Geraldine Military Museum — Attraction in South Island

The exhibits were good, but I encountered a problem. All the kids in the museum were playing with the horns and other noisy machinery. I noticed a device that you could turn to make a siren-like noise, so I wound it up quickly without dragging out the sound for too long. Suddenly, an older man yelled at me and got in my dad's face, screaming about how "they need to fix these things." It was ironic because he had no issues with the children playing with the exhibits, but when an adult played with one, it was seen as a big problem.

If they don't want the horns and similar items to be played with, why not disengage them so that there's no worry? Instead, they should expect kids to get curious. Just to note, my grandfather was in the war and many of my family members have served, so this issue is close to my heart. However, it's clear that the museum's...

This is an international level museum of militaria. Very interactive with most of the vehicles able to be sat in or on and replica trenches and both English and German replica barracks so people can get a real sense of how hard life must have been during war time. Every piece of equipment is FULLY restored and all are running operational machines. You often see the Scorpion tank in local Christmas parades and vehicle shows etc and the 25 pound gun is operational and was used at Caroline Bay in Timaru for a 21 Gun Salute on the Queens Funeral day and again to commemorate the coronation of King Charles. Most recently fired at the Armistice Day commemoration. Most of the stuff here is from Don's private collection but others have their machines on display here too and these will be rotated on a regular basis. Fantastic place to take the kids on the next...

On our drive to Lake Tekapo, we caught sight of this museum as we were fuelling up at the Z across the road. Curious, we decided to take a look and I am glad we did. Absolutely phenomenal museum filled with interesting and one of a kind military vehicles. Would definitely recommend stopping by if you are driving through as it is quite big and definitely worth the $10 ticket price ($25 for families). The place exudes passion, and you can tell the museum really cares about preserving and restoring these pieces of history. Lovely New Zealand focus, as well. The staff were super friendly and lovely to be around. The information about the different vehicles was well-written, clear, and interesting. Would definitely recommend stopping by if you are...