Learning & Discovery

Whai Mātauranga

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Old St Paul’s is a great place for learning - where social history comes to life.

Social history comes to life at Old St Paul's. The New Zealand Historic Places Trust brings history to life for New Zealand's school children. Old St Paul's is opening its doors to schools with a new education programme.

In a series of fun, hands-on activities students are encouraged to explore, touch, and interact with the building, to learn about the land it is built on, and the people who have been connected to the land and the building.

Covering the time of Maori settlement in the area through to the issues of heritage today, students have the opportunity to learn about art, architecture, geography, history and more.

Choose from the following small group activities:

Pipitea to Parliament

The changing landscape of Thorndon - construct a huge puzzle map of central Wellington, and discover the layers of change that have shaped this area over the last 200 years.

Searching for symbols

Symbolism, art and architecture - discover how symbolism represents culture and identity, and explore how our heritage is remembered through art and architecture.

Quest back in time

A story of Old St Paul's - go on a treasure hunt to investigate some of the unique stories of this historic place, and explore the events that led to the construction of Old St Paul's.

The Old St Paul's code

Exploring a Gothic cathedral - search the many spaces within this historic building to crack the Old St Paul's code, and explore how this place has changed over time.

My Story, Our Place

A student-led investigation. This project encourages students to reflect on their connections with the landscape, environment and community that they live in, and to develop an understanding that the same place can mean different things to different people.

Guided and Special Interest tours

We offer guided and special interest tours at Old St Paul's suited for all ages and the time available. Popular topics include exploring the stained glass windows, the architecture, and discovering the story of the US Marines in Wellington and the place where they chose to worship.