What it is
The museum's present building opened in 1929, designed by the firm Grierson, Aimer and Draffin as a memorial to the Aucklanders who died in the First World War. It was extended after the Second World War, and a grand atrium beneath a large dome was added to the south side in 2006. The Court of Honour and cenotaph in front of the main steps are the focus of the city's Anzac Day dawn service.
Inside, the ground floor holds one of the most important collections of Māori taonga, including the carved meeting house Hotunui and the war canoe Te Toki a Tapiri, alongside Pacific galleries. Upper floors cover New Zealand's natural history and volcanoes, and the war memorial halls list the names of the fallen.
Getting there by bus
The Auckland Museum stop (stop 1345) is right by the building, about 70 metres away, and is served by route 781. The other option is Parnell Road, roughly five minutes' walk east through the Domain: Parnell Library (stop 7197) has routes 781, the Inner Link (INN) and the Outer Link (OUT), and the Inner and Outer Link also stop at Ayr Street (stop 7195) and Holy Trinity Cathedral (stop 7193).
Parnell Train Station, on the S-C line, is about 650 metres away, around eight minutes on foot, and Park Road/Auckland City Hospital (stop 1028) on the western side of the Domain is served by routes 70, 70H and 75.
