Canterbury Museum, Christchurch Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Canterbury Museum

Canterbury Museum in 2017
General information
Type	Museum
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Location	Christchurch, New Zealand
Address	11 Rolleston Avenue
Completed	1882
Inaugurated	1870 (first part of building)
Renovated	1995
Design and construction
Architect	Benjamin Mountfort

Heritage New Zealand – Category I
Designated:	25 September 1986
Reference #:	290

The Canterbury Museum is a cool place in Christchurch, New Zealand, where you can explore amazing collections! It's right in the middle of the city, in an area called the Cultural Precinct. The museum first opened its doors in 1867. A scientist named Julius von Haast was its very first director, and his personal collection became the start of the museum's treasures. The building itself is super old and important, recognized as a "Historic Place – Category I" by Heritage New Zealand.

Museum History
Museum Directors
Special Exhibitions
- Quake City Exhibition
Gallery
See also

Museum History

Building the Museum

The museum building looks like something out of a fairy tale, with its Gothic Revival style. It was designed by Benjamin Mountfort and first opened in 1870. Just two years later, they added another floor to the building.

The museum kept growing! More parts were added in 1876, and in 1882, they even put a roof over an open courtyard inside. Later, in 1958 and 1977, new sections were built. The building was made stronger in the 1990s to help it stand up to earthquakes.

Earthquake Impact

In February 2011, a big earthquake hit Christchurch. The museum's outside walls had some small damage, but the building stayed strong. This was probably because of all the work done in the past to make it earthquake-safe. Most of the museum's collections, about 95%, were safe and sound! A statue of William Rolleston in front of the museum did fall over during the quake. The museum quickly reopened on September 2, 2011.

Exciting Redevelopment Plans

The museum has been planning a huge makeover! In late 2020, they showed off the first designs for the project. The plans include bringing back some amazing exhibits. You'll get to see a giant blue whale skeleton, which is thought to be the biggest skeleton in the world! Also returning is the beautiful Whare Whakairo (a traditional Māori meeting house) called "Hau Te Ananui O Tangaroa."

Other popular areas are getting a refresh, like the Discovery zone for kids and Christchurch Street, which shows what a street in Christchurch looked like in the 1800s. The quirky Fred & Myrtle's Paua Shell House will also be updated.

The museum started moving its huge collection of 2.3 million items in mid-October 2022. Less than 1% of these items were usually on display! People had a chance to say goodbye to the old galleries before they were packed away for about five years.

In January 2023, the museum announced it would move to a temporary spot in the CoCA (Centre of Contemporary Art) building. This "pop-up" museum opened in mid-2023. It shows some of the museum's most loved pieces and hosts special exhibitions.

Before the big renovation started, an art exhibition called "The Shift: Urban Art Takeover" opened on January 28, 2023. Over 60 artists from all over New Zealand created art across five floors and 35 rooms of the museum. This cool exhibition closed on April 11, 2023.

The redevelopment will add a large open space called an atrium. This will show off the original walls of the building, and the blue whale skeleton will hang from the ceiling there! A new glass window will be added, and the museum will get a second entrance on Rolleston Avenue. The building will also be made even stronger against earthquakes. The Robert McDougall Art Gallery will become part of the museum, showing off its art collection.

Museum Directors

The person in charge of the museum has been called both a curator and a director. Julius von Haast was the very first director, starting when the museum opened. Many other talented people have led the museum over the years, helping it grow and share its collections with everyone. The current director, Anthony Wright, started his role in March 1996.

Special Exhibitions

Quake City Exhibition

Quake City is a special exhibition that tells the story of the big earthquakes that happened in Christchurch in 2010 and 2011. It first opened in February 2013 and moved to its current location on Durham Street and Armagh Street in 2017. It's a great way to learn about what happened and how the city recovered.