Coaltown Museum facts for kids
The Coaltown Museum is a special place in Westport, a town on the West Coast of New Zealand. It's a museum all about coal mining and the history of ships in the area. It helps visitors understand how important coal and the sea were to this part of New Zealand.
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About the Museum Building
The Coaltown Museum is located on Palmerston Street, right in the middle of Westport's cultural area. The building itself is quite modern and was designed by a group of architects called Boon Goldsmith Bhaskar Brebner Team Architects.
Awards for Design
The museum building is not just interesting inside; it's also well-designed on the outside. In 2013, it won two special awards from the New Zealand Institute of Architects. These awards were for its public architecture and for its use of color. This shows that the building is both beautiful and works well for visitors.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Coaltown Museum first opened its doors in 2013. It has many interesting things to see that teach you about how coal was dug up and about the history of ships and the sea.
Key Exhibits
When you visit, you can see some really big and cool items. One of the main displays is a huge eight-ton coal wagon. This wagon was once used in the famous Denniston mine, which was a very important coal mine.
You can also experience what it was like to be a miner in a simulated underground mine. This part of the museum helps you imagine working deep below the ground. Another big exhibit is a steam engine that came from an old ship called the SS Mawhera.
Photos and Objects
Besides the large exhibits, the museum has many collections of old photographs. These pictures show what life was like for miners and their families on the West Coast. There are also many different objects that were used in mining and by people living in the area long ago.
