Rutherford's Den
Rutherford's Den is a museum at Arts Centre, Worcester Boulevard, Central City, Christchurch.
Checked 18 Oct 2026
★4.8 on Google, 128 reviews, as at October 2026
Television, radio, sonar and telephones – just some of the great inventions we enjoy today thanks to the scientific… Read full description ↓
Sits inside Clock Tower Block and Setting, highly significant in the District Plan
Arts Centre, Worcester Boulevard, Central City
Opening hours
| Monday – Sunday | 10 am, 5 pm |
|---|
Hours change, especially over holidays: confirm with the business before a special trip. About 49 hours a week, by the map’s count.
Reviews
★4.8 on Google, 128 reviews, as at October 2026.
Read Google review excerpts 3
An excellent exhibition of one of the titans of atomic physics. The exhibitions are at a level which are easily accessible to non-scientists but also informative enough to satisfy the scientifically literate.
Monica Adams, 4 months agoIt was a small but compact place. I could recall chemistry classes in my school days. And it was free but you can donate some money. I liked the place a lot!
까망진주, 8 months agoIt was extremely nostalgic, reminded of the time when I used to study about Rutherford's model in the school (and I ended up doing a Master's in Physics). He is one of the most underrated scientists and I never knew he was from New Zealand. His contribution to the field is extraordinary. Glad that I visited this place. Really interactive and loved his journey. It is good to see where the legend used to work. Very inspiring. P.S. NZ should brag a little more that he was from NZ Thank you for creating such a nice place. Loved it.
Harsh Khatwani, a year ago
Getting there
The map loads only when you ask for it.
Straight-line distances from the pin, not walking routes.
Nearby
More nearby places 7
Environment Canterbury’s Canterbury Maps Parks layer, refreshed 2026-10-10. Distances are straight-line from the business pin, not walking routes.
The nearest other museums
More nearby museums 5
All 5 museums in Christchurch Central City → · Every one in the city →
Also in Christchurch Central City
More businesses in Christchurch Central City 7
What the record holds 5 sourced facts
What the record holds
| Fact | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Address | Arts Centre, Worcester Boulevard, Central City | Find Christchurch, 2024 |
| Kind | Museums | OpenStreetMap |
| Phone | 03 366 0989 | Find Christchurch, 2024 |
| Website | rutherfordsden.org.nz | OpenStreetMap |
| info@artscentre.org.nz | Find Christchurch, 2024 |
Is this your business? Send hours, menu or photos, free and this page updates.
How the council’s directory described it
Read the full description council directory, about 2024
Television, radio, sonar and telephones – just some of the great inventions we enjoy today thanks to the scientific discoveries made by Ernest, Lord Rutherford and his peers. Step inside Rutherford's Den and enjoy fun, hands-on activities as you learn about science in the actual rooms where Rutherford studied. The space has been transformed with cutting-edge technology - walk-in multi-sensory experiences, a digital blackboard and interactive screens are just some of its new, high-tech features. Enquire about their education programme for school groups. Free Entry Wheelchair access to ground floor space only. Open 7 days, 10.30am-2.30pm
— Find Christchurch, 2024. The business’s own words from about 2024, repeated as a lead, not checked.
The ground it stands on
| Fact | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| District Plan zone | City centre zone | District Plan |
| Heritage item | Clock Tower Block and Setting, highly significant in the District Plan | District Plan |
The reports nearby
2,604 council reports pinned within 250 m of the premises, most often Graffiti & vandalism and Roads & footpaths, 2,069 with a photograph. A pin is where a reporter stood, not a claim about the place itself.
The 2,604 reports on file
Graffiti on a sign, mural or public art
Pavement - Damaged
Graffiti on a traffic light pole or cabinet, or wa
Hazard, vehicle
Graffiti on a bus stop or public toilet
Water General
Graffiti on a road, footpath or bridge
Graffiti on a fence, building or structure
Graffiti on a sign, mural or public art
Graffiti on a fence, building or structure
Graffiti on a fence, building or structure
Graffiti on a fence, building or structureQuestions, answered briefly
Read answers 8
A museum in Christchurch Central City, Christchurch.
Arts Centre, Worcester Boulevard, Central City, on Worcester Boulevard. On the map →
On OpenStreetMap and in the council’s 2024 directory.
phone 03 366 0989 (Find Christchurch, 2024), its website, email info@artscentre.org.nz (Find Christchurch, 2024).
Monday – Sunday: 10 am, 5 pm, as mapped on OpenStreetMap.
The Central Art Gallery (44 m), Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities (80 m), Canterbury Museum Pop-Up (335 m), every one in the city.
6 other premises within a short walk, nearest Bijou Cocktail Bar (5 m); the Rolleston Ave near Gloucester St bus stop is 110 m away: route 8; a separated cycleway passes within 43 m; nearest park: Armagh Reserve (298 m).
The record behind this
This page is the union of what these public sources say, each fact above names the one it came from. A listing is a lead, not a promise the business still trades:
Sources: OpenStreetMap · Find Christchurch · Christchurch District Plan layers · Christchurch City Council off-street parking layer (CC BY 4.0) · Environment Canterbury’s Metro stop record · Christchurch City Council’s cycleway layer
Read source notes 6
- OpenStreetMap, named premises drawn and kept current by its contributors (ODbL)
- Find Christchurch, the council’s business directory, a snapshot last touched about March 2024 (CC BY 4.0)
- Christchurch District Plan layers, zones, commercial centres and scheduled heritage items, from the council’s open data (CC BY 4.0)
- Christchurch City Council off-street parking layer (CC BY 4.0),
- Environment Canterbury’s Metro stop record, distances measured here from the pin
- Christchurch City Council’s cycleway layer, lanes, separated paths and the named Major Cycle Routes (CC BY 4.0)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); council and ECan data under CC BY 4.0; Wikidata CC0. Something wrong? Fix it on OpenStreetMap or tell us. The whole directory lives at /businesses. This page as markdown: /business/rutherford-s-den-christchurch-central-city.md.