Waikato Museum product reviews

My fiancee and I visit the Museum whenever we want to do something cheap, or when they have new exhibits. Seriously, its cheap, fun, there is often something new, and it is placed near the CBD, with the free shuttle going past regularly.

The first thing we noticed were the grounds were kept very neat, there was little to no trash and the fountains were beautiful. When we entered we were greeted by staff asking if we wanted to see the paid exhibits(the interactive ones). They were very friendly and polite, We initially declined to go into the Exscite section as there was a school troop there, but that didn't put a damper on their spirits.

At the time there was a large variety of exhibits, We went through the whole place and definitely weren't bored. When we were there we had a range of options to go see, from The Life and Times of Scarface Claw, the Waikato WW1 Centenary Exhibition(For Us They Fell), and the beauty of the Heavenly Bodies exhibit. These were just a few of the exhibits that were on display. Whenever there is something new to see me and my fiance try to schedule a date at the museum.

It had been many, many years since I last visited the Waikato, I was probably still a child. Last weekend we had been out for lunch in town with my niece, 9 and daughter, 3. We had to walk past the museum to get to the restaurant and I suggested we stop in for a look on our way back to the car, the weather wasn't very good so it would provide a bit of a outing for the 2 girls.

Upon our arrival at the museum we were greeted by a very lovely lady at reception, who happily explained to us that entry to the museum itself was free, though a donation was very much appreciated. The Excite, part of the museum however was $5 for an adult and $8 for a child, we decided to pay to do this as it's not something we do every day!

We first decided to have a look around the museum itself which had a lot of displays about the World War and also Maori culture, there was also a small art display to be honest I did find this a bit boring as did the children, but i'm sure that this would be of interest to a lot of children.

During our visit there was a free exhibition on called 'Mirror Magic' which we all agreed was pretty cool, Miss 9 and Miss 3 absolutely loved and spent almost 30 minutes here exploring. This exhibition consisted of many different mirrors spread out through a room, there were mirrors that made you look tall, short, fat and skinny these were such a hit! There were also a range of different mirrors which allowed you to explore all of the amazing properties which mirrors have, with or without lights, and some examples of illusions that Magicians use, you could even build your own periscope and look through a giant kaleidoscope. This exhibition itself was well worth the trip.

The excite was a very fun and interactive zone tailored for kids. Miss 3 absolutely loved this as the activities here were right up her alley, there were giant sized Lego blocks, marble runs and a very neat vegetable garden where you can pick the different vegetables from the garden (no there not real) and place them in a wheelbarrow, this was a great educational tool that teaches children how vegetables grow, all which they learn and discover while having fun. Miss 9 was more interested in playing the Mario Karts game, though she did enjoy checking out everything else that was on offer.

While there I noted that the Waikato Museum also runs school holiday programmes (at a cost), but also during the holidays they have a couple of free activities a day that you can take your children along to participate in. The excite is apparently changed regularly with new activities added, there are also new exhibitions coming all the time, so the Waikato Museum is a place I will have to remember to go back to with Miss 3, they have a website so you can check on what's happening before going along to see if there's anything suitable for you!

As a mum and home-based educarer I am always on the lookout for places to take my pre-school kids. The Hamilton Museum appeals to me firstly because it is free (koha); secondly we can go whatever the weather; and finally it has fun educational things for the children.

I will admit that most of the museum doesn't appeal to the children or to me either. I am not the sort of person that wants to go around reading every sign and having to translate it into words the children can understand whilst also reminding them to look with their eyes.

The favourite part for the children is an permanent exhibition. It is titled Hand Grown: Fruit and Vegetables Crafted Stitch by Stitch. This is an interactive area for the children where they can pick knitted fruit and vegetables from the garden. They can put their hands in the hole for kumara and potatoes. The carrots and radishes can be pulled out by their tops. The tomatoes and strawberries can be picked from their plants too. There are wheelbarrows and baskets for the children to put their harvest in. There are also some dress-ups.

We have some great discussions while the children are playing. There is so much learning going on and they are having fun at the same time. We have some great discussions while the children are playing. There is so much learning going on and they are having fun at the same time.

The Waikato Museum is a great place to go rain or shine. They have a huge variety of exhibits on and get some amazing things every few months. With the entry being free (donation) it means that we can flick a few coins into the bucket (always a fun thing to do for the kid) and enjoy a fun filled afternoon of exploring things.

They have also re-done a few of the old exhibits recently, so they are very interactive and well worth a visit. My daughter loves working with the giant magnetic scenes, opening all the draws to look at different things. She loves watching the videos too.

Her favourite bit of the whole place has to be the knitted garden. So interactive and colourful and fun. She picks the veges. Uses the garden tools. Pretends to feed the chickens.

I love history and I have very fond memories of museums when I was a child. I think the mix of things available, and the learning opportunities are just amazing and I feel blessed to have a place like this right in town. So easy to go to, so close to cafes for a late afternoon re-group as well.

At the time of our visit, this place certainly ranked well for variety... the exhibitions on display at the time ranged from "Dr Seuss" to dinosaurs, science to crafts (an interactive vegetable garden entirely knitted by hand!), and the history of Hamilton to Maori culture. If that's not variety I don't know what is.

We were there primarily to see the Hatching the Past exhibition, but also had the opportunity to wander through the Exscite Gallery as well. We knew the dinosaurs exhibit was a pay-to-enter exhibit, but it also appears the Exscite one is too, despite being a 'standing gallery' - meaning it's a permanent fixture, not a touring exhibit.

The "History of Hamilton" and Maori culture galleries appear to be free-admission standing galleries, and the Dr Seuss exhibit is a touring one, but is free admission. So there's plenty of variety and combinations available, many of whom are there any time you want to see them.

Having spent many years dealing with the mobility issues of someone in a wheelchair, I have to say this place is not "wheelie friendly" - steep ramps just to get into the building... and heaven help you if you have to park in the adjoining multi-level parking area! Internal ramps in some places, but not everywhere, though with staff assistance there are elevators that can be used but they often open out in 'blind spots" for the pay-for-access galleries meaning a hassle for all concerned to get tickets/wristbands sorted out if you're in a group or the galleries are crowded.

On the plus side, the place is a free-access WiFi hotspot, meaning you can chill out in the shade and get a bit of online 'quality time'. If you need to get some fresh air, I recommend sitting by the waterfall out front - it was beautiful to look at, divine to stick my arms into to dump some excess body heat, and a really nice background noise when you want peaceful contemplation time.

My biggest gripe however was the interior lighting... small spotlights aimed at the wall displays made for striking visual impact for sure... but as soon as you stood in front of the wall to get a better look, you were staring into your own shadow. Some galleries were worse than others for this - eg. The Dr Seuss exhibit was pretty much not affected because of the bright wall colours reflecting ambient light around, but the Dinosaur exhibit suffered almost intolerably due to the deep earthtones soaking up background light and leaving you just the spots to try and see by.

Overall, though there are some fundamental architectural issues that, alas, will probably be unavoidable without tearing out significant chunks of the structure and redesigning it, the venue is astounding and quite unique in many good ways. The number of levels and galleries on offer give you plenty of space to roam around, and the ability to clearly delineate between disparate exhibitions. Their willing embrace of the multicultural nature of New Zealand was clear, with most of the important signs and exhibition plaques being bilingual, as well as the dedicated Maori display spaces. I find myself feeling very fortunate to be living in a town with a museum of this quality, and I look forward to many more family visits in the future.