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Education Programme
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Olveston on-line shop
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Weddings
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Olveston Gift Vouchers
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Bespoke Function Venue
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Edwardian High Tea
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NZ INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL - PRESENTATION
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CELEBRATE MATARIKI - A GARDEN OF LIGHT AND LEGACY
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Daily Tours
Six guided tours
are offered daily -
MATARIKI - OPEN DAY AT OLVESTON
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AUTUMN DEAL AT OLVESTON
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Behind the Ropes Tour
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Art Tour
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Architectural Tour
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Olveston Garden Tour
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Special Family Deal
Education Programme
EXPLORE, ENQUIRE, ENGAGE!
Olveston offers innovative education programmes that explore the Edwardian era.
Olveston Historic Home allows students to experience hands-on and interactive learning in an authentic context. Programme options are designed to suit all styles and stages of learning.
Olveston is a historically preserved home, which allows endless opportunities for interactive learning and bringing the past to life.
Classroom teachers will be given the opportunity to select an education programme that supports the students' understanding of the key elements within Olveston..
Programmes can also be tailored specifically to meet the needs of your students and curriculum requirements. Work with us to create your own unique learning experience.
Enquire now by emailing reception reception@olveston.co.nz or phone us on 03 477 3320.
Financial assistance is available to schools. Contact Olveston for more details.
Olveston on-line shop
Olveston’s online shop showcases gifts which are uniquely inspired from the Olveston Collection. Enjoy these beautiful accessories, and homewares by visiting https://shop.olveston.co.nz/. All products are also, currently available in the Olveston giftshop and you are welcome to pop in, in person – open 9.00am to 5.00pm daily.
Olveston inspired gifts include Art cards, jewellery, scarves, microfiber lens cleaning cloths, tea towels, soaps and more.
Shop on-line for that special gift or shop in the relaxed, peaceful atmosphere of the Olveston gift shop, open from 9.00am to 5.00pm daily. 42 Royal Tce, Dunedin. Ph: 03 4773320.
Weddings
Olveston Historic Home provides a truly unique wedding venue from the award winning garden through to the grandeur of the Great Hall, Picture yourself descending the Grand Staircase to your waiting beloved.
A variety of options available from the ceremony through to the complete bespoke wedding venue.
Contact the Olveston team today to discuss venue hire details:
T: (03) 477 3320
E: manager@olveston.co.nz
Olveston Gift Vouchers
Give the Olveston experience at any time of the year. Great thank you gift or birthday or anniversary present.
Vouchers available for daily guided tours, specialty tours, Edwardian High Tea or the gift shop.
Idea for friends, family or work colleagues.
Contact Olveston on 03 477 3320 or email on reception@olveston.co.nz
Bespoke Function Venue
Olveston Historic Home is the ideal venue for a private soirée, business meeting, social gathering, or celebration.
A bespoke venue for musical events from concerts on the lawn to recitals in the Drawing Room.
Host intimate dinner parties in the Dining room or Great Hall, perfect for a networking night. The elegant and timeless spaces are the idyllic backdrop for a memorable, and very special occasion.
Contact the Olveston team today to discuss venue hire details:
T: 03 477 3320
E: manager@olveston.co.nz
Edwardian High Tea (1st Sunday of the month) 3-5pm
Join us for our Edwardian High Tea held in the Opulent Olveston Great Hall, followed by a tour of the house. More than bone china and cake stands this is an experience to be savoured.
Edwardian High Teas are held the first Sunday of each month 3-5pm.
For private bookings of groups of 24 or more on request at times to suit.
Adults: $60| Child: $60
Tables are set for 6 so get friends or family together for a fabulous afternoon out. Individual bookings also welcome.
Bookings Essential.
Ph: 03 4773320 or email: reception@olveston.co.nz.
NZ INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL - PRESENTATION
NZ International Science Festival: June 28 – July 6
Max Quinn – Global Warming Through the Lens
Wednesday, 2nd July | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Olveston Historic Home – Lower Lawn
Join acclaimed filmmaker Max Quinn for an inspiring outdoor presentation on the impact of climate change. With over a dozen Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, Max shares powerful stories and visuals from the planet’s most fragile frontiers.
Dress warmly, bring a chair, rug, and your keep cup. Best suited for teens and adults.
Book here or phone: 03 477 3320 | email: reception@olveston.co.nz
Koha Entry | Limited to 50 Guests – Bookings Essential
CELEBRATE MATARIKI - A GARDEN OF LIGHT AND LEGACY
Honour the Past – Celebrate the Present – Look to the Future
Olveston is a glowing tribute to the values of Matariki. We honour the visionary family who gifted this taonga to our community, celebrate the present with locals and visitors, and look to the future through events, education and charitable support.
Celebrate Matariki – A Garden of Light and Legacy:
June 19–25 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Nightly
Join us for a magical week as we celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Year, in the beautifully illuminated gardens of Olveston Historic Home. Bring the whānau and enjoy a rare opportunity to explore our Garden of National Significance after dark, lit in honour of Matariki’s guiding stars.
Enquiries: 03 477 3320 | reception@olveston.co.nz
FREE
Daily Tours
1-hr tours commence daily at 9.30 am, 10.45 am, 12 noon, 1.30pm, 2.45pm and 4 pm
For Dunedin Resident or Concession bookings, please contact us directly on T: 03 477 3320 or E: reception@olveston.co.nz
To fully appreciate the garden, the architecture, and to browse in the gift shop, then approximately 1 hr 15 min is recommended.
Adults: $25.50 | Child: $14.50 |Infant: free
Tours are conducted in English.
Cantonese, Dutch, French, German, Japanese and Mandarin speaking guides are available for groups (10 or more).
Olveston is open 364 days a year (including all NZ public holidays, except Christmas Day).
Book via our website or phone 03 4773320 or email reception@olveston.co.nz
Upcoming
6 x Daily
Book Now
MATARIKI - OPEN DAY AT OLVESTON
To celebrate Matariki on the 20th June, our friends at Olveston are waiving their usual entry fee.
Olveston was once home to one of the city's most philanthropic families, the Theomins, who donated their house to the people of Dunedin. The Theomin family embodied the spirit of Matariki by honouring those past, celebrating the present and looking to the future. Through education, the arts and humanitarian projects, they encouraged the growth of young people in Dunedin and beyond.
Come and take your time to experience the home of this very special family.
Friday 20th June from 10.00 am – 2.00 pm | Koha/donation entry
1-hour guided tours will set off around every 15 minutes. No booking necessary.
Olveston is recognised as a Tohu Whenua, one of Aotearoa New Zealand's best heritage experiences.
Ring Olveston on 03 4773320 or email reception@olveston.co.nz if you require further information.
Koha/Donation entry
AUTUMN DEAL AT OLVESTON
Special autumn deal available from March to end of May 2025.
A SEASON OF TRANSFORMATION
As the crisp air settles in and the days slowly shorten, there’s a quiet transformation that takes place at Olveston. The garden, once vibrant in the heat of summer, now wears the soft hues of autumn. The garden’s colours deepen, each leaf turning from rich greens to golden yellows, fiery reds, and rustic browns.
Inside the home, the light takes on a different quality. It’s softer, as it filters through the windows and casts gentle shadows upon the ornate rooms. The radiators hum quietly to life, adding a subtle warmth that welcomes you. It’s a season that invites reflection, a time to pause and appreciate the quiet beauty of a bygone era.
Join us on one of our six 1-hour daily tours. 9.30am, 10.45am, 12noon, 1.30pm, 2.45pm & 4.00pm.
Book via our website or email reception@olveston.co.nz or call 03 477 3320.
Normally $25.50 for Adults.
Entry fee for children $14.50.
Deal Price $20.50 per Adult
Behind the Ropes Tour (1st Tuesday of month) 3-5pm
Treasures abound at Olveston, with many tucked away inside the cupboards and cabinets. Olveston invites you to discover and learn about items that are rarely viewed. Explore further into areas not seen by the general public and peruse the basement areas over a cup of tea.
Behind the Ropes tours are held every 1st Tuesday of the month 3-5pm.
Private groups by arrangement at a time to suit.
Per Person: $46
Bookings essential.
Ph: 03 477 3320 or Email: reception@olveston.co.nz to make a booking.
Art Tour (2nd Tuesday of month) 3-5pm
Acquired by the Family between the late 1800s and the early 1960s, the Art Collection contains many prized works by local and international artists.
Learn about the 240 artworks on display, and the Theomin’s passion for collecting during this 2 hour guided tour of the house.
Per Person: $46
Art Tours are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, 3-5pm.
Private groups by arrangement at a time to suit. Minimum 8 pax.
Bookings essential.
Ph: 03 477 3320 or Email: reception@olveston.co.nz to make a booking.
Architectural Tour (3rd Tuesday of month) 3-5pm
Olveston, an Architectural Gem designed by London Architect Sir Ernest George. The tour takes you from the conceptual plans through to completion. Distinguished Historian Nikolaus Pevsner said "Olveston was one of the finest houses in the Southern Hemisphere."
Architectural tours are held 3rd Tuesday of the month from 3.00pm to 5.00pm.
Private groups can book at other times to suit.
Per Person: $46
Bookings essential.
Ph: 03 477 3320 or Email: reception@olveston.co.nz
Olveston Garden Tour (4th Tuesday of month) 3-4pm
A garden of National Significance. Kauri to Cactus and everything in between. Learn how the Olveston garden has been shaped by 200 years of gardening history.
Tours on the 4th Tuesday of each month. 3-4pm.
Private group tours by arrangement at a time to suit (between 9am and 4pm), minimum group size 8 people.
Per Person: $25.50
Bookings essential.
Ph: 03 477 3320 or Email: reception@olveston.co.nz
Special Family Deal
Visit Olveston as a family for $80 and enjoy a 1-hr tour*
Learn about the Theomin household; the Theomin family themselves and their staff and re-live life as it was in the early 1900s.
The family tour is available at one of our 6 public tour times, or for larger groups of over 8 people, at a time to suit.
$84.50 (for a family of 5)
*$84.50 (family group of 2 Adults and 3 Children) additional: Adults $25.50 | Children: $14.50.
Call Olveston to discuss a booking: T: 03-477-3320 or email the house: reception@olveston.co.nz
Bring more of your family and make a house-party of your visit!
May 2025
Event Bookings May 2025
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Book Now
Six Daily Guided Tours
9.30am, 10.45am, 12noon.
1.30pm, 2.45pm and 4pm.
