rules of entry and provided a brochure with information on the exhibits. Photos were allowed in the Pop Garden light show, but not in the portrait section. A small shop had some reasonably priced items for locals and tourists. The cafe was extremely busy.”
mark prince
3 months ago
“I try to go every time they have something for the public to see. The staff are friendly, the facilities are well presented. The last visit we took our granddaughter to see the dinosaurs exhibit. So cool. We can't wait to see what's up next. Keep up the good work.”
Dominic Tam
3 years ago
“i-site tourist information counter inside. Staff is very friendly and has lots of information. There is a cafe, a gallery, sport centre and a concert hall. Gallery have seasonal display and currently on 100 years handbag. Admission is by gold coin donation.”
Peter Hall
2 years ago
“Great exhibitions are always on show, it's amazing that they can attract such world class exhibitions. From Dinosaurs to Batman, there's an exhibition for all tastes.”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Whirinaki Whare Taonga in central Upper Hutt combines a public gallery, a café, an i-SITE tourist information counter, a sports centre, and a concert hall under one roof. The gallery runs rotating exhibitions — past shows have included travelling dinosaur and Batman collections, alongside curated art and local history displays. Entry is by donation. The staff provide orientation on arrival and distribute exhibition brochures.
