Ashburton Art Gallery & Heritage Centre

The Ashburton Art Gallery & Heritage Centre is home to both the town's art gallery and museum. The grand building on West Street, one of the main avenues across town, is hard to miss. Just keep an eye out for a white architectural structure with ochre features, and you've come to the right spot.

Upon stepping in, expect to be greeted by a friendly staff member and feel a sense of grandeur within the high-ceilinged space, with a few carefully curated pieces of art hinting at discoveries held deeper within the building.

On the ground floor, you'll find the museum. It holds exciting collections of historical pieces related to the Mid Canterbury region. Dive deep into the histories of Ashburton and beyond by exploring all there is to discover. A community-focused museum with plenty of interactive exhibits to keep both young and old visitors interested. While most collections are permanent, two temporary spaces keep things moving and hold varying exhibits throughout the year.

Upstairs, you'll find the art gallery space, which comprises three different exhibit rooms. A petite gallery store greets you at the entrance, where you can browse a curated selection of giftware, books, jewellery and art.

The gallery's focus is to showcase local art, but from time to time, touring exhibits from other galleries are brought over to mix things up. You can expect to view different works by different artists in each gallery space, all of which rotate every few months.