Auckland War Memorial Museum

Decorative arts and pictorial collections add to the richness of the collections which have, in part been overshadowed by the glamorous the TE PAPA, Aotearoa New Zealand’s National Museum located in the capital, Wellington.

Opening hours

Daily from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm (except Christmas Day) with an admission fee for overseas visitors.

The Link bus service

It’s easy and simple to get around the city centre and city fringe suburbs on the Link, with four bus routes operating on a regular timetable. You can access the Museum via both the InnerLink (green buses) and the OuterLink (orange buses), which both stop on Parnell Road. It is a short walk to the Museum.

By train

The Museum is a 15-minute walk from Grafton Station (Western line) and a 15 minute walk from Newmarket Station (Western and Southern lines). See the Auckland Transport website for more information.

There is some free parking, subject to availability, in the Auckland Domain. Please note that during busy periods such as school holidays, public holidays and weekends it may be difficult to find a carpark at the Museum or in the Domain.

Electric vehicle charging station now available at Auckland Museum.

Auckland Museum is pleased to offer visitors an electric vehicle (EV) charging station courtesy of Vector. The charger is located at the southern end of the Museum with two reserved carparks for use of the station.

This service is free of charge and is part of the Museum’s commitment to sustainability. When using these chargers, we suggest you check in either with Vector’s EV Charging app or a public app such as PlugShare.

Auckland War Memorial Museum Building origins

The building is a homage to the significant loss of life incurred during World War I. The stone cenotaph in front of the building continues to be a place of sorrow and witness to the annual ANZAC memorials to the military. The building was opened (1929) by the Queen’s representative, Governor-General Sir Charles Fergusson. The speech was one festooned with classical references and the importance of acknowledging the contribution of fallen soldiers. The military parades are held in the Court of Honour and cenotaph. The cenotaph in front of the Auckland War Memorial Museum has a Category 1 listing from Heritage New Zealand. The cenotaph is inscribed with the words ‘THE GLORIOUS DEAD’ and the dates MCMXIV [1914] and MCMXVIII [1918]. The names of the fallen are listed inside the Auckland War Memorial Museum.