Wrapped around the Botanic Gardens, Hagley Park is Christchurch's biggest green space, stretching for 165 hectares. Riccarton Ave splits it in two, while the Avon River snakes through the northern half. It's a great place to stroll, whether on a foggy autumn morning, or a warm spring day when the cherry trees lining Harper Ave are in flower. Joggers make the most of the tree-lined avenues year-round.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Botanic Gardens
0.42 MILES
Strolling through these 30 blissful riverside hectares of arboreal and floral splendour is a consummate Christchurch experience. Gorgeous at any time of…
Christchurch Art Gallery
0.48 MILES
Damaged in the earthquakes, Christchurch's fantastic art gallery has reopened brighter and bolder, presenting a stimulating mix of local and international…
Quake City
0.46 MILES
A must-visit for anyone interested in understanding the impact of the Canterbury earthquakes, this compact museum tells stories through photography, video…
Giant’s House
26.16 MILES
An ongoing labour of love by local artist Josie Martin, this whimsical garden is really one giant artwork, a combination of sculpture and mosaics that…
Akaroa Museum
25.82 MILES
An arduous post-quake revamp has rewarded Akaroa with a smart, contemporary regional museum. Learn about the various phases of the peninsula's settlement,…
Arts Centre
0.46 MILES
Dating from 1877, this enclave of Gothic Revival buildings was originally Canterbury College, the forerunner of Canterbury University. The buildings are…
Canterbury Museum
0.41 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…
Okains Bay Māori & Colonial Museum
24.55 MILES
Northeast of Akaroa, this museum has a respectable array of European pioneer artefacts, but it is the nationally significant Māori collection, featuring a…
Nearby Christchurch attractions
1. Canterbury Museum
0.41 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…
2. Botanic Gardens
0.42 MILES
Strolling through these 30 blissful riverside hectares of arboreal and floral splendour is a consummate Christchurch experience. Gorgeous at any time of…
3. Rutherford's Den
0.44 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. Central Art Gallery
0.46 MILES
Housed in the Arts Centre's beautifully restored 1916 Library building, the Central Art Gallery exhibits contemporary works by established and emerging NZ…
5. Arts Centre
0.46 MILES
Dating from 1877, this enclave of Gothic Revival buildings was originally Canterbury College, the forerunner of Canterbury University. The buildings are…
6. Quake City
0.46 MILES
A must-visit for anyone interested in understanding the impact of the Canterbury earthquakes, this compact museum tells stories through photography, video…
7. Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities
0.48 MILES
Part of the University of Canterbury, this petite, well-designed museum has an interesting collection of Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities.
8. Christchurch Art Gallery
0.48 MILES
Damaged in the earthquakes, Christchurch's fantastic art gallery has reopened brighter and bolder, presenting a stimulating mix of local and international…