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Gift The Buried Village - Archaeological Site and Museum Admission

4.7
384

Gift this fantastic experience, and create memories to last a lifetime.

New Zealand's most visited archaeological site where stories of the 1886 Mount Tarawera Eruption come to life!

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Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

4.7

384 reviews

Showing all 384 authenticated Bookme reviews

Stafford tamaki from New Zealand wrote on 14 July 2025

Awesome experience

Went on a rainy day but kids and adults loved it! Highly recommend!

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From The Buried Village - Archaeological Site and Museum Admission

Thanks for coming

Tania from New Zealand wrote on 08 July 2025

Moment in time

Amazing experience, so many stories shared to take you back to that heart-wrenching moment in time. Loved Margaret's well written letters too.

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From The Buried Village - Archaeological Site and Museum Admission

Thanks for your review

murrayr2 from New Zealand wrote on 30 June 2025

Interesting Site

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the buried village of Te Wairoa. The museum is very well presented with a wealth of information. The outside exhibits are old but being upgraded. The site is easy to get to and well worth a look but try to go on a dry day

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From The Buried Village - Archaeological Site and Museum Admission

Thanks for visiting us

trudyt from New Zealand wrote on 29 June 2025

Interesting Historical Location

I very much enjoyed learning the history of the area

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From The Buried Village - Archaeological Site and Museum Admission

Thanks for coming to learn about the history of Te Wairoa

Jayellepi from New Zealand wrote on 04 June 2025

Improvements needed

Our visit was a mix of highs and lows. The standout highlight was definitely the natural surroundings — the walk to the waterfall and back is absolutely incredible and not to be missed. A good level of fitness and mobility is needed as the stairs can be tricky to navigate, but our 4-year-old and 9-year-old managed it well and loved the adventure. The rest of the site, however, is in need of some serious TLC. Many parts are run down and would benefit from cosmetic repair. The lifesize map at the exit of the museum wasn’t functioning (no lights), and the white terrace fountain replica was inactive and covered in green algae. It would also be great to see stronger representation of local Iwi Māori. The narrative is currently centred heavily on the Smith whānau, and the experience would be greatly enriched by local iwi involvement — Māori sharing their own stories, on their own whenua. There was a lovely moment when we were greeted by a cheerful young girl sweeping outside the café — a small but appreciated gesture that made us feel welcome. The playground is quite tired and would benefit from a makeover — fresh bark, updated motifs, and general upkeep. Some areas of grass were noticeably overgrown, which left us wondering whether that was intentional or just a lack of maintenance. With some restoration and a broader, more inclusive cultural lens, this place has real potential to be something special.

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From The Buried Village - Archaeological Site and Museum Admission

Thanks for your feedback We always appreciate different points of view

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