Celebrate the holiday season at Howick Historical Village with our Christmas Lights walk-through! Stroll around the grounds as the sun sets, and explore charming cottages transformed into a beautiful display of twinkling lights and Christmas decorations.

Soak in the atmosphere as the Village glows in holiday cheer - the perfect setting for a festive outing! Bring a picnic to enjoy amongst the lights, as the Homestead Café will be closed, and no food trucks will be onsite.

General admission prices apply. Door sales only. Adults $16, children (5-15 years) $8, under 5’s free, students/seniors (with ID) $13, Family Pass: $40.

Wander through festively decorated cottages and grounds staged with trees, garlands, and stockings hung by the fire with care! Enjoy the magic of our Christmas lights nestled amongst the decorations as the sun goes down.

Grab a bite to eat at a variety of food trucks or a freshly brewed mulled wine or warm spiced apple juice, and enjoy live carol-singing performances throughout the night! There will be something for everyone with Christmas crafts, the chance to meet Santa in the grand Puhi Nui homestead, and our old-fashioned sweet shop filled with treats.

Browse the mini market stalls filled with handmade goods and seasonal treats like mince tarts and plenty of other goodies to fill stockings!

Book your tickets on Eventfinda! Adult $18, child $10, under 3’s free.

Limited door sale tickets. Booking is highly recommended.

Join us in Bell House for a scholar talk led by PhD student Isabelle Carter

Isabelle’s talk focusing on harakeke and European flax is the result of a three-month Researcher Employability Project, which is part of her PhD journey, funded by the distinguished White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities. She is currently in the third year of her PhD within the Department of Archaeology at the University of York where she is studying squatters’ settlements in Early Modern England.

For this ethnobotanical project, Isabelle is examining the initial European misunderstanding of harakeke (Phormium tenax) as a flax. The talk will focus on the cultural significance of harakeke for Māori, with the many different uses of this amazing plant, including the great breadth of material culture that can be made from it. There will be a discussion of the European and Pākehā attempts to process harakeke during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries using methods similar to those used for European flax (Linum usitatissimum), resulting in the exploitation of harakeke to produce large quantities of cordage and canvas.

For the first month of the project, Isabelle was based in London in the UK conducting research at The National Archives, the British Museum, Kew Gardens, The Natural History Museum, and the Caird Library. For the second and third months of the project, she has been based at Howick Historical Village, where she completed primary source collections research; attended harakeke weaving wānanga; partook in Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland Museum’s Te Aho Mutunga Kore Community Forum; and conducted interviews with weavers and museum professionals, focusing on their experiences with both harakeke and European flax. The photographs that she took during these visits, and the contents of these discussions, will be included in this talk. 

Additionally, the project will result in a permanent display board that will be able to be seen in the Village, located between the harakeke and wharariki (Phormium cookianum), in front of John Bycroft’s Flour Mill.

The talk itself will be one hour, with half an hour for questions and discussion.

Share space and talanoa with master weaver and artist Louisa Humphry in this one-off workshop. Create a woven bracelet from flax and other natural materials.

Louisa hails from the nation of Kiribati and is fluent in the practice of weaving, with an impressive range of woven art pieces and Kiribati tibuta, spanning more than 50 years’ experience. Her work has travelled across many nationally significant spaces from Te Papa to Auckland War Memorial Museum. In 2019 Louisa, along with artist Kaetaeta Watson, was recognized with a Pacific Heritage Award. In 2021 she was appointed an honorary Member of New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Kiribati community and culture.

Currently on display as part of the "Interwoven Threads" exhibition at Howick Historical Village is a selection of works from the “Tibuta - Kinaakia Ainen Kiribati, Tibuta - Identifies Kiribati Women” exhibition, which Louisa co-curated and includes her personal tibuta collection. This exhibition was initially shown at Pātaka Art and Museum (7 Oct - 11 Nov 2023).

Free with village entry – adult $16, senior/student $13, child $8 Recommended for adults and children age 12+. No booking required but please note that places are limited

It's springtime at Howick Historical Village and the gardens are full of life! Come along this Live Day to learn more about the natural world - plants, insects and our feathered friends.

Explore the heritage gardens on a nature trail created by our Heritage Gardener, Luke Southern. Learn all about Aotearoa’s unique native flora and introduced species as well as animals and our agricultural past.

Meet the Village beekeeper Sara Russ (a.k.a The Bee Lady) and get up close & personal with our buzzy garden pollinators in an observational hive at 1 pm. Feed the chooks, make a wildflower seed bomb or pot a sunflower from seed to enjoy its bright blooms this summer!

Step back in time - churn butter, make a beeswax candle, or try hand-crank sewing or rag rugging. Discover the art of bookbinding with members of the Association of Book Crafts. See the blacksmith at work in the forge and taste fresh baking, hot from the coal range in Puhi Nui Homestead. Visit the sweet shop filled with old-fashioned lollies and fudge!

With craft activities, outdoor games and performances - Morris dancing at 10:30 am & 11:30 am and bagpipe band at noon - there will be lots of fun for everyone! Have brunch or lunch at Homestead Café and make a day of it.

Admission: adult $18, student/senior $14, child $10, family $46. Children under 5, members & annual pass holders - free entry.

Howick Historical Village (HHV) reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at any HHV event without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. Please see the event details on our website.

Join us at the Howick Historical Village to delve into the past through the enchanted world of Folklore and Fairytales!

Explore the historic buildings and heritage gardens and meet costumed villagers along the way. Learn about much loved storybook characters and themes and discover more in a fun fairytale trail or a folklore talk at 11am.

Churn butter, attend a school lesson and make your own beeswax candle. Learn the art of bookbinding with members of the Association of Book Crafts. Get crafty and design your own bookmark. Taste freshly baked goods, hot from the coal range in Puhi Nui Homestead and visit the sweet shop filled with old-fashioned lollies and fudge! The blacksmith will be at work in the forge and woodworkers in the carpenter’s workshop.

With outdoor games and performances - Morris dancing at 10:30am & 11:30am bagpipe band at 12pm - there will be lots of fun for everyone! Have brunch or lunch Homestead Café and make a day of it.

Admission: adult $18, student/senior $14, child $10, family $46. Children under 5, members & annual pass holders - free entry.

Howick Historical Village (HHV) reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at any HHV event without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. Please see the event details on our website.

Join us at Howick Historical Village to discover what the Victorians did on their days off in our live day devoted to hobbies, games and crafts.

Meet costumed villagers crafting up a storm in the parlour of the grand homestead, Puhi Nui! Make a rag rug from fabric scraps or learn about hand-crank sewing.

Churn butter and make your own beeswax candle to take home. Learn the art of bookbinding with members of the Association of Book Crafts. See the blacksmiths at work at the forge and the coal range fired-up. Taste freshly baked bread, hot from the bread oven and visit the sweet shop filled with old-fashioned lollies and fudge!

With craft activities, outdoor games, and performances - Morris dancing at 10:30am & 11:30am bagpipe band at 12pm - there will be lots of fun for everyone! Have brunch or lunch Homestead Café and make a day of it!

Admission: adult $18, student/senior $14, child $10, family $46. Children under 5, members & annual pass holders - free entry.

Howick Historical Village (HHV) reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at any HHV event without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. Please see the event details on our website.

Come see the Village enchantingly lit up!

Missed out on our Winter Lights Festival? Come experience the magic of the Village illuminated after dark during our EXTENDED HOURS on Saturday 22 June and Friday 28 June (Matariki), until 8pm

There will be no food vendors, drinks, music or activities, simply the chance to explore the grounds and historic buildings enchantingly lit up with beautiful, twinkling light installations. Don't miss this special opportunity before the lights come down!

Normal admission rates apply. No booking required!

Photo: Michael Yu. Howick Photographic Society.

50% off admission for Matariki! Join us on Friday 28 June and get half price tickets

Howick Historical Village is honouring Matariki through a kōrero, spoken word reading and short film screening from Indigenous Māori and Pacific storytellers and filmmakers in Tāmaki Makaurau.  

Join us in Puhi Nui parlour on Friday 28 June 2024 from 12:30pm - 1:30pm to listen to poems from published spoken word poet Ivy Lyden-Hancy and watch the compelling short films by South Auckland raised filmmaker Trina Lealavaa-Ama.  

You can also head down to Pakuranga School house to make your own Matariki-inspired arts and crafts or explore the Village using our Matariki themed trail booklets.  

Poetry reading and talk
12:30pm – 1pm 

Ivy (Te rarawa | Ngaati Wairere | Vava’u | Falefa) hails from Te Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa and Te Ao Māori. As such, her storytelling transcends the seas of her mother lands. Ivy was born and raised in Papakura, South Auckland and brings the mana of her village with her in her works. She has been published in anthologies such as A Showcase of Rangatahi poets 2022, Spoiled Fruit 2023, A liminal gathering 2023, Rat World magazine 2023, Overcome Mag 2024, and has many published online works. Ivy continues to be an avid poet in hopes that it revitalises indigenous storytelling. Ivy will be sharing her poems and kōrero about her experiences as rangatahi and a storyteller in Tāmaki Makaurau.  

Film screening and Talk: 
1pm – 1:30pm 

Trina (Nofoali’i | Leulumoega Tuai) is the creator of the all wāhine film collective BRŌWNALFĀ. She is a proud Samoan and South Auckland born and raised filmmaker. With her Masters of Creative practices, majoring in editing and directing, her work has gone on to screen at many national and international film festivals, such as NZ international film festival, Pacifica Film Fest, Rochefort Pacifique Film Festival. Featured in Cairns Art Gallery’s ‘Ritual – the past in the present’ exhibition (2021). Trina has completed an exhibition titled Pacific Frequencies: MAHU which was featured at Howick Historical Village and Highland Park library in 2023. Trina will be screening her short films and sharing her experiences as a Samoan creative growing up in South Auckland. 

Adults (15 years+): $7.50; Children (5-15 years): $3.50; Under 5’s: free; Students/Seniors (with ID): $6; Family Pass: $19 (2 adults + 2 children). Free parking in Lloyd Elsmore Park.

Please note: Homestead Cafe will be closed.

Come see the Village enchantingly lit up!

Missed out on our Winter Lights Festival? Come experience the magic of the Village illuminated after dark during our EXTENDED HOURS on Saturday 22 June and Friday 28 June (Matariki), until 8pm

There will be no food vendors, drinks, music or activities, simply the chance to explore the grounds and historic buildings enchantingly lit up with beautiful, twinkling light installations. Don't miss this special opportunity before the lights come down!

Normal admission rates apply. No booking required!

Photo: Michael Yu. Howick Photographic Society.

Howick Historical Village presents the Winter Lights Festival!

Experience the Village after dark on this enchanting winter evening. Explore the gardens and venture into historic buildings magically illuminated with twinkling light installations.

Make a paper lantern to light your way. Enjoy treats from the old-fashioned sweet shop and some of Auckland’s top food vendors. Warm up with a nip of mulled wine or hot spiced apple juice and dance the winter blues away with live music by The Flaming Mudcats!

Gather friends and whānau to enjoy the ambiance of the night in the Village’s unique heritage setting.

Admission: Adult $20 Child $10. Pre-purchasing tickets is highly recommended!

Limited door sales only (opens at 5:30pm). No BYO alcohol allowed.

This event is proudly sponsored by The Fairy Light Shop!

This FREE workshop run by the Compost Collective, introduces the three basic composting systems that can be used in the home and garden: traditional composting bins, worm farms and bokashi buckets.

Under the oak tree in front of the Village or in Brindle cottage if wet (look for the Bus Stop sign), facilitator Hari will ‘break it down’ in a two hour overview. Get set-up to enrich your garden and reduce your household waste!

Discover what suits you best and 50% off toward purchasing a composting system of your choice, thanks to the support of the Auckland Council.

Just turn up on the day or register in advance at: https://compostcollective.org.nz/events/composting-workshop-howick-historical-village/

Participants receive 50% off the admission to the village for themselves and any number of guests on the day.

Celebrate mums & mothering figures in an enchanting setting!

Make a scented lavender sachet. Watch a demo by the Howick Floral Art Club at 11am. Enjoy tea & scones with cream & jam served from vintage china in beautiful Bell House. Or bring a picnic to have in the picturesque heritage gardens!

Meet costumed villagers, make butter, attend a Victorian school lesson. See the coal range and bread oven fired-up, meet the bookbinders and blacksmith at work in the forge. Visit the sweet shop, filled with old-fashioned lollies & fudge.

With performances by Morris Dancers at 10:30am & 11:30am and bagpipes at 12pm, there will be lots of fun for everyone!

Admission: adult $18, student/senior $14, child $10, family pass $46. Child under 5, and members & annual pass holders - free entry.

TEA SERVICE TIMES: 10:30, 12:30 and 2:30. $10 per person (x2 scones with cream & jam + tea). Bookings required. Book at https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/.../mothers.../auckland/howick

Howick Historical Village (HHV) reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at any HHV event, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video.

In the tranquil garden of historic Bell House at Howick Historical Village, explore sustainable living from past to present as part of EcoFest 2024.

With resources, demonstrations and giveaways, chat to experts on composting, chicken and beekeeping and meet local environmental groups. Learn about the remarkable 30-year project to bring the kōkako back from the brink in the beautiful Hunua Ranges, in a free talk with environmentalist Lenny van Heugten at 11am.

Members of Howick Menzshed will be showcasing some of their community and upcycled projects in the barn. Visit the Bike Hub Pakuranga on your way, to learn bike fixes and get practical tips to keep the wheels spinning.

Enter the Village itself to experience the ‘Village Fête LIVE DAY!’ Explore life in the 1850s when everything was homemade and grown and nothing was wasted. Make your own butter, learn about bees with the beekeeper at 1pm or make a rug from fabric scraps.

See the coal range fired up, blacksmiths at the forge and have fun with fair games. The gelato cart will be on site and the sweet shop open. Bring a picnic or have lunch at the Homestead Café. Make a day of it!

This event is being organised by Howick Historical Village in association with East Auckland Tourism.

Free entry to East Auckland Eco Day.
‘Village Fête’ LIVE DAY, 10am-4pm. Admission: adult $18, student/senior $14, child $10, family $46, child under 5 – free..

Step back in time and experience an old-fashioned Village Fête! Try your hand at traditional fair games and win prizes! Meet costumed villagers, make butter, learn about bees with the beekeeper in a talk at 1pm or make a rug from fabric scraps.

See the coal range and bread oven fired up, Solomon ‘the Solo Blacksmith’ at work at the forge and go to a Victorian school lesson! The gelato cart will be on site and the sweet shop open, filled with treats. With performances by The City of Auckland Morris Dancers at 10:30am & 11:30am and The Manukau Pipes and Drums band at 12pm, there will be lots of fun for all ages!

Running alongside the Live Day in the Bell House gardens is East Auckland Eco Day. Explore sustainable living from past to present with resources, demos and giveaways as part of EcoFest 2024. Chat with experts on composting, chicken and beekeeping and meet local groups. Learn about the remarkable project bringing the kōkako back from the brink in the Hunua Ranges, in a talk with environmentalist Lenny van Heugten at 11am.

Bring the family and make a day of it!

Admission: adult $18, student/senior $14, child $10, family pass $46, child under 5, members & annual pass holders - free entry

The Howick Historical Village Easter Extravaganza is BACK for 2024. Come along to experience a fun-filled, family-friendly celebration!

Explore the Village with an egg hunt* and Easter trail or take photos with the Easter Bunny! Discover how aspiring bunnies are trained by the Easter Fairy in a live show by Act One Productions.**

With plenty of chocolate, crafts, face-painting, and outdoor games, there will be something around every corner. Learn how to make homemade butter, see the coal range fired up in Puhi Nui, or explore our heritage gardens. Make a day of it!

Enjoy sweet treats & savoury snacks from Mister Gelato and The Dog Father, or grab lunch from the Homestead Café. Visit our one-of-a-kind 1850s Sweet Shop offering an array of old-fashioned treats, or make your own lollipop with confectioner Stephen Parsons!

Tickets: adult $20, child $12, babies 1 year and under are free. Booking is essential, pre-booked tickets only. Book on Eventfinda:

Please note Annual Passes and Memberships cannot be used for admission to this event.

*Starting from 10 am, there will be 600 tokens hidden outside in the gardens only. Children can exchange up to 3 tokens for 3 Easter chocolates! While supplies last - tokens will not be re-hidden.

**Live shows will be held throughout the day. Check the schedule in your booklet.

Join us in Puhi Nui parlour on Friday 22 March 2024 from 12pm – 1pm for a special talk on “The development of New Zealand’s Domestic Interiors, 1840s-1900” by Victoria University PhD candidate Eva Forster-Garbutt. Ms. Forster-Garbutt will discuss changes in the interior layout and design of our early homes, between 1840 and 1900, drawing on existing knowledge, early photographs, the work of heritage professionals, and her research on interior decorative linings.

She will be featuring case studies of Wellington homes, including Nairn Street cottage, which will demonstrate these changes. Using these examples to contextualise the adaptations, the viewer will understand better how and why the cottages and homes in Howick Historical Village developed as they did.

Free admission to talk. Normal admission fees apply to visit the rest of the Village: Adults (15 years+): $15; Children (5-15 years): $7; Under 5’s: free; Students/Seniors (with ID): $12; Family Pass: $38 (2 adults + 2 children). Free parking in Lloyd Elsmore Park.

Love is in the air at Howick Historical Village!

Step back in time this Live Day to learn about the history of romance, courtship, marriage, and the traditions of Valentine's Day in the Victorian era.

Make a card or lavender sachet for that special someone. Purchase sweets for your sweet in the old-fashioned Sweet Shop and stroll the picturesque streets and gardens blooming with summer colour!

Meet costumed villagers, attend a Victorian school lesson or learn about Blacksmithing, Woodworking and bookbinding. Watch the Morris dancers at 10:30 & 11:30 and the bagpipe band at 12pm.

Photographer Adrian Cook of TINTYPE CENTRAL will be back, producing images using an authentic 19th-century wet-plate technique. Book a special portrait session to receive a unique keepsake you will treasure forever.

Have lunch or brunch at the Homestead Café or pack a picnic to enjoy in the gardens. Make a day of it!

Admission: adult $18, student/senior $14, child $10, a child under five, family pass $46, members & annual pass holders - free entry. Tintype portrait session $150 (includes admission). Bookings are highly recommended as sessions are limited. Book at https://events.humanitix.com/hhv1

Howick Historical Village (HHV) reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at any HHV event, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video.

Dig out the picnic hamper, fill it with snacks for a summer’s day, and come along to enjoy traditional outdoor fun, games, crafts, and more!

Step back in time and learn how to create a rag rug, make homemade butter, or attend a Victorian School lesson. Explore the worlds of bookbinding, woodworking and blacksmithing, or simply enjoy a stroll around the heritage gardens blooming with summer flowers.

With a gelato cart, the Manukau Pipes and Drums band at 12pm, all-day bookbinding demonstrations by the Association of Book Crafts - Auckland chapter, the re-opening of the forge with The Solo Blacksmith at the helm, and a talk by the Village bee keeper Sara Russ (a.k.a. The Bee Lady) at 1pm, there will be lots to see and do! Bring the family and make a day of it!

Admission: adult $18, student/senior $14, child $10, family $46, free entry for Society members, annual pass holders & children under five. Homestead Café will be open for dine-in or to takeaway into the Village grounds.

Howick Historical Village (HHV) reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at any HHV event, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. HHV may use the photograph/video in publications or other media material produced, used, or contracted by HHV including but not limited to: brochures, books, newspapers, magazines, television, websites, etc.

For this one night only, Howick Historical Village is offering extended hours to see the Christmas lights at their best and brightest. If you missed our Twilight Christmas event earlier this month, this is your chance to experience the magic of our festively decorated grounds and cottages after dark!

Adults (15 years+): $15, child $7, under 5’s free, students/seniors $12, family pass $38. Extended hours for Saturday 16 December 2023, open from 10am-9pm.  Free parking.  You are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy as Homestead Café will be closed and no food trucks will be onsite.