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
RUNWAY RUMBLE! The Supercars team rumbled into the historic home of New Zealand motorsport yesterday and boy did we have some fun!
Our airfield runways have more racing history than you can shake a stick at, and we were delighted when Supercars asked to come and see where serious motorsport began in this part of the world.
Supercars brought Kiwi driver Andre Heimgartner and broadcaster Richard Craill for a media day and filming ahead of this weekend’s Supercars event at Ruapuna, where Andre will be competing in a Toyota GR Supra for Brad Jones Racing.
Andre took the chance for a little bit of practice in a spare Supra against a Wigram V8 thoroughbred – a 1974 Lola T332 driven by Anna Collins. She's the current Tasman Cup Revival Series Formula 5000 champion - go Anna!
The aim was to get footage from Wigram as background for this weekend’s broadcast.
Wigram Airfield – home of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand – has a long and colourful history as a motor circuit which started back in 1949 when an estimated 30,000 spectators crowded in to watch the first race.
The Wigram event soon evolved into a huge event on the motorsport calendar. In 1951 the Lady Wigram Trophy was presented to the winner of the premier event and it became one of the most sought after trophies in motorsport.
The trophy was presented by Agnes, wife of Sir Henry Wigram, who was happy to lend her name to the silverware.
Jackie Stewart, Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren all raced at Wigram over the years.
And yesterday we added Andre and Anna to the roster.
The Lola T332 raced here in the 1970s, and the 600 horsepower Chev V8 was singing a happy tune again yesterday.
Christchurch is a second home for Andre. He has completed more than 5000 laps at Ruapuna – but it was his first time at Wigram Airfield.
We’d like to thank Alistair Hey, Mark Collins, and Anna for bringing the Lola back home. And Graeme Trevor and David Abbott for all the assistance.
We’re officially backing Andre to win at the weekend!
Thanks #v8supercars #bradjonesracing #andreheimgartner #richardcraill
#repcosupercars #v8supercars #supercars ... See MoreSee Less
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Good times.
DISCO FEVER: We've been inundated with requests (x2) to repost our potential Christmas #1 hit - Disco Charlie - so here it is.
This song was gifted to us by Hercules superfan Aaron, and has made the playlist on The Breeze. Thanks @thebreezecanter104.3 - The Breezereeze
You can support the campaign to build our Hercules and Orion a new exhibition space here: airforcemuseum.co.nz/donate/
Aaron has promised that, if we don't see those donations rolling in, he will make a Heavy Metal 🎸version.
So please give generously for all our#disco!#lockheed #c130hercules30hercules ... See MoreSee Less
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40 Get's Up 5
Very well done.
WINNER CHICKEN DINNER: Here's lucky Ross McNaughton - winner of an exclusive tour of our Hercules and Orion aircraft.
Ross is one of the kind donors to our Home for Heroes campaign - and owner of one of our Herc Yeah hats!
He donated to our campaign to build a new home for our C-130H and P-3K2 Orion while visiting our stand at Warbirds over Wānaka at Easter - and his name went in the draw.
When he won the tour he and wife Dianne diverted on their way home to Auckland to visit.
Ross has a strong RNZAF connection - his dad served in the air force in the Pacific during World War Two.
Ross and Dianne live at Murrays Bay in Auckland, not far down the road from RNZAF Base Auckland at Whenuapai.
"I love anything to do with aviation. I'm quite often attached to the fence at Whenuapai when there's something landing,'' he says.
They had a wonderful time - and so did we - and we hope to see them again soon.
You can support our Home for Heroes campaign here: airforcemuseum.co.nz/donate/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Congratulations