WellingtonSee & Do
A person doing the Footsteps of Change Wellington Parliamentary Precinct self-guided walking tour with the Beehive building in the background.

Footsteps of Change

  • Location

    Parliamentary Precinct

  • Tour type

    Self-guided

  • Website
    Start the tour

Discover iconic landmarks, learn about the city, and explore founding civic moments that have defined New Zealand’s history with this free self-guided tour.

Turn your smartphone into a time-travelling tour guide with the Footsteps of Change walking tour. This free-to-use tour animates the city in ways never before seen and unlocks a fascinating history. Follow the link above to start the tour or head to the Wellington isite to pick up a physical brochure and scan the QR code. From there, your smartphone will direct you to eight important locations within Wellington’s parliamentary precinct. At each location, an augmented reality will display on your smartphone’s screen, showing detailed 360° illustrated recreations of Wellington as it was throughout history. Narrated insights shed light on specific stories and important individuals from historic moments.

Close up of a hand holding a Footsteps of Change map
Two people looking at a phone.
Person interacting with the Footsteps of change website on their phone.
Person walking past the Old Government Buildings in Wellington

The eight locations are also linked to eight key moments in history. Learn about the Treaty of Waitangi Act, the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and Nuclear Free NZ. As you wind your way through each historic site, you’ll also learn about the architecture of some of Wellington’s most iconic buildings. The tour encompasses The Beehive, Old Government Building, and the gothic masterpiece, Parliamentary Library. 

Footsteps of Change takes between one and two hours, depending on your pace and how deep you dive. Further reading and archival images are available at your fingertips. Walk in the footsteps of passionate activists, politicians, and lawmakers. Discover what makes Wellington’s civic history anything but ordinary.

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