Christchurch Arts Centre

The Arts Centre is a campus of striking Gothic Revival heritage buildings that were once home to the University of Canterbury. The center was established in the 1950s, and the original buildings were significantly damaged by the 2011 earthquake; many of the buildings are still closed for strengthening and redevelopment. Nevertheless, the Arts Centre is still a nerve center of Christchurch’s creative community.

Visit studios and stores where potters, jewelers, crafters, and confectioners sell their wares. Explore galleries that host exhibitions year-round, and discover groundbreaking theater at the center’s performance spaces. The kids love Rutherford’s Den, an interactive science museum housed in the rooms where famous scientist Lord Ernest Rutherford studied while at the university. Dive deeper into the center’s rich history with a guided heritage tour, held on Sundays at 1:30pm.