Top 10 Specialty Museums in Otago Region, South Island

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is a museum of social history dedicated to telling the story of the people of Dunedin and the surrounding area, whose character, culture, technology, art, fashion and transport shaped New Zealand’s first great city.Its fourteen themed galleries feature interactive displays and powerful narratives tracing the human history of the area, from the earliest settlers to the most recent arrivals.Captivating exhibitions are complemented by an on site shop and café. A well-equipped research centre and archive is available for those interested in genealogy and other aspects of local history.

The Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery is a small private museum and gallery based in the home of Dunedin mural artist and sculptor, Bruce Mahalski, and located at 61 Royal Terrace in Dunedin, New Zealand. Spread over three rooms of an old central city villa the museum contains a collection of skulls, bones, biological curiosities, ethnological art and unusual cultural artifacts which the artist has collected over a lifetime. There is also a gallery featuring his own unique bone art and paintings for sale.

Deer are fascinating and majestic animals that have been part of New Zealand`s history since the 1850`s, and our farming scene since the 1970`s. Learn about the story of deer in New Zealand whilst looking at the finest collection of deer antlers in New Zealand, including some rare species and record holders. The World of Deer Museum is a multi faceted centre with lots to see and learn as we celebrate the wonderful and very important animal that is the Deer. The basis of the museum is the collection of wonderful antlers grown by stud animals at the famous " Stanfield Red Deer Stud" that includes previous world record antler for number of points (60), SCI and CIC scores and weight. Our point of difference is our worldwide theme, plus the educational focus - the New Zealand story from liberation of deer from around the world to the evolution of the deer farming industry, to understanding the products from deer and the benefits of natural remedies.

Steampunk hq, which opened in november 2011, is an art collaboration proudly based in oamaru, new zealand. It sets out to portray an industrial version of steampunk, with a giant sense of humour and larger than life visions of an off the wall steampunk universe. Steampunk HQ is well known for its full scale train engine that spits fire and billows smoke The lonely planet guide rates steampunk hq as one of nz’s best new tourist attractions.

Author Janet Frame lived at 56 Eden Street from the age of six until she left Oamaru after completing secondary school. Her childhood became one of the best known of any New Zealander after she wrote of its joys and sorrows in her bestselling autobiography, which was immortalised in the celebrated film An Angel at my Table. The key rooms are very much as they looked during the Frame residency. The dining room (with its original lino) and the bedrooms have not changed since those days. The house is not a restoration, it has become what is now called a re-framing, a combination of known facts and recollections. In many ways, the house is as the first lines in To the Is-Land '.. with its mixture of facts and memories of truths'. The Janet Frame Eden Street Trust owns and administers the property at 56 Eden Street, Oamaru. Opening Hours 2.00 - 4.00pm daily during the summer (1st November to 30 April).

Historic Fletcher House is a fully restored and furnished traditional Edwardian villa located on the Otago Peninsula, Dunedin. The villa was built in 1909 as a family home by Sir James Fletcher, a NZ building pioneer, and has since been restored to its former glory and furnished in Edwardian style. The site features a traditional Edwardian garden. It is open for all to enjoy thanks to the Fletcher Challenge Fund and Toitu Otago Settlers Museum. Open weekends and public holidays 11.00am - 4.00pm