Our Visitor Experiences

The future doesn’t happen to children – they create it!

Capital E is New Zealand’s leading centre for creativity for young people, based in Wellington. We engage children and young people to ignite and fuel their creativity; equipping them to contribute as confident, capable citizens who have the skills to shape a positive future for themselves and their communities.

We connect New Zealand’s vibrant professional performing arts sector with young audiences through live performance programmes, including our biennial pan-arts Festival; our theatre development and national touring programme; innovative technology workshops in our MediaLab and OnTV Studio; and ever-changing experiences and large scale family events centred at Capital E Noku Te Ao on Queens Wharf.

At our heart is respect for the voices, expectations and values of children and young people. We want to share our expertise in live performance and digital technology with you – let’s have fun and get creative!

Address: 4 Queens Wharf, Wellington   Website: www.capitale.org.nz

From the heart of Wellington in Civic Square, City Gallery provides locals and visitors with a meaningful, accessible, experience of art. It presents a dynamic programme of changing exhibitions dedicated to the most current thinking, creativity and innovation in art practice in the broadest sense. It is a hub for artistic and cultural activity in Wellington that reinforces the city’s commitment to art and creativity. City Gallery works collaboratively with artists, galleries, collectors and educators to realise programmes of activity that are relevant, push and test art’s boundaries and both transform and provide insight into our understanding of our world. Address: Civic Square, 101 Wakefield Street, Wellington   Website: citygallery.org.nz
Museums Wellington includes Wellington Museum, Space Place at Carter Observatory, Cable Car Museum and Nairn Street Cottage. Collectively they tell the stories of the Wellington region and the Southern Skies establishing local, national and international connections for visitors. Each experience is a unique, quality experience delivered through an interpretative strategy that invites engagement, involvement and interaction by the visitor. Museums Wellington is also the guardian of the Trust’s collections, including heritage buildings that are of cultural, social, historical, scientific and technological significance. The Collections are an integral part of the Trust’s role and are being developed so that they fully allow visitors to experience and appreciate the Wellington region’s unique identity. Website: www.museumswellington.org.nz
Situated within the original Cable Car Winding House, the Cable Car Museum brings to life the story of Wellington’s iconic cable cars. The Winding House – which has been given Category 2 Heritage Status by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust – was built in 1902 to house the winding gear which pulled Wellington’s first cable cars from the city centre up to Kelburn. These days, the museum is home to two of the original grip cars, restored to their former glory as well as the historic winding machinery, which has been restored to working order. Address: 1 Upland Road (Top of the Cable Car), Wellington

Built in 1858, Nairn Street Cottage is one of Wellington’s oldest original cottages and is home to the story of the Wallis family, who lived there for three generations. The visitor centre features an innovative timeline, revealing what life would have been like from 1830-1970. Journey through time and experience these social and technological changes within the house itself. Outside the cottage is the heritage garden, which features plants, fruit trees, herbs and three heritage chickens. The garden is open anytime to take a picnic and stroll around. Address: 68 Nairn Street, Wellington

Discover the stories of our southern skies through Space Place’s multimedia exhibition and digital full-dome planetarium. Take a journey into space at Space Place at Carter Observatory. Our planetarium offers a state of the art, digital experience that will take you on a virtual space journey from Wellington, through to the outer regions of our Solar System and beyond. In our galleries, discover the sheer scale of the Universe and its origins in the Big Bang, the Māori story of creation, and examine the possibility of life on other planets. And then, with the help of our friendly staff, take a look at the night sky through our Thomas Cooke Telescope. Address: 40 Salamanca Road, Wellington
Ranked as one of the 50 Best Museums in the World by The Times UK, this popular museum will take you back a thousand years and lead you to a vibrant present day Wellington. Housed in a significant heritage building on the waterfront, Wellington Museum offers a wonderful insight into the rich social and cultural history of Wellington. The interactive and exciting exhibitions engage visitors of all ages. Address: The Bond Store, Queens Wharf, Wellington
Established in 1987, the New Zealand Cricket Museum is located in the historic Museum Stand at Wellington’s iconic Basin Reserve. The Museum shows there’s more to cricket than Tests and tea breaks, with exhibits that highlight the game’s development since its early 1800s introduction to New Zealand summers. As the nation’s only cricket museum, and one of just a handful of sport museums, the Cricket Museum is an important resource for cricket fans and researchers alike. With a gallery filled with the players and moments you remember, and an archive containing thousands of important documents and photos, there’s something here for everyone. Address: Old Grandstand, Basin Reserve,Wellington   Website: nzcricketmuseum.co.nz
The Hannah Playhouse offers a venue for theatre and music experiences for all! From Shakespeare to new New Zealand plays; from opera to psychedelic rock, we truly can offer something for everyone. Capital E presents many of its theatre productions at the Hannah Playhouse, helping to fuel the creative spark in Wellington’s younger audiences. The Hannah Playhouse is an independently run theatre venue for hire. Our skilled staff can assist and advise throughout the process of putting on your event, and will warmly welcome your guests. Our bar area is also available for private functions. Join us at the Hannah Playhouse and take a journey into the alternate realities of the imagination… The Hannah Playhouse opened in 1973 and was named after a benefactor. The distinctive design and signature roofline has won the architects a NZ Institute of Architects National Award (1978) and an Award for Enduring Architecture (2006) Address: 12 Cambridge Terrace, CBD, Wellington   Website: www.hannahplayhouse.org.nz