Central Stories Museum & Art Gallery is home to the stories that make up Central Otago.
Our museum is free to enter and displays include; 'Central Rocks' showing the unique geology of our area; 'Treasure', our very own Otago skink;
A history of dredging and gold in the area; detailed interpretations of the impacts of mining, merino and wine on our landscape; early explorers and subsequent social history; and the immigration and lives of the Chinese, specific to Central Otago.
The Russell Henderson Gallery is Central Otago's only public art gallery and house both local and national artists, as well as special exhibitions. The schedule is varied and constantly changing, there are usually associated lectures, activities or workshops too. Check out our website for further details.
The John McCraw research room is perfect for all your historic enquires and local research and our SBS Room is available to hire for conferences, meetings and general get-togethers.
We also house a theatre and gift shop.
Come in and see us at Pioneer Park on Centennial Avenue. Open daily from 10am to 4pm, except Christmas Day.
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Central Stories Museum & Art Gallery is located in Alexandra, Central Otago. We are based in an impressive building with schist stone features. In the front of the building is a resurrected waterwheel which drove a gold mining stamper battery in the Fraser Basin, Old Man Range. The museum tells the stories of the history and natural history of the area. There are three rare Otago Skinks that reside in captivity in the Museum and can been seen basking in the heat on top of a rock in their enclosure. The permanent galleries depict geology, high country farming, recreation, Alexandra Blossom Festival, extinct fauna, gold mining and dredging, farming, orcharding, rabbits and social history of Central Otago.
There is a Research Room that has an archive of thousands of photographs, family histories and local events which is available for public use.
The Art Gallery celebrates local artists, with the occasional regional artist, in a regularly changing programme.
We have used the World of Difference brand on both of our brochures and we are continually striving to express the World of Difference in our exhibitions and programmes.
The museum has a retail area that includes gifts, fossils, jewellery, children’s area, books and branded tee-shirts.
Opening hours: 9am – 5pm everyday except Christmas Day
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