What it is
The museum occupies a group of historic buildings in the centre of Arrowtown, among them the stone former Bank of New Zealand building, which was earthquake-strengthened and restored from 2020. Its displays trace the history of the Wakatipu basin from the first European runholders to the gold discoveries of 1862 and the growth of Arrowtown and Queenstown.
Exhibits cover gold mining methods, the lives of the Chinese miners who settled along Bush Creek, and everyday life in the 19th-century town, told through displays, photographs and objects from local families. The restored huts of the Arrowtown Chinese Settlement and the miners' cottages of Buckingham Street are a short walk away.
Getting there by bus
Two stops lie right beside the museum: Ramshaw Lane, 47 (stop 215), about 30 m away, and Arrowtown (Ramshaw Lane) (stop 40), about 40 m away. Both are served by routes 2 (Frankton Hub/Arrowtown) and 4 (Jacks Point/Arrowtown via Queenstown).
Route 4 gives a direct connection from central Queenstown, while route 2 links Arrowtown with the Frankton Hub, where other Queenstown routes can be reached.
