Updated for September 2026
The Best Aquariums in New Zealand
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every aquarium in New Zealand that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Touch pool
Island Bay Marine Education Centre
Aquarium in Wellington
Island Bay Marine Education Centre is an aquarium in Wellington, New Zealand. Animals on show include Octopuses, Seahorses, Blue Cod, starfish and sea cucumbers.
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Animal encounterGuided tourOn-site dining
National Aquarium of New Zealand
Aquarium in Napier
Alongside its fish, the collection includes kiwi, tuatara, turtles, little penguins and lizards. Two halls hold changing displays, one upstairs and the other beside the oceanarium, and there is also a gift shop and a cafe.
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Keeper talk or show
National Kiwi Centre
Zoo & Aquarium in Hokitika
National Kiwi Centre is a mixed in Hokitika, New Zealand. Animals on show include New Zealand Kiwi Bird, Tuatara, Freshwater Eels, Koura / Freshwater Crayfish and Whitebait.
Aquariums nearby
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 3 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.