Kapiti Coast Museum

Kāpiti Coast Museum

The Kāpiti Coast Museum is housed in the former Waikanae Post Office, a Category 2 historic building that opened in 1908.

Located at 9 Elizabeth Street in Waikanae, it sits in a historic part of town just a short walk from the railway station and near St Luke’s Church (built 1877).

The museum began in 1983 as the Waikanae District Museum, founded by local enthusiasts interested in both communications' technology and district history. It was renamed the Kāpiti Coast Museum in 1993. An extension added in 1990 expanded the displays.

The collection focuses on the natural, social and cultural history of the Kāpiti Coast.

Permanent exhibits include a replica early-to-mid-20th-century kitchen, a colonial schoolroom, and items related to early agriculture, forestry and whaling. A particular strength is communications: interactive displays of early telephones, a manual telephone exchange, and military telecommunications equipment. Changing exhibitions often explore local stories and themes.

The museum is run by volunteers and is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm (donations welcome).

It forms part of the wider Discover Kāpiti Heritage network and offers a friendly, hands-on window into the district’s past.