Ferrymead Heritage Park
Ferrymead Heritage Park
4
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
About
Ferrymead Park features an early 1900s (Edwardian) township and the park has a variety of restored cottages plus a school house, church and businesses which reflect the period and allow visitors to experience life for the early residents of Christchurch including the smell of a coal range and the sounds of a tram rattling past the door.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.0
154 reviews
Excellent
65
Very good
65
Average
17
Poor
4
Terrible
3

Heiko M
Canterbury Region, New Zealand73 contributions
Sep 2022
We used to like this place - it was still a decade ago a buzzing fun place bringing you something like 100 years back in time. Old tram, old train, a handful of museums, some old crafts on show and on many weekends people dressed in settlers clothes. Interesting and a great place for children.

We returned on a sunny Sunday in September and expected a fun day with our grand child ... however, never seen Ferrymead that sleepy (on a sunny and open Sunday). Hardly any visitors, no kids, the tram only driving on request, Some museums closed for fathers day (Pardon me?), the cinema closed and only one house attended. Ok, this was the highlight, two friendly women in settlers clothes selling chocolate apples. Good stuff, but where was the rest of the crew?

Where did all the buzz go? Where the life animals? And lets face it - without the buzz its mainly dusty old stuff and some rubbish from the nightly light show hanging around.

I realise that Ferrymead is dependent on many volunteers - and Covid was probably not nice to them either. Concerned however that they might kill the place with trying too much with not enough helpers. Open it, if you are resourced and close it (and appropriately communicate) if you are not ... otherwise - its easy to destroy a brand, and you are well on the way to do that.

We have been disappointed - rating should probably be poor, but I still try to be helpful and full of hope.
Written 4 September 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.

tiger96_nz
Timaru, New Zealand257 contributions
Jul 2022
Haven't been here for many years, was really quite interesting having a walk around the site, staff were really friendly and helpful.
Only downside was that we came back to find our car had been broken into in the carpark, which is apparently getting quite common here going by the what the staff told us and the warning signs. Just something to be aware of.
Written 13 July 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.

mogman5139
Christchurch, New Zealand77 contributions
Jan 2022
Visited this park today. Such a disappointment. With such a large site offering potentially many visitor attractions i had quite high expectations. Sadly this followed the pattern i have experienced in other attractions in this country.
The simple unexplainable fact is that New Zealand is really poor at hospitality and delivering decent visitor attractions. I can only assume that it is due to poor levels of expectation from the home market.
This site is massive but offers no refreshment facilities at all within the site. The site lacks spark and vitality, it looks in desperate need of attention and smartening up.
Come on you people shake yourselves up and start offering decent attractions worthy of your paying public. I would strongly recommend that the paying public avoid this attraction until they can offer a far better experience.
Written 20 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.

Dunedin traveller
5 contributions
Sep 2021 • Family
What a great place to spend a couple of hours with your kids. The tram ride was fun and there was plenty to see and do,including feeding the chickens, exploring old houses and shops, a fire station, fun fair, post office etc etc. The staff are really friendly and take great pride in ferrymead. Would thoroughly recommend a visit.
Written 13 September 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.

Chris B
Nelson, New Zealand8 contributions
Apr 2021
Visited during school holidays. Weather was a bit cold so it was very quiet! The park is interesting and gives a good idea of a settler town. There were a couple of activities in offer for children. We lost interest fairly fast though. Price was ok and seemed fair.
Written 21 April 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.

shane p
21 contributions
Oct 2020
Well worth the drive and visit. The people who work there an d those in character of the era were knowledgeable and interactive. Was great to see ride the steam locomotive.
Parking was the biggest issue, but enjoyed the walk to the entry.

Well worth visiting if you are in Christchurch
Written 25 October 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.

Craigie
Christchurch, New Zealand17 contributions
Sep 2020 • Friends
Haven’t been to ferrymead for a few years, always a great afternoon exploring the park, be sure to visit curragh House!.
Written 18 September 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.

Haterudepeople666
Auckland, New Zealand14 contributions
Jul 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed walking around this historic village. It's huge! It has one of everything. The tram ride was fun and informative too.
Written 25 July 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.

Otupaka
New Zealand48 contributions
Jun 2020
We went with three young children on a bleak winter's day, and we and the children had an enjoyable couple of hours. The cosy restored house had fires burning and a resident guide who welcomed us warmly, showed us around, told us the history, and engaged well with the children. The tram ride was another big hit with the children (and interesting to us adults too). The driver was another excellent guide, and again great with the kids. There were many interesting exhibits. We were impressed with how well-kept the facility is and with how attractive the park is generally (the backdrop of the Port Hills is lovely). We could have spent longer there, and we hope to return.
Written 20 June 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.

Gray's Reviews
Timaru, New Zealand1,412 contributions
Jun 2020 • Couples
We went on a fairly quiet Sunday during the latter stages of lockdown but were happy to see what we did see. We'd have loved to have seen rail action of any kind but the model trains that were running were the nearest to that wish.
A lot of the museum settings across a whole range of our pioneering history were interesting and recalled a lot of our own personal history as well.
The tram ride was great but, at $5.50 each, seemed a tad expensive.
All up, it was a pleasant way to spend an hour or two on a sunny Sunday.
Written 9 June 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.

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FERRYMEAD HERITAGE PARK: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Ferrymead Heritage Park

Ferrymead Heritage Park is open:
  • Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM