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    Auckland Town Hall

    Auckland Town Hall

    4.2(10 reviews)
    0.9 kmAuckland CBD

    Town hall opened in 1911 This 5 story building was specially designed to fit a triangular shaped…read moreplot of land. It resemblances Lambeth Town Hall in London. This was Auckland's first permanent seat of both administration & entertainment in the city. The Great Hall seats 1,673 people, modeled on the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, considered having among the best acoustics in the world. The exterior of the Edwardian building is constructed of 2 types of stone. The ground floor is made of a dark volcanic basalt, heavily rusticated, contrasting with pale stonework above. Oamaru limestone from the south island was used for the upper part of the building. The lower part is often assumed to be Auckland basalt but was actually sourced from Melbourne. . The five-storey building was specially designed to fit the wedge-shaped piece of land that had been acquired for it in the 1870s at the junction of Queen Street and Grey Street. It bears a striking resemblance to the Lambeth Town Hall at Brixton, London, built at around the same time. The Town Hall formed Auckland's first permanent seat of both administration and entertainment in the city's history, with its Great Hall (seating 1,673 people) modelled on the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, and considered as having among the finest acoustics in the world. The exterior is constructed of two types of stone; the ground floor is made of a dark volcanic basalt, heavily rusticated, which contrasts with the pale stonework of the upper storeys. Oamaru limestone from the south island was used for the upper part of the building. The lower part was from Melbourne, in Australia.

    Although the Town Hall is quite a small and intimate venue to go for a concert, nothing quite…read morecompares to the experience that you get when this place goes off. The floorboards literally move beneath your feet and you feel as if you're on a trampoline. No lies! I swear it's the craziest feeling when you're moshing to the Smashing Pumpkins and you can jump twice as high as normal. I wonder if there will come a day when that floor caves in, leaving a big messy pile of punk-rockers sprawling on the ground. The Town Hall hosts quieter and more civilised entertainment too, orchestras and the like, but I haven't seen any. I'm way too hardcore.

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    Auckland Town Hall
    Auckland Town Hall
    Auckland Town Hall

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    Grand Central Railway Campus

    Grand Central Railway Campus

    2.4(5 reviews)
    1.3 kmViaduct

    If I was just rating this building on looks alone, I would have given it 5 stars. It's a beautiful…read moreold heritage type building that was constructed in 1930 and has been called " one of the most self- consciously monumental public buildings erected in early twentieth century New Zealand". True to its name it was the former main railway station of New Zealand before services were moved to the Britomart station. The inside lower floor is just as visually stunning as the outside, with mural like floors and grand staircases. However all this just belies the sham it houses now. It is now used as housing for Auckland University students and shoddy housing it is too. Tiny kitchenettes that lead off to even tinier bedrooms, the most basic bathrooms ever, and a communal cooking and eating area. It's not even that well priced, it should be at clearance level rent. Honestly I feel sorry for anyone who has to live here voluntarily, but the apartment market in Auckland is so tight at the moment it really is needs must. It's such a shame that such a wonderful, historic building is really going to waste.

    I'm not 100 percent sure that you can just walk on into this place if you don't live here, but I…read moredid anyway because the building is truly amazing. Actually I am pretty sure you can walk into the main entrance part because there are no security doors here, but the next part is where it has been converted into small apartments, so don't go getting yourself into trouble. Anyway this is the old railway building, and I can remember using it when it was still operational many years back. It is architecturally a fantastic place to visit, both outside and inside, and such an iconic building that it should be used as something worthwhile, like a museum. But alas it is being wasted as budget accommodation, and pretty dodgy accommodation at that. It makes me sad. And now I'm confused as to how to distribute my rating stars.

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    Grand Central Railway Campus
    Grand Central Railway Campus
    Grand Central Railway Campus

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    Victoria Park Markets - View of the Victoria Park Market at sunset

    Victoria Park Markets

    3.3(8 reviews)
    0.7 kmAuckland CBD
    $$$

    Interesting to stroll through the Victoria Park Market…read more From 1905 to 1918 a series of brick buildings were constructed to...deal with the removal of rubbish in Auckland. At the turn of the century in the early 1900s, rubbish was moved by horses. Due to fears about the rats spreading the bubonic plague via the garbage, the Auckland city council approved an incinerator to be built to intentionally burn the city's rubbish. The power generator used coal initially, however steam generators were later added to keep up with the demand for rubbish removal. Now the Victoria Park Market is repurposed from the original waste depot and incinerator complex. Check out the Celebrity Walk which features prominent New Zealanders like Sir Edmund Hillary and other famous athletes, authors and politicians. An interesting slice of Auckland history.

    The re-opening of this Auckland icon was heralded for the weekend of 15-16 November 2015. We went…read morealong for a nosey and had high expectations. Previous attempts at rejuvenating VPM have been pretty abysmal so this had to be better. All we can say is "ho hum". The design is nice except they have failed to allow for crowds of dawdling people. Bi-fold doors open out on to the walkways, restricting access for people, and large pot plants add to the already narrow access. The shops/stalls are not really anything new. There are still empty shop spaces. The stall holders were all looking desperately at the meandering crowds who had little use for their handmade wares. I predict that many will not return. There was not enough food for sale - we arrived at about lunchtime - and unbelievably the sushi shop had a practically empty cabinet and hungry people were walking in and out again. The remaining food outlets: a couple of cafes, were ill-equipped to cope, slow and struggling to serve the throngs of people! This, on the opening day of a market that had so much promise but seriously failed to deliver. Such a shame. Someone with a mobile coffee caravan could do a roaring trade down at VPM - coffee can soothe the savage breast and much can be forgiven when you have a good hot coffee fix in your hand! Good luck to them for the future - I really hope they succeed...

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    Victoria Park Markets
    Victoria Park Markets
    Victoria Park Markets - Celebrity Walk at VPM

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    Celebrity Walk at VPM

    Alberton House

    Alberton House

    4.3(3 reviews)
    6.0 kmMt Albert

    A really beautiful historic building that you can visit and explore, and is also a venue for…read moreweddings. I was involved in a wedding here and at the dress rehearsal we had the opportunity to take in the building, and it's really like walking into another era with the old-fashioned wallpaper and pictures on the wall, and seeing into the past as you head upstairs and have a look around. It's a beautiful space for a wedding; the ceremony was on the steps out the front of the house and the hall inside was a nice intimate space for speeches and socialising. The man who we liaised with regarding the function was really great - friendly and flexible. If you are thinking about having a wedding here just keep in mind - no stilettos inside! (Which, if you're me, is a great excuse to take off your bridesmaid shoes that you can't walk properly in anyway.)

    Alberton was definitely in the running when I was choosing a wedding venue as it is just so…read morebeautiful. It's one of those places that is constantly used for fashion, film and even music video shoots because its historic character is so well preserved. It is grand, old and beautiful but there are some rules and regulations that apply to keeping it that way so keep that in mind if you are thinking of using it for an event. The great thing is that it's open to the public so all you have to do is wander on in and explore all its nooks and crannies at your leisure. You will have to pay for the pleasure but that's as it should be in order to keep preserve places like this for future generations. The grounds are stunning as well and a visit here can take you back in time for some romantic day-dreaming. Great for kids too - history is so much more interesting when it's tangible.

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    Alberton House

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    Market Square - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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