Te Aroha & District Museum Society Inc.

Te Aroha & District Museum Society Inc. Housed in the historical Cadman bathhouse, our Museum reflects our local history in a well presented

Te Aroha Museum - A Taste of The Past

MuseumTe Aroha museum nestling under the sacred mountain is a little gem, not to be missed by visitors. It takes you on a nostalgic walk down ‘Memory Lane,’ where the past meets the present and where the stories of the people who made Te Aroha what it is today, unfold. The museum is situated in the historic Cadman Building that was opened in 1898 by the Gover

nment Tourist Bureau, as a bathhouse. It was where people from far and wide, came to ‘Take the Waters’ for their aches and ailments, pre-Rotorua. Set in the beautiful grounds of the historic Victorian/Edwardian Domain the Cadman captures the visitor’s eye with a real sense of the heyday of this delightful little town. Such an historic building is therefore a fitting place to house the history, artifacts and archives of Te Aroha and District especially the spa history. For nearly thirty six years, the museum is home to a diverse collection of local artifacts, films and archives, from farming, flax mills and gold mines to a large photographic collection, Photographs that show what life was like over a hundred years ago evoking nostalgic memories for many visitors. Open seven days a week, except for Christmas Day, and Good Friday and ANZAC Day morning, the museum hours are as follows:

Winter
Easter to Labour weekend
12 noon - 3pm daily

Summer
Labour weekend to Easter
11am - 4pm daily

Admission
Adults $5 Children 5-16 years $2 Family 2 adults up to 3 children $14

Groups Welcome
By Arrangement

Contact Details
Phone/Fax: 07 884 4427
e-mail: [email protected]
Website: tearoha-museum.com

Our AGM is on tomorrow at 10am. All welcome but you must be a member to vote. Hopefully the fog will be gone by then!
28/05/2026

Our AGM is on tomorrow at 10am. All welcome but you must be a member to vote. Hopefully the fog will be gone by then!

27/05/2026

Thank you to everyone for their views and interactions on our post last week of the ponds/lakelets in the domain. To date, we’ve had 36,157 views. Although high, it doesn’t compare to our top performing post from October last year which has had 283,000 views. For the record, Cailin was fully aware of how the phone operated and the video was taken in jest. She was a great sport at doing it at such short notice so PLEASE keep the comments classy.

The ponds/lakelets in the domain are now lit up at night. Thanks to the Te Aroha Business Association for initiating thi...
20/05/2026

The ponds/lakelets in the domain are now lit up at night. Thanks to the Te Aroha Business Association for initiating this.Today they were covered in steam as they quite often are at this time of the year. Morning or night, they are quite spectacular. Video from this morning is in the comments.

Aerial shot of the Domain in 1981
12/05/2026

Aerial shot of the Domain in 1981

We had lots of spiderling webs around the museum last week.
07/05/2026

We had lots of spiderling webs around the museum last week.

Sir William Herbert Herries (1859 – 1923)Born in London, William arrived in Auckland in 1881 and after travelling around...
28/04/2026

Sir William Herbert Herries (1859 – 1923)
Born in London, William arrived in Auckland in 1881 and after travelling around New Zealand, he bought 900 acres at Shaftsbury near Te Aroha, with his friend Ernest Meysey-Thompson.
In 1896 he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he sat continuously until his death in 1923. William sold his farm at Shaftesbury in 1902 so he could concentrate on his political career. Sir William became Minister of Railways and Native Affairs.
The Bay of Plenty electorate included Te Aroha at this time, and required a great deal of travel, so Herries rode his horse over Thompson's Track to access both parts of the electorate. To get to Wellington he had to travel by sea from Tauranga.
Sir William died in Wellington in 1923 and he wished for his ashes to be interred at Te Aroha Cemetery; his funeral service at St Mark’s Church was the biggest for many years. Prime Minister, Mr Massey and other political dignitaries travelled with Sir William’s ashes by train from Wellington to Te Aroha for the service.
Sir William Herries is remembered in our town – Herries Park where his statue oversees activities, Herries Street and the Herriesville Suburb.

ANZACS in France during WW1
23/04/2026

ANZACS in France during WW1

1965 aerial shot of the town. Thanks to Denise @ The Nunnery for the photo which is on display there.
14/04/2026

1965 aerial shot of the town. Thanks to Denise @ The Nunnery for the photo which is on display there.

The Museum is closed today.
11/04/2026

The Museum is closed today.

Address

Cadman Bathhouse, The Domain, 102 Whitaker Street
Te Aroha
3320

Telephone

+6478844427

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Te Aroha & District Museum Society Inc. posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category