Places to go...
things to see and do
Browsing the art galleries, shopping, eating out, visiting historic buildings, fishing, taking time out at the river or the beach, walking in the hills, or just relaxing - Nelson is an exciting place.
Event
calendar | Arts and entertainment | Parks, reserves and gardens | Historic
places/museums | Recreation | Services and maps | Visitor information | Other
places of note
Events Calendar
Download the fortnightly "What's
Happening!" (PDF) for ready reference
to local events for the current period.
e-Vents Nelson
To get the most out of the region, check out e-vents Nelson - the most informative online guide to conferences, events and what's on. Browse for events of interest, and add upcoming events.
Council-sponsored events and festivals
What's happening, what's coming up, and a look back at events over the past year.
Arts and entertainment
Arts and crafts
There are several working pottery and craft galleries in the region and artists' studios which are open to the public
See more details in the 'Nelson City Arts Trail' brochure and the excellent 'Nelson Regional Guide Book - Art in its Own Place' which can be obtained from: Nelson Bays Arts Marketing, +64 3 539 0828.
Public art and sculpture walk
In the public art and sculpture walks map, you’ll find two walks, one in the city and another out to the beach, plus other outdoor works, art clusters or individual sculptures worth a visit. These easy walks will exercise your mind and inspire you. Get the free public art and sculpture walks map from Civic House, or any of the Nelson Public Libraries.
Eel Walk - A Nelson Heritage Walk
Art and heritage intertwine in this easy walk around the central city that starts at the bridge known as Aratuna (Pathway of the Eels) Normanby Bridge. Enjoy a selection of Nelson's art treasures along the way.
Take in the best of Nelson on the Eel Walk.
Cinemas
State Six-Screen Cinema Centre, Trafalgar Street Phone: +64 3 548 3885
Suter Cinema, Bridge Street. Screens art house movies from Thursday - Sunday. Can be booked through the State Cinema.
Restaurants
Nelson has a wide range of BYO and licensed cafés and restaurants, in the city and along the waterfront. Fresh seafood features on most menus - don't miss the local oysters and scallops in season. Visit the Nelson Tasman Tourism website for more detailed information on places to eat, or look in the yellow pages of the Nelson phone book.
Markets
Saturday Nelson Market
The Saturday Market is a major local attraction on Saturday mornings from 8am - 1pm in Montgomery Square. Crafts, produce, gourmet food, food stalls, junk and curios. Contact: +64 3 546 6454.
Visit the Nelson Market's website.
Monty's Sunday Market
9am - 1pm in Montgomery Square. Produce, plant and food stalls. Treasure and bargain seekers delight.
Centre Stage Market
7.30am - 5pm Sunday Wakatu Square. Produce, food stalls and second-hand items.
Parks, reserves and gardens
Albion
Square
Albion Square, opposite the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology in Hardy Street, is an historic reserve. Notables include the old trout hatchery, the fire engine house built in 1859, the cast iron post box and the original militia powder magazine. Interpretative information is displayed on the site.
Refer to the brochure 'Nelson - A City of History', for more information on historic buildings and places including location map
Queens
Gardens
Between Bridge and Hardy Streets, Queens Gardens is a classical Victorian ornamental park with outstanding specimens of many unusual trees.
Tahunanui
Beach
Nelson City's famous beach is excellent for swimming and is also popular with walkers, joggers, windsurfers and sun seekers. Amenities include the Kind Skatepark, the Lions playground, Natureland, roller skating rink, hydroslide and bumpa boats, the model railway, public tennis courts, petanque court and mini golf. Summertime activities include beach volleyball, helicopter rides, and paddle trikes.
Find out more about the Kind Skatepark at Tahunanui Beach.
Boulder
Bank
Accessible from Boulder Bank Drive, off SH6, the Boulder Bank is a 14.5km long natural breakwater of large granodiorite boulders. The historic lighthouse was built in 1861. The walk along the Boulder Bank gives unique views of Nelson City and the harbour area.
Fairfield
Park
At the top of Trafalgar Street, Fairfield Park is noted for its two historic homesteads, Melrose House and Fairfield House. Behind Fairfield House, walkways explore a woodland dominated by deciduous European trees. Fairfield Park also contains the graves of early settlers.
Other parks and gardens
Historic
places, museums and galleries
Well-known Nelson historic places
Bishop Suter Art Gallery
The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatu is a memorial to the second bishop of Nelson, Andrew Burn Suter (1830-1895). He presented the idea of an art gallery to the people of Nelson, but died in 1895 before he could realise his dream. Immediately after, his wife gifted some land, money and Bishop Suter's art collection as the founding donation. In 1899 the 'Bishop Suter Art Gallery' was opened on its current site.
The Gallery in the Queens Gardens, 208 Bridge Street, houses a large permanent art collection noted for works by 19th century artists such as Gully, Lindauer and Van der Velden; and a growing contemporary art collection including landscapes by Sir Toss Woollaston. The exhibition programme features a wide variety of work by significant local and national artists. The gallery includes a craft shop, cinema and restaurant.
Open every day except Christmas Day. Admission, $2 adults, 50¢ children/students. Phone +64 3 548 4699.
Visit the Suter Art Gallery's website.
Nelson Provincial Museum-Pupuri Taonga O Te Tai Ao
Town Acre 445, corner Hardy and Trafalgar Streets, Nelson. Showcases the region's history, from our geological origins, to the stories of those individuals and families who have walked and lived on the land.
Open 10am – 5pm Monday to Friday; 10am – 4.30pm weekends and public holidays (closed Good Friday, Christmas Day). Ph: +64 3 548 9588. Email enquiries.
Visit the Nelson Provincial Museum's website.
Permanent exhibition
Nelson and Tasman - tracing our history (free admission).
Isel Park Research Facility of the Nelson Provincial Museum
Isel Park, Hilliard Street, Stoke, Nelson
Tuesday through Friday by appointment, Saturday 10am - 2pm (closed Sun/Mon/all public holidays, Christmas, New Year period)
Ph. +64 3 547 9740. Email enquiries.
South Street
This is Nelson’s most well known and loved historic precinct, surviving
as a unique group of cottages showing everyday housing from the 1860s up until the
end of the 19th century. The South Street Gallery, on the corner, was a
builder’s business in its early days. The two-storeyed building on the other
corner was built by the City of Nelson Civic Trust in 1999.
Off Nile Street West, South Street captures the feel of a past era. The 16 working-class cottages built between 1863 and 1867 remain intact and are still lived in. South Street Gallery sells works by several Nelson potters.
Recreation
Services
and maps
Taxis
Nelson City Taxis, Phone +64 3 548 8225
Sun City Taxis, Phone +64 3 548 2666
Medical
services
Emergency doctor, ambulance, emergency dentist: Nelson Hospital. Phone +64 3 546 1800.
Day and night duty doctor service: City Care, 202 Rutherford Street. Phone +64 3 546 8881.
Urgent Chemist
Prices Pharmacy: Corner Hardy and Collingwood Streets. Phone +64 3 548 3897. Open 7 days a week. 8.30am - 8.00pm.
Other services
Nelson Visitor Information Centre
i-SITE
Nelson's award winning building houses a variety of shops and offices but it's primary function is as a visitor's gateway to the top of the South.
For a proper introduction to the region, all visitors should make a stop at the i-SITE their first activity in Nelson.
Millers Acre Centre, Taha o te awa, corner of Trafalgar and Halifax Streets. Phone:+64 3 548 2304
Read about the development of the visitor centre ...
Nelson Tourism Services
284 Trafalgar Street Phone: +64 3 546 6338
Nelson
tourism services website
Nelson Tourist Activities
28A Bridge Street. Phone: +64 3 548 7803
Automobile Association
45 Halifax Street. Phone +64 3 548 8339
Department of Conservation
DOC has a counter at the Nelson Visitor Information Centre during summer.
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