Things to See and Do
- Cinema Experience
- The Viewing Platform
- Taking the Cure Gallery
- Tudor Towers
- Te Arawa Gallery
- Tarawera Gallery
- Maori Battalion Gallery
- For The Kids
- Guided Tours
- Package Tours
- The Bath House Building
Centennial Project Newsclick here
ROTORUA MUSEUM IS A DEPARTMENT OF THE ROTORUA DISTRICT COUNCIL
FOR TOURISM INFORMATION ABOUT ROTORUA, VISIT ROTORUANZ.COM
Taking the Cure – The Bath House Story
The Bath House, which today houses Rotorua Museum, was once a spa which offered therapeutic treatments.
Water from nearby thermal springs was piped to private bathrooms and larger Aix-douche massage rooms. There were also a number of deep pools where chronic disorders were treated. The north wing accommodated male patients, while women were treated in the south wing.
“Taking the Cure”, an installation which explains the story of the building, is located in the north-east corner of the Bath House where remnants of baths remain. There is little left of once up-to-date treatment equipment; most was destroyed when the baths closed in 1966.
A Generous Gift
The people of Rotorua are indebted to Ngati Whakaue for the gift of land that the Bath House stands on.
On 22 November 1880, Judge F.D. Fenton met with 47 Maori leaders to discuss a proposal supporting the creation of a township. Contained within the agreement was a clause setting aside thermal springs “Hei oranga mo nga iwi katoa o te Ao” – for the benefit of the people of the world. This far-sighted and generous gift of 50 acres along the southern shores of Lake Rotorua demonstrated the goodwill of the original landowners. The area, formerly known as the Sanatorium Reserve, is today named Government Gardens.
The opening of the Bath House coincided with a visit to Rotorua by Rear-Admiral Sperry of the American Atlantic Fleet and 200 of his officers. This photograph from the Weekly News of August 20 1908 depicts Ngati Whakaue chief Kiharoa presenting gifts to Admiral Sperry at the opening ceremony.
A Significant Icon
The Bath House is a monument to the New Zealand Government’s first major commitment to the tourist industry and is a readily recognised symbol of the city. The turn-of-the-century Government hoped to tempt wealthy northern hemisphere patrons to travel far from home to the “Great South Seas Spa”.
An Edwardian attempt to create a spa in an essentially Elizabethan style of architecture, the building incorporates half-timbered construction, gables, towers and a grand staircase in an aesthetically pleasing composition.