Museum - History of Museum

Established in 1948 as a Centennial of Otago project, the Lakes District Museum & Gallery is appropriately located in the historic gold mining town of Arrowtown. The museum began in the former billiard rooms of the Ballarat Hotel, moving in 1955 to its current home—the heritage-listed former Bank of New Zealand building. Over the past 75 years, through visionary leadership and community support, the museum has grown into one of New Zealand’s leading small museums.

The collection comprises more than 30,000 objects, spanning the social history of the Queenstown Lakes District. These include artefacts from the region’s pioneering days, with a particular focus on the experiences of European settlers and Chinese gold miners. The museum also holds a significant documentary heritage collection, including original letters and diaries, artworks, maps, ephemera, and early regional newspapers—each illuminating the district’s cultural, artistic, and commercial development.

A substantial photography collection captures the evolving landscape of the region, documenting the rise of tourism, changing townscapes, rural life, and the transformation of Queenstown into a global destination. From early farming communities to the complexities of modern development, the museum’s holdings chart the story of a region shaped by resilience, innovation, and growth.

The museum also houses an art gallery, bookshop, and a busy education programme. We also own and operate Arrowtown's historic Post Office.

The museum's principle objective is to promote and maintain a museum for the benefit of the population of the Lakes District, tourists and visitors to the district. Our objective is to foster interest in the history, stories and taonga of the district.