Attraction
Auckland War Memorial Museum
Neoclassical museum and war memorial on Observatory Hill in the Auckland Domain, home to major Māori and Pacific collections, natural history galleries and the Halls of…
Auckland Domain and Wintergardens
Auckland's oldest park, set in an ancient volcanic crater, with the 1920s Wintergardens glasshouses, a fernery in an old quarry and duck ponds below the museum.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic park and glasshouses
- Area
- Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand
Good to know
- Free entry
- Glasshouses
- Fernery
- Duck ponds
- Sports fields
Why we recommend it
The Auckland Domain is the city's oldest park. Set aside for public recreation in 1840 and designated a park reserve by Governor FitzRoy in 1844, it covers around 75 hectares on the edge of Parnell and Grafton. The park fills the crater of Pukekawa, one of the oldest volcanoes in the Auckland volcanic field, which erupted about 100,000 years ago. Its crater floor, once a lake and then a swamp, was drained and now holds sports fields.
The Wintergardens are the highlight. Two large glasshouses stand on the north side of the small cone of Pukekaroa, designed by the architects Gummer and Ford and paid for largely from the proceeds of the 1913 to 1914 Auckland Exhibition held in the Domain. The temperate house opened in October 1921, the heated tropical house followed later in the decade, and the whole complex was officially opened in May 1928. Between them lies a formal courtyard with neoclassical statues, added in 1945, and a sunken pond installed in 1954.
The tropical house is kept at an average of about 28 degrees and in 2013 it became the first place in New Zealand to bring a giant corpse flower into bloom. The fernery sits in a former scoria quarry on the side of Pukekaroa. The glasshouses were restored between 2021 and 2023 and are a Category I historic place.
Elsewhere in the Domain, the duck ponds in the northern part of the crater are popular with families, and the art deco entrance gates, also by Gummer and Ford, are topped by a bronze athlete. A sacred tōtara on Pukekaroa, planted in 1940, is protected by carved guardians. The 1898 wooden cricket pavilion recalls the years when Auckland's cricket team played its home matches here.
The park and Wintergardens are free to visit, and the Domain is large enough to absorb crowds, even when it hosts major events such as Christmas in the Park and the city's largest Anzac Day service. Allow an hour for the Wintergardens and a gentle walk, or combine them with Auckland War Memorial Museum, which stands on the hill above, for a half-day outing. The Domain borders both Parnell and Grafton, so it is easy to reach on foot from either suburb.
Auckland Domain and Wintergardens FAQs
Is the Auckland Domain free?
Yes. The park and the Wintergardens are free to visit.
How old is the Auckland Domain?
It was set aside for recreation in 1840 and designated a park reserve in 1844, making it Auckland's oldest park.
When were the Wintergardens built?
The temperate house opened in 1921, the tropical house followed later in the 1920s, and the complex was officially opened in 1928.
Who designed the Wintergardens?
The Auckland architects Gummer and Ford, who also designed the Domain's entrance gates.
Is the Domain a volcano?
Yes. It occupies the crater of Pukekawa, one of the oldest volcanoes in the Auckland volcanic field, with the small cone Pukekaroa at its centre.
What else is in the Domain?
Auckland War Memorial Museum, the duck ponds, sports fields, the 1898 cricket pavilion and the fernery.
How long should you allow?
About an hour for the Wintergardens and a walk, or half a day if you add the museum.
Is it a heritage site?
Yes. The Wintergardens are a Category I historic place.