The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora building in Christchurch, New Zealand.

© jon chica parada/Getty Images/iStock


Dating from 1877, this enclave of Gothic Revival buildings was originally Canterbury College, the forerunner of Canterbury University. The buildings are now reopening to the public after extensive restoration work due to quake damage. Inside you'll find the visitor information centre i-SITE, and shops, cafes, museums and galleries. Exhibition spaces play host to regular concerts, rehearsals, markets and events. Of the centre's 23 buildings, 21 are listed by Heritage New Zealand as category 1 Historic Place structures.

If there's nothing on during your visit, you can still wander in and check out the North Quad and Great Hall in all their restored heritage splendour.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Christchurch attractions

1. Central Art Gallery

0.01 MILES

Housed in the Arts Centre's beautifully restored 1916 Library building, the Central Art Gallery exhibits contemporary works by established and emerging NZ…

3. Rutherford's Den

0.02 MILES

Canterbury College's most famous alumnus was the father of nuclear physics, Lord Ernest Rutherford, the NZ physicist who first split the atom in 1917 …

4. Canterbury Museum

0.07 MILES

Yes, there's a mummy and dinosaur bones, but the highlights of this museum are more local and more recent. The Māori galleries contain some beautiful…

5. Christchurch Art Gallery

0.16 MILES

Damaged in the earthquakes, Christchurch's fantastic art gallery has reopened brighter and bolder, presenting a stimulating mix of local and international…

6. Botanic Gardens

0.16 MILES

Strolling through these 30 blissful riverside hectares of arboreal and floral splendour is a consummate Christchurch experience. Gorgeous at any time of…

7. Te Papa Ōtākaro/Avon River Precinct

0.27 MILES

One of the city's key post-earthquake redevelopment projects is reinvigorating the area around the Avon (Ōtākaro) River. Running along the river as a self…

8. Bridge of Remembrance

0.27 MILES

This majestic bridge and archway spanning the Avon River is a memorial to those who lost their lives in two world wars and conflicts in Vietnam, Borneo,…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "new-zealand/christchurch-and-canterbury/christchurch/attractions/arts-centre/a/poi-sig/426714/362659",
      "destination": "Christchurch",
      "continent": "Australia-&-Pacific",
      "country": "New-Zealand",
      "city": "Christchurch",
      "position": "superzone"
    }