Russell Museum Te Whare Taonga o Kororāreka

Russell Museum tells the stories of Russell Kororāreka and the Bay of Islands Īpipiri from first Polynesian arrivals, first European encounters and early settlers. The digital map called Īpipiri now joins Captain Cook’s Endeavour as a museum must see attraction. Its two animated re-enactments brilliantly bring to life how our region and its ecology were first formed and developed and is great fun for kids and adults alike. Our latest exhibition, the "Story of Mangahāwea" tells the stories of the celestial navigation which brought the first Polynesian arrivals to the Bay of Islands, and the subsequent settlement of the island by Māori over the centuries.