Whitestone City

Dunedin & Otago


Ōamaru's heyday is brought to life by costumed guides inside this 1882 grain store – and you too can don vintage costumes (adult/child $20/10) and get some shots of yourself dining at a Victorian table. Stroll through the replica Victorian streetscape, visit the schoolroom complete with slates, play old-fashioned games in the dimly lit saloon, and take a ride on the pièce de résistance – a penny-farthing carousel. Art-house movies are shown in the theatre – check the website for details.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Dunedin & Otago attractions

1. Victorian Precinct

0.04 MILES

Consisting of only a couple of blocks centred on Harbour and Tyne Sts, this atmospheric enclave has some of NZ’s best-preserved Victorian commercial…

2. Grainstore Gallery

0.07 MILES

Crammed with weird theatrical sculpture, papier-mâché masks and vintage curiosities, this former Victorian grain store houses an ever-changing cornucopia…

3. Friendly Bay Playground

0.1 MILES

Steampunk for kiddies: this unusual playground includes swings suspended from a giant penny farthing, a slippery pole accessed from an armoured elephant,…

4. Steampunk HQ

0.12 MILES

Discover an alternative past – or maybe a quirky version of the future – at this fascinating art project celebrating steampunk culture. Ancient machines…

5. Forrester Gallery

0.21 MILES

Housed in an elegant, temple-like former bank building, the Forrester Gallery was closed for renovations at the time of research, but should be open in…

6. North Otago Museum

0.3 MILES

This weighty museum plans to reopen after renovation in March 2020. The new space will house Waitaki Taonga (the Willetts Collection), one of the most…

7. Thames Street

0.32 MILES

Oamaru’s main drag owes its expansive girth to the need to accommodate the minimum turning circle of a bullock cart. The town's grand pretensions reached…

8. Oamaru Public Gardens

0.42 MILES

Opened in 1876, these beautiful gardens are among the oldest in New Zealand, and are a lovely place to stroll and relax, with expansive lawns, waterways,…