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Carter Observatory

40 Salamanca Road | Kelburn, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
+64 4 910 3140
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Ranked #16 of 134 attractions in Wellington
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Type: Observatories/ Planetariums
Owner description: Carter Observatory offers visitors a state of the art, digital planetarium with an almost limitless range of virtual space journeys, along with... more » Owner description: Carter Observatory offers visitors a state of the art, digital planetarium with an almost limitless range of virtual space journeys, along with multi-media exhibits that tell the Māori and European story of New Zealand’s southern skies and the role of the stars in navigation. Carter re-opened in March 2010 as a world class visitor attraction after a multi-million dollar refit. Over its 70 year history it has served as New Zealand’s national observatory and this legacy is reflected in a collection of New Zealand astronomical history including the oldest telescope of its kind operating in New Zealand.Carter offers a fun learning experience for kids and visitors of all ages and has new exhibitions on space flight, New Zealanders and their role in space sciences and much much more. We know you'll leave inspired. « less
Useful Information: Wheelchair access, Activities for older children, Stairs / lift, Bathroom facilities
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114 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    67
    32
    13
    2
    0
Date Rating
Bredasdorp South Africa
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 June 2013 NEW

Very well kept facility, with very friendly staff. All parents around Wellington should take their kids for a visit.

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See 2 more reviews by Herman S for Wellington
Ohope, New Zealand
Top Contributor
62 reviews 62 reviews
18 attraction reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 June 2013 NEW via mobile

If you're into stars, galaxies, Milky Way and stuff like that then this is definitely the place for you and your kids. Watch the Planetarium show for a more educational guided experience. Unfortunately, went there to watch on the telescope but wasn't able to since was told it was too cloudy to do so, so quite disappointed about that. Have... More

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See 12 more reviews by TES983 for Wellington
Atlanta, Georgia
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
13 attraction reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 June 2013

I love observatories, so this is right up my alley. Excellent show, it's a must see for children and adults. The exhibit itself is pretty interesting but seeing the show made the experience worth it.

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See 11 more reviews by heta l for Wellington
Nelson, New Zealand
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 June 2013

Went up for the late night viewing via cable car but unfortunately the sky wasn't on our side but we had a great time in the planetarium learning about research into life on other planets ... No disappointment factor at all ... Had a great time.

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See 4 more reviews by JLE2013 for Wellington
Auckland Region, New Zealand
Top Contributor
60 reviews 60 reviews
8 attraction reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 May 2013

And still better, so well set up and a top view from the hills - love this place. It just needs a blinding wine bar right next door.

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See 6 more reviews by Norheim R for Wellington
Taupo, Waikato, New Zealand
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
7 attraction reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 May 2013

I have always been a fan of science, so when I decided to take my sons to the Carter Observatory, it was really a fantastic experience! The presentations are excellent. I recommend thatbyou plan ahead of time by checking out their website and plot your schedule before heading to Wellington for this. There are choices of movies you can watch... More

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See 5 more reviews by Grace A for Wellington
Auckland Central, New Zealand
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
10 attraction reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 May 2013

We went to the Carter Observatory in a cold and windy day in Wellington(!) and its a perfect thing to do! The displays in the observatory are very good and more extensive than I though. Best of all they have a display room just for kids which includes a self drive game where the kids can drive their rocket to... More

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See 6 more reviews by SarahNZ_12 for Wellington
Salalah
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
8 attraction reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 May 2013

The Carter Observatory is perfectly situated at the top of the Botanic Gardens. From time to time various exhibitions and educational shows take place there, At times the genius of such can diminish due to some underwhelming host introductions.

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See 5 more reviews by Fiona J for Wellington
Manchester, United Kingdom
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
10 attraction reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 May 2013

The exhibit is deceptively big - there is a lot to be learnt here, especially if you have an interest in space but know very little about it (like me). The show was also fascinating, and makes great use of the screen and seating. Afterwards the host was very enthusiastic about her explanations of the night sky, and there were... More

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See 8 more reviews by monkeibb for Wellington
Nambucca Heads, Australia
Senior Contributor
34 reviews 34 reviews
22 attraction reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 May 2013

This was a well set up observatory and the film in the theatre was very informative & interesting. A lot to see and explore. Kids would love the hands on things to do & would learn a lot.

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See 4 more reviews by Carolyn L for Wellington

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