MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology)

MOTAT, the Museum of Transport and Technology, was founded by a community group in 1960 and opened in 1964 at Western Springs. It is spread across two sites: the main museum at 805 Great North Road and the Aviation Hall at 98 Motions Road. The land was known to Māori as Te Wai Ōrea and later held Low and Motion's flour mill in the mid-nineteenth century. A free heritage tram links the two sites along the Western Springs Tramway, and the ride itself is one of the highlights of a visit.

The Western Springs Railway has run live steam locomotives since 1982. The Great North Road site holds trams, trains, buses, trucks and fire engines, as well as a pioneer village and the original Western Springs Pumping Station. Te Puawānanga, the science and technology centre that opened in 2024, is aimed at curious children and teenagers, and was named International Exhibition of the Year in 2025. The collection also includes a Ferguson tractor used by Sir Edmund Hillary.

The Aviation Hall, first opened in 1977 and extended in 2011, is the place for aircraft enthusiasts. It holds a Short Solent flying boat from TEAL, New Zealand's first international airline, and a restored Avro Lancaster bomber. It also displays the surviving remains of aircraft built by the aviation pioneer Richard Pearse, including the fuselage of his second machine, along with an interpretive replica of his 1903 aircraft.

MOTAT opens daily from 10am to 4pm. Some areas close from time to time for maintenance or exhibition changes, and planned closures are listed on the website. Tickets can be bought online or at either entrance, and family passes and annual memberships are available. Allow at least half a day to see both sites, including the tram ride between them.

The museum is about 10 minutes' drive from the city centre via the North Western Motorway, leaving at the St Lukes Road exit. It suits families with children of all ages, rail and aviation enthusiasts and anyone who enjoys hands-on science. Because Auckland Zoo is directly next door and the tramline passes it, the two are often combined into a full day at Western Springs.