New Zealand Tour

1. Christchurch Arts Centre
2. Distinctive Gothic Revival Buildings, once the University of Canterbury
3. Galleries, glass blowers, craft, shops, theatre, markets with local produce, restaurants, bars, cinemas
4. General Entry is FREE
5. Guided tours $5 (except for Saturday which is Free)

Departures

Booking Confirmation:

• Confirmation is not necessary for this operator.

The Arts Centre of Christchurch is a vibrant and exciting venue for a huge range of New Zealand made art and crafts, shopping, education and entertainment. There truly is something for everyone, with highlights including over 40 specialty shops, fine art galleries, world-class theatre, art house cinemas, bars, restaurants and cafes, a bustling weekend Art, Craft & Produce Market and an array of festivals and special events throughout the year.

Once the site of the University of Canterbury, these distinctive Gothic Revival buildings are today a maze of fun, wonder and delight and form part of our award-winning tourism attraction. General entry is free.

The University’s distinctive architectural style was established by renowned New Zealand architect Benjamin Woolfield Mountfort. The buildings are typical of the Gothic Revival period of architecture, a nineteenth century style which attempted to revive the forms and details of the original Gothic style of the Middle Ages. Almost all of the buildings in the Arts Centre complex were in place by the time of the College’s 50th Jubilee in 1923 and their architectural unity is remarkable in view of the fact that they had been assembled gradually over the span of half a century. This was due primarily to architect Samuel Hurst Seager, who in 1913 persuaded the Board of Governors to accept his "grand design" for two quadrangles on either side of the new library, and for the buildings to be linked by the arcades that have become a much-admired feature of the site. The style of the College was based on the Oxbridge model of academic buildings surrounding cloistered quadrangles.

See also the modern buildings of the Christchurch Art Gallery between Gloucester & Worcester Streets.

• General entry is free but some exhibitions may have a nominal charge
• Resident artists change regularly
• Weekends are the most popular time