Wellington Cable Car Museum

Fondly described as “relentless red rattlers”, Wellington’s cable cars have transported people between the harbour and the hills for more than 100 years and are now an iconic image and popular tourist attraction for the Capital.

The Wellington Cable Car Museum tells the story of what is now New Zealand’s only working cable car system. As well as being home to a nationally significant transport collection, the museum contains a wealth of interpretation about the city’s social history and surrounding area.

This award winning museum is located in the historic winding house used for the original cable car system, which operated from 1902 to 1978. The winding room located on the lower level of the museum contains the original machinery once used to haul the cable cars up the incline and is one of the few remaining working models of its kind left in the world. The museum also houses two of the three original cable cars used on the line, including Grip Car 3, which has been painstakingly conserved and restored to its 1905 appearance.

Located at the Kelburn terminus of the cable car with its breathtaking views of the City and its harbour, the museum also provides a wonderful gift shop selling NZ souvenirs, books, DVDs and transport models.