What's on at Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Latest from the museum
Birthday Parties
Mission: Best birthday ever
Zip up a flight suit, grab your dog tags, and dive into a fully hosted birthday “mission”. From air & sea adventures for preschoolers to rescue and cadet challenges for older children. Our Programmes team runs the activities, the children get awesome photo moments (and party bags), and you can add catering through our café.
Book a birthday party
Latest Exhibition
Victory!
It is 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
Our Victory exhibition, upstairs in the atrium, marks this significant milestone in world history, and the story of the RNZAF.
Victory includes images and memories of Victory in Europe (VE) Day and Victory over Japan (VJ) Day which have been sourced from photographs, letters, postcards and personal histories in our collection.
Victory includes insights into how Kiwis celebrated, and how they felt.
Many found it difficult to rejoice after so much loss and suffering.
You’re welcome to come along and learn all about the end of World War Two with us.
Exhibition
The Mighty Hercules
The Mighty Hercules exhibition is on in the Cochrane Gallery upstairs in our atrium. Come and visit and learn all about this extraordinary aircraft.
Learn More
Update
Overseas visitor charge
A $15 entry charge was introduced for all international visitors to the Air Force Museum of New Zealand from 31 March 2025. Tickets available online or from our Welcome Desk on arrival.
The charge is required to cover rising costs and to contribute to our new $20 million extension to house the newest members of our collection – our historic Hercules and Orion aircraft.
Learn More
Our Aircraft
Explore AircraftMore to explore
🚨WINNER CHICKEN DINNER 📢: Come on down Alex Kaandorp - winner of this week's mystery object competition.
Alex managed to correctly identify the mystery object as the air intake off our North American P-51D Mustang.
We love our Mustang - arguably the most successful Allied fighter aircraft of World War Two.*
Towards the end of World War Two the Royal New Zealand Air Force had set its sights on a fleet of 370 Mustangs to replace our Corsairs. However, the war ended before this became a reality and in 1945 30 Mustangs arrived and went directly in to storage.
In 1951 they were put into service for the four squadrons of the Territorial Air Force, but we taken out of service in 1955, with most sold for scrap in 1958.
Our Mustang was acquired in 1985 and is not a genuine RNZAF example. It was built for the United States Army Air Force and served in the Indonesian Air Force.
It is displayed as NZ2410 which served with No. 4 Territorial Air Force Squadron at Taieri.
As well going to the top of the class Alex wins an Air Force Museum of New Zealand roundel coffee mug.
Please email communications@airforcemuseum.co.nz with your postal address Alex and we will fire up the Bristol Freighter and air freight the coffee mug out to you.
It is round with roundels and just the thing for drinking tea, coffee or Milo from.
More difficult competition coming next week. We promise**.
*Because its exceptional long-range performance turned the tide in the daylight bomber offensive. This may be a controversial view however!
**Our promise is not guaranteed in any way#MysteryObjectbj#wedonthaveacluea#impossiblepuzzleuzzle ... See MoreSee Less
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BUS MAN’S HOLIDAY: When Ewan McArthur and his daughter Maddie visited this week they made straight for one of the stars of the show – our Avro Anson.
As well as working as General Manager at the Moorabbin Air Museum in Melbourne, Ewan is an Anson fanatic – and their home includes an Anson cockpit section.
Ansons are rock stars in Australia. The Royal Australian Air Force operated 1028 Ansons as maritime patrol aircraft and trainers, more than any other type.
As well as Ansons, our museums have a lot of other things in common. Namely Freighters, P-40s, Canberras, Vampires and Catalinas.
But what we don’t have – and is the pride of Moorabbin – is a Bristol Beaufighter.
Ewan says the museum concentrates on collecting Australian-built aircraft - and has examples of all but a few significant types.
The Beaufighter (second picture) is one of only two Australian built examples in the world, and the museum’s most ambitious new restoration is an Avro Lincoln (third picture).
Ewan was also excited to see our Airspeed Oxford – the first one he’s ever seen in the wild.
Thanks for your visit – what better to do on your holiday from away an aviation museum than visit a museum?
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Thanks for having us there and taking us on a quick tour. It’s great that we (as museums) are all focused on a common goal, no matter how big or small, and the exchange of information flows freely . We shall return!
OMG. Now I don't know how to tell the Moorabin Museum from the RNZAF Museum. They both have Ansons, P40s, Canberras. Maybe you could give a quick Museum recognition guide?
Visited Moorabin years ago and was allowed into the Beaufighter cockpit. One of the guides said he had never been allowed in it ?
When you say Bristol Beaufighter....
Moorabin Air Museum is well worth a visit.
3 complete Beaufighters in museums and 3 under restoration
what typeis G-29? Lanc,Lincoln, Halibag?
When I say Bristol Beaufighter....
Awesome write up thanks Dave
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Great turnout today for the monthly coffee bar gathering for all veterans and current serving personnel at the museum today.
This takes place on the last Friday of every month - so come along!!
#RSA #VeteransAffairs ... See MoreSee Less
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What time on the Fridays please?
Me and ‘Hek’…we worked at NZ Cadet Forces once upon a time!
Veterans' Hub, Marlborough was there today to catch up and chat.
A reminder that the MT are going to invade very soon.
LST Friday of the month anytime after 0930
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