MTG Hawke's Bay
MTG Hawke's Bay
4
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
MTG Hawke's Bay is at home in the heart of Napier forming the cultural centre of this stylish city for over 150 years. MTG Hawke's Bay is a place where people, objects and ideas meet. MTG inhabits three buildings of distinct character - an art deco masterpiece, a modernist gem and a light-filled gallery that looks out across the magnificent Hawke Bay. MTG Hawke's Bay is home to a nationally significant collection of art and objects that form the foundation of distinctive exhibitions and a world-class research facility. The MTG Theatre hosts a lively programme of film and performing arts. MTG Hawke's Bay uses its collection to tell the stories of New Zealand with assurance and style. This is the place to get a fresh perspective on the stories you know including the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. Here too the art that adorns our walls and the objects that fill our homes come together alongside precious photographs and documents to creatively illustrate the life stories of successive generations of New Zealanders. Visit our fabulous little shop selling a range of MTG publications and merchandise inspired by the magic of the Museum collections. MTG Hawke's Bay welcomes visitors from all over the world to share in the complex and fascinating history of New Zealand through the lens of a distinct and characterful region.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.0
316 reviews
Excellent
138
Very good
116
Average
28
Poor
23
Terrible
11
Stewarts Vacation
1,535 contributions
Feb 2020
This museum houses impressive exhibits! We last visited 2 years ago, so many of the displays were different. Again, they were interesting, informative and very well laid out. There is a large gift shop at the entrance with a wide selection of interesting items. Admission is free. Definitely worth a visit.
Written 1 March 2020
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.
Matthew
Wellington, New Zealand40 contributions
Oct 2021
Great little provincial museum. Good for an hour's escape from the sun, and a chance to learn a little about the local history. Can definitely recommend the voices of Kahungunu, as well as the Earthquake gallery. The exhibition on the history of freezing works was also really interesting!
Written 9 October 2021
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.
Margaret S
Napier, New Zealand593 contributions
Nov 2021
I preferred the old entry layout with the Māori statues etc. The Faraday Centre would be much more interesting to school students I think. Theres too much reading for the young and not enough items to look at and discuss.
Written 29 January 2022
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.
Prince Vegeta
Auckland, New Zealand10 contributions
Dec 2021
This is one awesome museum plus entry is free. Must visit the earthquake museum in lower level where we were in tears reading the survivor accounts. Must sit for the survivor stories. Amazing.
Written 2 January 2022
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.
TOM A
Chesapeake, VA698 contributions
Feb 2020
Small but interesting museum and meeting center. Main floor right at a main corner in downtown across from the beach. The basement floor has great exhibit of the great Napier earthquake of 1931.
Written 24 February 2020
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.
StaceyCheer
Arapuni, New Zealand161 contributions
Apr 2022
We stumbled into the MTG while waiting for a tour to begin. What a great way to fill in an hour! We particularly enjoyed the earthquake exhibit, with its wonderful first-hand accounts and the surviving artifacts. A very sobering history of how Napier was destroyed and rebuilt, and the resilience of NZers.
Written 11 April 2022
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.
James
Auckland, New Zealand8 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Very friendly and helpful staff, was greeted at the door and had everything explained. Exhibits are bit a bit all over the place physically, so there isn't really any flow from one to the other. Earthquake exhibit was good but needed more story telling as again everything was just in the room. I felt like there should have been progression through the exhibit from the quake itself, the response, then the lasting effects. Instead it was just in a big room.
Written 1 April 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.
Bonnie936
New Zealand166 contributions
Feb 2024 • Solo
Thought I would check out MTG as I had not been for awhile. What a fabulous surprise to see that the retail area had been spruced up and now features a fabulous array of books souvenirs jigsaws keepsakes etc to choose from. Just loved the table with activities etc to buy for the younger generation. There’s something for everyone.
Naturally the exhibition that is on Silver Shadows is a blast from the past if you ever visited years ago. Very spacious and everything is well laid out. Front of house staff are very pleasant and welcoming.
Naturally the exhibition that is on Silver Shadows is a blast from the past if you ever visited years ago. Very spacious and everything is well laid out. Front of house staff are very pleasant and welcoming.
Written 7 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.
2boysandagal
Hastings, New Zealand31 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
We visited this museum when we moved to Hawke's Bay 7 years ago. Imagining it would be a great family-focused place to visit regularly we bought an annual pass - we never returned.
After the refurb we tried again, hoping things had improved, but it was just as bad, if not worse.
This is possibly the most boring museum I have ever visited anywhere in the world.
The building looks better, but it's really strange how it's laid out and the actual displays are so dull. If you have children, don't bother coming here, they will not be interested. Museums should engage children. This does the opposite. By contrast, the little museums in CHB, and Wairoa are much better. What a waste - Hawke's Bay MTG get your act together please.
After the refurb we tried again, hoping things had improved, but it was just as bad, if not worse.
This is possibly the most boring museum I have ever visited anywhere in the world.
The building looks better, but it's really strange how it's laid out and the actual displays are so dull. If you have children, don't bother coming here, they will not be interested. Museums should engage children. This does the opposite. By contrast, the little museums in CHB, and Wairoa are much better. What a waste - Hawke's Bay MTG get your act together please.
Written 15 December 2014
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.
Robert K
Blacksmiths, Australia232 contributions
Sept 2014 • Solo
The old museum was a great asset to Napier, it was informative and interesting. The new Museum is hardly a museum and more of an art gallery. Where has the earthquake display gone?
Etry is too expensive and just not worth going
Etry is too expensive and just not worth going
Written 24 November 2014
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.
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