While exploring the city of Napier, be sure to visit the Faraday Centre, a museum of vintage technology that is fun for the whole family to enjoy. Its interactive activities and exhibits allow the little ones to try out historical tools and immerse themselves in the everyday instruments of a bygone time.
A trip to a grocery store from the beginning of the 20th century provides a nostalgic look backward. The store has old-fashioned cash registers and grocery carts, as well as cans and packets of food from another era.
See the drills operated by a foot pump in the old dental section and imagine yourself a hairdresser from the era using enormous hairdryers. Reach the high scores on the vintage pinball machines and arcade games.
Enter the Communications section to show your kids rotary telephones like those you may have used when you were a child. This area has an iconic red telephone booth and a wire catapult that lets you send a message from one side of the building to another. Hit the notes of the Pianola, whose keys have words on them to inform you of the musical order.
Travel to Transportation to fiddle with the levers of a 1907 Rover car. Learn about the jiggers or handcars that were used for working the railways. This section also has a vintage motorbike and carts that were pulled by horses. Convert energy into wind on the Wind Bike, check out old sewing tools and look inside retro engines.
There is a fee for admission to the Faraday Centre ask for discounts for children. It typically opens Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from morning until afternoon.
The center is a little west of the heart of Napier. Walk west from Napier Beach for 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) to get here in about 20 minutes. You can also ride a bus to one of the many stops near the complex. While you’re in the area, make sure to see surrounding sights such as the Napier City Council, the Napier District Court and St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
