Ōtaki Museum

The building housing the Ōtaki Museum was built as the Ōtaki Bank of New Zealand in 1918. The bank facilities were located in the front half of the ground floor – the rest of the building being accommodation for the manager and his family. It ceased operating as a bank in the 1960s, when it became the Ōtaki Borough Council building – and the front was altered. It remains a handsome building with interior features including polished woodwork, a handsome staircase, pressed steel ceilings and decorative windows.

Enter the building and see the exhibition, ‘Te Whakaaturanga o Te Tahamoana o Ōtaki | Ōtaki Beach‘, telling stories about Ōtaki's beachside village and how it has changed over the years. Make use of the Public Reading Room if you would like to carry out research into local topics – and play the pianola in the main exhibition space, because it seems most visitors to the museum want to.