The Museum of Wellington City & Sea has been named one of the world’s top 50 museums.

In a list compiled by The Times, the Museum is one of only two museums in Australasia and the only New Zealand museum to make the list.

Museum Director Brett Mason said ‘It was an honour to be named as one of the world’s top museums. Being named alongside museum heavyweights like the Smithsonian Institution, British Museum and Acropolis Museum reaffirms the work we are doing as Wellington’s Museum.  However, the Museum does not intend to rest on its laurels. ‘We have ambitious plans to develop the Museum to emphasis its commitment to being the home of Wellington stories.’

The article goes on to mention museum highlights including its memorial to the Wahine ferry disaster and Maori legends exhibition A Millennium Ago. It also states that despite the capital city’s relatively small population, Wellington ‘has a great heritage, as this museum proves’.

Wellington Museums Trust Board Chair Quentin Hay also expressed his delight at the accolade. ‘This is a great achievement and is a credit to all staff involved. It highlights the importance of regional museums in preserving the heritage of Wellington and helping to showcase the city’s unique identity in new ways.’

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown is ‘thrilled that our charming Museum of Wellington City & Sea is regarded so highly. I'm proud that ratepayer investment in culture results in such global recognition. The museum tells fascinating stories of Maori, European and global settlement in our capital and its maritime content is outstanding.’

The announcement is well timed to coincide with International Museums Day this Saturday. To celebrate, the Museum is organising a behind the scenes tour of its offsite Collections Store on Friday 17 May to allow visitors to get behind the scenes and see how precious objects are stored and cared for. Curators and designers will also discuss the current exploratory work to display these objects and tell their stories.

Media Release: Museums Wellington