Wellington Cable Car

For over 120 years, the Cable Car has trundled up and down the Kelburn hillside. Ferrying commuters, students, and tourists between Lambton Quay, Victoria University, and the Botanic Gardens. The five-minute trip has become a Wellington must-do for tourists.

Every 10 minutes, the bright red Wellington Cable Car departs from Lambton Quay and makes its way up into the hills of Kelburn. 

The 612m journey travels through three tunnels and over three bridges. Once you’ve reached the top you’ll have risen 120m above sea level. The views of the city below and harbour and hills beyond are, predictably, spectacular.

In the museum, you’ll find a gift shop, archives, photography, and models. A detailed Lego display of the whole cable car route complete with houses, bridges, and trees is a highlight. There’s also a selfie wall where you can pretend you’re standing in the Cable Car tunnel — complete with twinkling LED lights. 

The floor below houses Grip Car No. 3. This beautifully restored cable car was used in the early 1900s. It’s an elegant piece of machinery that evokes an earlier time of technological progress and late Victorian innovation. The ground floor is home to the winding machine room. This was fully operational from 1930 to 1978. It served as the nerve centre of the cable car system. Here you’ll see the machinery once used to haul the cable cars up the hill to the summit. The century of engineering skill, innovation, and technology in the museum is fascinating. Entry to the museum is free. 

The return journey back to Lambton Quay completes the experience. However, if you feel like walking, you can enter the Wellington Botanic Garden directly beside the Kelburn terminal. There are also free shuttles to Zealandia, and Space Place is a two-minute walk away.