Free Things to Do With Kids in Dunedin

The Otago Museum is a standout — free general admission, with a brilliant nature gallery, the Animal Attic and the butterfly-filled tropical forest (small charge for the Tūhura Science Centre and butterflies, free for the rest). It's our top rainy-day pick. The Dunedin Botanic Garden is also free, with an aviary, a duck pond, a playground and the Cliffside garden — a lovely spot to picnic and let off steam.

Baldwin Street — the world's steepest residential street — is free to visit and a fun (if puffing) climb; kids love the challenge and the photo at the top. The Dunedin Railway Station is one of NZ's most photographed buildings and free to admire inside and out, with its mosaic floors and grand staircase. The Octagon in the city centre is a free, lively place to wander with statues and street performers.

Dunedin's coast is wild and wonderful, and watching wildlife from the beach is free. St Clair and St Kilda beaches are great for a blustery walk, with the historic St Clair saltwater pool nearby (cheap, seasonal). Out on the Otago Peninsula you can sometimes spot sea lions hauled out on the sand and, at the right time, yellow-eyed penguins coming ashore — keep your distance and it costs nothing. The Tunnel Beach walk (free, steep in places) leads to a dramatic sea arch.

For paid highlights worth the spend, Olveston Historic Home offers a window into Edwardian Dunedin (ticketed) and the Speight's Brewery tour suits curious older kids and adults (ticketed). On a wet day, the free Otago Museum and Toitū Settlers Museum are hard to beat, and the Moana Pool is a cheap warm swim with hydroslides. The city library runs free school-holiday programmes.

With a free flagship museum, free gardens and wildlife you can watch from the sand, Dunedin is a brilliant budget city for families. Here's how a free day adds up for a family of four.