The Akaroa Museum collections are focused primarily on the human history of the Banks Peninsula area.
The collections are extremely varied, including taonga Māori, artefacts from the first French, German and English settlers, objects associated with the whaling industry and a large costume collection. Thousands of photographs form a valuable resource and many are available for viewing by visitors.
Local history is preserved in the form of archives and records of families and organisations. A complete run of the Akaroa Mail newspapers, from 1876 to the present day, is available for research. Access to a reference library focused on local and family histories is also available by appointment.
