Established in 1868, this is New Zealand’s fourth-largest museum with over 1.7 million items; most people are surprised by the depth of its large ethnographic, natural-history, and decorative-arts collections. These include Southern Land Southern People, a superbly curated exhibition of southern Maori art and artifacts, their stories and treasures; and Discovery World Tropical Forest (on the same level) which draws visitors into a re-created, and quite humid, rain forest, home to First Flight, a three-level butterfly experience. Most of the exhibits are free, but the ones most worth visiting are also worth the additional cost, including the new Tūhura Science Centre. An absolute don’t-miss for families with kids, it has 45 interactive hands-on exhibits, including an infinity room, a tornado machine, an earthquake table, and the always-popular double-helix slide.  You'll have trouble prying your children away—something that can't be said of most museums. The Museum Café features the region’s famed cheese rolls in its selections. They are an Otago/Southland specialty….but you might wonder why.