National Transport & Toy Museum

National Transport & Toy Museum The Museum is home to one of the worlds most unusual collections of aircraft, vehicles & toys.

🚜 NEW ARRIVAL: A Piece of Southland History Comes to Wānaka! 🚜We are absolutely thrilled to announce a fantastic new add...
06/06/2026

🚜 NEW ARRIVAL: A Piece of Southland History Comes to Wānaka! 🚜
We are absolutely thrilled to announce a fantastic new addition to our collection, kindly donated to the National Transport and Toy Museum!
Say hello to this incredible mid-century duo: a 1949 John Deere MC Crawler Tractor paired with an Allen Tractor Operated Shovel (ATOS).
These machines were a familiar sight around Southland from the late 1950s until the mid-1970s. The nimble John Deere MC crawler was the ultimate workhorse to tow and operate the ATOS, transforming standard tractor power into a highly efficient mobile shovel for local trenching and earthmoving jobs.
We want to extend a massive thank you to our generous donors for preserving this remarkable piece of southern mechanical heritage. It’s an honour to give it a home where generations to come can appreciate it.
Bring the family down this week to see our new arrival up close, along with our massive collection of toys, cars, aircraft, and vintage machinery!
📍 Find us: 891 Wānaka-Luggate Highway, Wānaka
⏰ Open daily: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

🚂🧱 Behind the scenes at the Train Show…Tracks being laid.Trains being placed.There’s something special about watching it...
20/03/2026

🚂🧱 Behind the scenes at the Train Show…
Tracks being laid.
Trains being placed.

There’s something special about watching it all come to life before the doors open.
👉 Train enthusiasts – don’t miss it this weekend!
📅 21–22 March
🕘 9am – 4pm
📍 Next to Wanaka Airport
🎟 Special event pricing this weekend only
🚗 Free car parking

01/01/2026

🚗✨ New Donation Now on Display ✨🚗
We’re proud to welcome a distinguished new arrival to the National Transport & Toy Museum: a 1994 Bentley Turbo R automatic saloon.
Built in an era when luxury was hand-crafted and presence mattered, the Turbo R combined Bentley refinement with turbocharged muscle. From its commanding stance to its beautifully finished interior, this car is pure 1990s prestige.
Now on display at the Museum, this Bentley adds another layer of elegance to our ever-growing transport story. Come and see it up close on your next visit.
📍 National Transport & Toy Museum, Wanaka

14/10/2025

🚧 BIG, LOUD, AND LEGENDARY! 🚧
Paul Clarke’s Caterpillar 660B Pay Scraper thundered down the driveway at the National Transport & Toy Museum — and what a sight it was! 💥
Standing around 3.6 metres tall and stretching over 15 metres long, this twin-powered earthmover was built to move serious dirt. Equipped with a 637 hp (combined) twin-engine setup, the 660B could haul up to 54 cubic yards of material in one load — a true monster of its time!
💡 Fun fact: That’s taller than a two-storey house and longer than a city bus! 🏠🚌
Part of the Paul Clarke Collection, this beast represents the heavy machinery that helped shape New Zealand’s roads, hydro projects, and construction legacy.
📍 Come see it in person — where the machines of the past still rumble to life!

🚧 Things are getting wild at the museum today! Our concrete mixer kiddie ride’s got a new operator — a very serious pand...
09/10/2025

🚧 Things are getting wild at the museum today! Our concrete mixer kiddie ride’s got a new operator — a very serious panda on the job! 🐼👷‍♂️
Meanwhile, Luigi’s rolled up in his red hot-rod T-Bucket, probably trying to show off his “plumbing horsepower.” 💚🚗💨
Who needs Mario Kart when you’ve got Panda-Mix and Luigi’s Hot Rod Repairs right here at the National Transport & Toy Museum! 😄

Today marks 10 years since the passing of our founder, Gerald Rhodes (13 August 2015).Gerald’s passion, vision, and dete...
12/08/2025

Today marks 10 years since the passing of our founder, Gerald Rhodes (13 August 2015).
Gerald’s passion, vision, and determination built the National Transport & Toy Museum into the unique and world-class collection it is today. His lifelong dedication to preserving transport history and toys from around the globe has created a legacy enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year.

We honour and remember Gerald today, grateful for the remarkable museum he created and the inspiration he continues to give us. His dream lives on in every exhibit, every story shared, and every smile from visitors young and old.

Thank you, Gerald — your vision still drives us forward.

24/07/2025

🚗💨 New Arrival! Our Smallest Car Yet!
We’ve just been donated a Smart Car Fortwo to the collection – and it’s so small, we’re pretty sure it could fit on your dining room table (don’t try this at home!). 😄
Perfectly pint-sized and packed with personality, this clever little city car proves that great things really do come in tiny packages.

Come see it for yourself – it's easy to miss, but hard to forget!
📍National Transport & Toy Museum – where even the tiniest vehicles make a big impact.

19/07/2025

🚒 1923 Renault Fire Engine Roars Back to Life! 🔧✨
Our 1923 Renault LO fire engine is back in action! After some careful engine work, this historic vehicle took a quick spin around the museum grounds.

It was Queenstown’s first motorised fire engine and even appeared at the 1925–26 South Seas Exhibition in Dunedin. A real piece of Kiwi firefighting history! 🔥🇳🇿

Come see it up close at the National Transport & Toy Museum — it's one of many treasures waiting here for you.

🎥 Watch the video and hear that vintage engine purr!

🚗 Look what’s just rolled into the museum!This Donated Morris Minor 1000 may no longer be registered or warranted, but i...
28/06/2025

🚗 Look what’s just rolled into the museum!
This Donated Morris Minor 1000 may no longer be registered or warranted, but it’s full of nostalgic charm — and a bit of Kiwi competition history too! 🇳🇿✨

In 2013, it featured in "The Great Kiwi Road Trip" promotion, where players collected daily keywords from newspapers like The Marlborough Express and Sunday Star-Times. Match four in a row on your gameboard, and you could enter to win a dream Kiwi road trip! 🚙🗺️

Now retired from its promo days, this little Morris has found a permanent home at the National Transport & Toy Museum. Come check it out and relive a fun piece of modern Kiwiana!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas. The hardworking elves at the Museum are taking a well earned day off today, and...
24/12/2024

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas. The hardworking elves at the Museum are taking a well earned day off today, and the Museum will reopen tomorrow 8.30am

Address

891 Wanaka-Luggate Highway
Wanaka
9382

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm
Saturday 8:30am - 5pm
Sunday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+6434438765

Website

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