Nairn Street Cottage

Nairn Street Cottage Wellington's oldest original cottage is home to the story of the Wallis family who lived there for three generations. Off-topic posts may be removed.

Take a tour to hear about these early European settlers and their descendants, or stroll around the heritage garden at any time. House Rules for Nairn Street Cottage's page

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Cutest new postcards of Nairn Street Cottage by local artist, Hannah Webster Forest Drawn 🏡Created from sketches and stu...
08/06/2026

Cutest new postcards of Nairn Street Cottage by local artist, Hannah Webster Forest Drawn 🏡

Created from sketches and studies of the cottage and its gardens, Hannah has worked her creative magic, beautifully colour-matching tones of local flora and fauna in each piece.

Pick one up on your next visit to Nairn Street Cottage, or shop online now and get 15% off with Shop Wellington’s mid-year sale 🎉

https://shopwellington.nz/collections/nairn-street-cottage

Shop Wellington is turning one, and you’re invited to celebrate 'cottage-core' style 🫵🏡 We’re giving you 15% off full-pr...
29/05/2026

Shop Wellington is turning one, and you’re invited to celebrate 'cottage-core' style 🫵🏡

We’re giving you 15% off full-priced items online at: www.shopwellington.nz

🎂 Use code BDAY15
🎂 29 May–2 June

T&Cs apply: excludes sale items, memberships, donations, gift vouchers, and Cornelia Parker limited edition prints.

Aro Valley is one of the city’s oldest suburbs, established soon after European settlement began. While our city has und...
26/05/2026

Aro Valley is one of the city’s oldest suburbs, established soon after European settlement began.

While our city has undergone so much change, many parts of Aro Street have remained the same from a 1976 photograph to a 2022 Google Maps image.

The Aro Valley Cottages Heritage Area incorporates 12 single and two-storey houses built between 1879 and 1903 and situated in lower Aro Street. The houses, which are near the city end of Aro Street, are grouped in near-identical pairs or fours on opposite sides of the street.

Book a tour of Nairn Street Cottage and learn more about your own backyard in days gone by: https://www.museumswellington.org.nz/nairn-street-cottage-tours/

Aro St, Wellington 1976, Charles J Fearnley
Wellington City Libraries

Artist Feature🌳✏️Forest Drawn is an ongoing illustration project by Hannah Webster, centred on the natural world and the...
21/05/2026

Artist Feature🌳✏️

Forest Drawn is an ongoing illustration project by Hannah Webster, centred on the natural world and the outdoor spaces of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

She creates alongside her full-time role in product development and design in the wool industry.

Her artwork celebrates flora and fauna, with references to species found in the Nairn Street Cottage garden 🌹

Pick one up from our Nairn Street Cottage visitor centre on your next visit.

Shop online: www.shopwellington.nz/collections/hannah-webster

Inside Nairn Street Cottage, pieces of original wallpaper continue to line the walls of the nursery. With the rapid arri...
18/05/2026

Inside Nairn Street Cottage, pieces of original wallpaper continue to line the walls of the nursery.

With the rapid arrival of settlers in Aotearoa New Zealand from the early 1840s came an increasing demand for wallpaper for homes built across the country. These were imported papers, predominantly from England, during the 19th century.

This beautiful floral pattern was recreated by our designers to show its original state.

Explore the cottage and learn more about the history of the interiors with a tour.

Book now: https://www.museumswellington.org.nz/nairn-street-cottage-tours/

Flashback to Nairn Street Cottage in 1978, formerly known as Turner Cottage, after the last owner of the Cottage, Clara ...
15/05/2026

Flashback to Nairn Street Cottage in 1978, formerly known as Turner Cottage, after the last owner of the Cottage, Clara Turner. She lived in the cottage until her death in 1953, and after which the house passed to her daughter, Winifred Turner.

This beautiful sketch was part of the District Plan when Nairn Street Cottage was registered as a Place of Historic Interest and Architectural Merit.

In 1980, the cottage was opened to the public as Wellington’s first ‘house museum’.

Today, we continue to share the cottage and explore what life was like for Wellington’s early settlers.

Book your tour today: https://www.museumswellington.org.nz/nairn-street-cottage-tours/

Wellington City Council Archives, 00079-DSC 143

Check out this view of Te Aro from Nairn Street circa 1930 🌳✨From this elevated vantage point, you can trace some of the...
12/05/2026

Check out this view of Te Aro from Nairn Street circa 1930 🌳✨

From this elevated vantage point, you can trace some of the layers of Wellington’s history. The view offers a fascinating perspective of how the city has evolved over the years.

You can admire the view when you next visit the cottage!

Book your tour now: https://www.museumswellington.org.nz/nairn-street-cottage-tours/

📷 Wellington City Council Archives, 00138-8686

Sorted your Mother’s Day plans?If you have a history loving Mum in your life, how about a delicious brunch out then a pe...
08/05/2026

Sorted your Mother’s Day plans?

If you have a history loving Mum in your life, how about a delicious brunch out then a peaceful afternoon tour of Nairn Street Cottage and gardens.

Weekend tours run at 12pm, 2pm and 3pm.

Book in your whānau now: https://www.museumswellington.org.nz/nairn-street-cottage-tours/

Slow down this weekend with a visit to Nairn Street Cottage 🏡You’ll discover the societal and technological changes the ...
07/05/2026

Slow down this weekend with a visit to Nairn Street Cottage 🏡

You’ll discover the societal and technological changes the Wallis Family experienced as you move from room to room, starting from 1857 through to the late 1970s.

Stories, history, and a cosy dose of nostalgia, right in the heart of the city.

Book your weekend tour now: https://www.museumswellington.org.nz/nairn-street-cottage-tours/

Coming soon, over at Wellington Museum👀🍽️
03/05/2026

Coming soon, over at Wellington Museum👀🍽️

Something delicious is coming soon… 🍽️

Capital of Kai: How Wellington became a Culinary Paradise opens at Te Waka Huia Wellington Museum on Saturday 30 May.

Spanning 100 years of Wellington tastemakers, this new exhibition celebrates the hard mahi of chefs, café owners and hospo heroes who shaped the city’s diverse palate, with stories from The Green Parrot to Rice Bowl Burger Bar.

A true smorgasbord of culinary history, featuring treasures such as Il Casino’s couch, Shanghai’s 1980s menu, The Matterhorn Café’s cowbell and more.

Find out more: https://www.museumswellington.org.nz/capital-of-kai/

Arohanui to Blue Carrot Catering and Parrotdog for supporting this exhibition 💙

Address

68 Nairn Street, Mount Cook
Wellington
6011

Opening Hours

Thursday 12pm - 1pm
2pm - 4pm
Friday 12pm - 1pm
2pm - 4pm
Saturday 12pm - 1pm
2pm - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 1pm
2pm - 4pm

Telephone

04 384 9122

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