Olveston Historic Home
Olveston Historic Home
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
A 'must visit' for lovers of art, heritage and history, Olveston is lavishly furnished with exotic artefacts, prized artworks, antique furniture, ceramics and statues from around the world. The 35-room Edwardian mansion was designed for a one of Dunedin's most prominent businessmen, philanthropists and collectors during the early 1900s. The house was gifted to the people of Dunedin in 1966, fully furnished with the original contents, Olveston is a time capsule as little has changed inside the house since it was occupied as a family home. The house and its 'Garden of National Significance', within the city's Green Belt, can be experienced at 42 Royal Terrace, within walking distance of Dunedin's Octagon. Entry inside the house is by guided tour only (1 hour, max. 15 People per group). Tours commence daily at: 9.30am, 10.45am, 12 noon, 1.30pm, 2.45pm and 4pm. Group bookings available at a time to suit the group - available on request. Tours are conducted in English. Mandarin, Cantonese, German, French, Japanese and Dutch speaking guides are available for groups on request. The gardens, listed as a New Zealand Gardens Trust 'Garden of National Significance' and the gift shop are open daily and free to the public.
Duration: < 1 hour
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,029 reviews
Excellent
805
Very good
184
Average
32
Poor
5
Terrible
3

OnAir439560
1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
Sunday the 17th March 2.45pm tour.
The house and contents were amazing. The lady at the front desk reception was very nice. The tour was too short but I guess you can pay for a longer one. The reason for the poor review was the guide. Several times she made patronising responses to questions asked. At the end she asked if there were any questions and guess what ? Nobody wanted to ask any ! I checked out with one of the other people on the tour and they also didn’t feel she was good.
I presume she’s a volunteer but even so she needs some retraining.
Written 16 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John Kelly
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Olveston is an authentic and original historic home depicting the life of a wealthy merchant family in the early part of the twentieth century. The merchant in question made his fortune in the unlikely business of importing pianos!

When the last family member died, the house was left to the city on condition it remained unchanged. This included the building itself plus all the contents. The result is a genuinely authentic house and beautiful house into which you could move today.

The staff are very knowledgeable about the house and very welcoming. The garden is beautiful too.

A must visit place if you are going to Dunedin.
Written 16 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lindy G
Yamba, Australia1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
Absolutely loved this tour. The house is magnificently kept and the tour guide was so knowledgeable and informative. Highly recommend
Written 16 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Colourqueen
Melbourne, Australia325 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
So glad we visited Olverston House.
We booked for the guided tour of the house which was well worth doing.
You can book online, there are several times each day.
Our guide was very knowledgeable about the home itself and the family history .
It’s a beautiful house and really is a “must see” in Dunedin.
After the tour, or before, you can wander through the stunning garden and also have a look at the restored vintage car that the family owned. Plus there is a lovely gift shop.
Written 8 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your review. We are pleased you enjoyed you visit to Olveston Historic Home.
Written 10 March 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

jtwoodfield
London, UK216 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
An interesting Victorian/Edwardian house with echoes of Cragside, the Armstrong house in Northumberland, UK. A similar combination of eclectic and not over attractive architecture, technical innovation, some good art and a lot of kitsch. Set in nice surroundings.
For reasons hard to fathom, the tour hardly mentioned that this was a Jewish family who, from nothing, made good and were substantial contributors to Dunedin as their adopted city.
Only in the cellar was there a Hallenstein exhibit. A related Jewish local family. That was temporary.
Written 15 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review.
Written 16 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

geordie9Kent
Sevenoaks, UK763 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
A fascinating insight into an incredible piece of NZ history and lifestyle. The guided tour has a limited number of people allowed on it so it feels quite personal. The guide was exceptionally knowledgeable about the property and family who lived there and answered questions confidently. Definitely up there as one of the places to visit if in Dunedin
Written 12 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your five-star review we are glad you enjoyed your tour.
Written 15 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jackie J
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Solo
Highly recommend this tour. The house is beautifully preserved and so interesting to learn about the family and the way they lived.
Written 4 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review.
Written 15 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Skaj2
Christchurch, New Zealand32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Fantastic tour with Chris. Very knowledgeable and so much enthusiasm.
The house itself was magnificent and such a treasure to view.
If you love history, you need to visit.
Written 3 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so pleased you enjoyed your visit to Olveston Historic Home.
Written 15 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Catherine A
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
So much history on show and in a beautiful location. Also a really interesting story behind the history and the family and property. The guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend.
Written 30 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review.
Written 15 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

jose yanez
Mexico City, Mexico287 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Solo
One of the few interesting things you can do in Dunedin which if you happen to be there is a good stop to listen something about the history of Dunedin wealthy people
Written 17 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you, Josey for your review.
Written 15 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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