Get lost in a kauri-lined labyrinth that once housed the entirety of the Wellington-based civil service and New Zealand Cabinet.
Visitor Information
Old Government Buildings is now open for the summer season seven days a week until the end of March. Please check opening hours and tour information below.
We look forward to welcoming you in over the summer of 2025.
Tours
- Old Government Buildings can be experienced as a guided or self-guided tour.
Old Government Buildings
- Tread the corridors of colonial power in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- View ground floor displays and the historic Cabinet Room.
- Learn about the construction and conservation of what was once the second largest wooden building in the world.
Grounds
- Encounter rare native flora and two sizeable kauri trees.
Tours
- Old Government Buildings can be experienced as a guided or self-guided tour.
Old Government Buildings
- Tread the corridors of colonial power in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- View ground floor displays and the historic Cabinet Room.
- Learn about the construction and conservation of what was once the second largest wooden building in the world.
Grounds
- Encounter rare native flora and two sizeable kauri trees.
55 Lambton Quay
Wellington 6011
55 Lambton Quay
Wellington 6011
DECEMBER - MARCH
- Open Monday to Friday 9.00am - 4.30pm
- Advertised Saturdays and Sundays 10.00am to 4.00pm
Guided Tours
- Advertised Saturdays and Sundays 11:00am and 2:00pm
Self-Guided Tours
- Monday - Friday 9.00am - 4.30pm
Public Holidays
- Open Wellington Anniversary Day and Waitangi Day
- 10.00am - 4.00pm
APRIL - NOVEMBER
- Open Monday to Friday 9.00am - 4.30pm
- Closed Weekends
Self-Guided Tours
- Monday - Friday 9.00am - 4.30pm
Public Holidays
- Closed except Labour Day 10.00am - 4.00pm
DECEMBER - MARCH
- Open Monday to Friday 9.00am - 4.30pm
- Advertised Saturdays and Sundays 10.00am to 4.00pm
Guided Tours
- Advertised Saturdays and Sundays 11:00am and 2:00pm
Self-Guided Tours
- Monday - Friday 9.00am - 4.30pm
Public Holidays
- Open Wellington Anniversary Day and Waitangi Day
- 10.00am - 4.00pm
APRIL - NOVEMBER
- Open Monday to Friday 9.00am - 4.30pm
- Closed Weekends
Self-Guided Tours
- Monday - Friday 9.00am - 4.30pm
Public Holidays
- Closed except Labour Day 10.00am - 4.00pm
Adult Self-Guided Tour Free
Adult Guided Tour $20.00
Gold Card $12.00
Member Free
Under 18 years Free
Adult Self-Guided Tour Free
Adult Guided Tour $20.00
Gold Card $12.00
Member Free
Under 18 years Free
University Campus
Old Government Buildings is a working campus for Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Bathrooms
There are bathrooms on-site.
Food and Drink
Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic with them to enjoy in our grounds. Please take all food and rubbish with you. There is also a great selection of local cafes and eateries located within walking distance of Old Government Buildings.
Smoking and Vaping
All our properties are smoke and vape-free sites.
University Campus
Old Government Buildings is a working campus for Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Bathrooms
There are bathrooms on-site.
Food and Drink
Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic with them to enjoy in our grounds. Please take all food and rubbish with you. There is also a great selection of local cafes and eateries located within walking distance of Old Government Buildings.
Smoking and Vaping
All our properties are smoke and vape-free sites.
Old Government Buildings is a three-storey building, with some steps and uneven surfaces. There is access for people with wheelchairs to all areas of the building via a ramp at the rear of the building at the northern end, closest to Stout Street.
There is a drop-off point for visitors with limited mobility at the Whitmore Street entry.
Old Government Buildings is a three-storey building, with some steps and uneven surfaces. There is access for people with wheelchairs to all areas of the building via a ramp at the rear of the building at the northern end, closest to Stout Street.
There is a drop-off point for visitors with limited mobility at the Whitmore Street entry.
Phone +64 4 4948320
Email infocentral@heritage.org.nz
Phone +64 4 4948320
Email infocentral@heritage.org.nz
Highlights
It’s one of the world’s greatest wooden buildings, has an address on busy Lambton Quay in Wellington and for years was the engine room of our government, yet for whatever reason the Old Government Buildings often fly under the radar.
Aotearoa New Zealand’s first and only Colonial Architect William Clayton designed the building in the style of a stone palace to convey qualities of strength and stability, but the government of the day opted for timber to save money.
When it was completed in 1876 it was the world’s second largest timber building after the Tōdai-ji Buddhist temple complex in Nara, Japan.
Keep Exploring
Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
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