Test your skills, roll the dice and spin the wheel! Inspired by the 2025 Heritage Festival theme ‘Auckland at Play', experience classic games, fun pastimes and old-fashioned entertainment such as marionette and stick puppet theatre.
Step back in time in hands-on demos and activities with costumed guides. Explore the historic buildings and heritage gardens and make a day of it!
Tuesday 23 and 30 September 10.30am-12.30pm - Cyanotype Printing
Wednesdays and Saturdays 10am-2pm - Pastimes & Parlour Games
Wednesdays 11am - Bread making
Thursdays 11am - Butter making
Fridays 11am - Puppet show & Puppet making workshop
Weekends 11am – Butter making
Sunday 28 September & Sunday 5 October 1:30pm - Puppet show & Puppet making workshop
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Tuesday 23 and Tuesday 30 September.
Drop in on Tuesdays between 10:30-12:30 to capture the beauty of nature in your own sun print, with costumed visitor host Diane.
An early form of photography invented in 1841, producing a 'cyanotype' or a 'blueprint' involves exposing objects on light sensitive paper to the sunlight.
Explore the Village while you wait for the image to magically appear!
Free with admission. No booking required.
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Wednesdays and Saturdays 10am – 2pm
Drop in to the parlour of the historic Puhinui Homestead and experience the games that once brought families and friends together in living rooms, parlours and community halls.
From strategy and skill to laughter and luck, explore a range of classic board and parlour games which have been enjoyed across generations. Whether you're competing in a round of draughts, learning a new card game, or curious about how people played before screens and consoles, this hands-on session offers something for everyone.
Come along, roll the dice, spin the wheel and connect through the timeless magic of play!
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Wednesdays 11am
Learn how flour is milled. Grind wheat and make a loaf from dough in the old kitchen of historic Puhi Nui homestead. Explore the Village while your bread is baking!
Cost $6 per child. No booking required. Places are limited. Age 5+
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Thursdays and weekends 11am
Roll up your sleeves and help churn cream into butter! Taste the results afterwards on crackers. This hands-on demonstration is lots of fun for all ages.
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Friday 11am, Sunday 28 September & Sunday 5 October 1:30pm
Experience the magic and wonder of a classic live marionette and rod puppet theatre at Howick Historical Village!
In the parlour of the historic Puhi Nui homestead, model maker, puppeteer and Village educator Linda Darby Coring will bring to life the exciting, enduring tale of the 'Three Billy Goats Gruff'. Watch as Ma, Pa and baby Gruff make try to get over the bridge where the angry old troll lives... Will they make it?
This fun-filled show is followed by a puppet making workshop for those who want to make their own characters from the tale. -
Fridays 12pm, Sunday 28 September & Sunday 5 October 2:30pm
Following an old-fashioned live puppet theatre of production of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, get creative in this guided workshop with model maker, puppeteer and Village educator Linda Darby Coring.
Take inspiration from the tale of the Three Billy Goats Gruff to make your own characters and continue the adventures at home!
Cost $5 per child. No booking required. Places are limited. Age 5+
Parents are welcome to supervise.
Admission: adult $16, senior/student $14, child $8, child under 5 free.
Additional charges apply for some events. See the full listings for details.
Open Tues-Sun 10am-4pm. Last admission at 3pm. No booking required.
