Located inside the Carter Observatory and on top of the Wellington Botanic Gardens lies the Space Place, a science museum that brings visitors on a space journey. Learn about the universe and the Big Bang origins, and keep a lookout for life outside of Earth. Touch a space rock, travel through Space Place’s very own black hole, and even launch a rocket – all these and more can be done here! The observatory also incorporates Maori culture into its exhibits, teaching visitors the importance of stars in Polynesian navigation.

One of the more popular activities to do here is the telescope viewing, where visitors can take a look at the southern skies using the historic Thomas Cooke telescope. Be amazed at the full dome planetarium, where you can see the secrets of the cosmos right in New Zealand. There is even a live presentation looking at the night sky with Space Place’s astronomers at the Planetarium show!