TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre

Beautiful inside and out. Great grounds to walk around with stunning, old, large majestic trees. Inside hosts several galleries for a variety of exhibits, quite an eclectic mix on display currently — Jan 2016. Particularly enjoyed the photographic two, one on Antarctica and the other a series of black and white portraits by M.Friedlander. These two shows are what lured me here in the first place, actually and the suggestion from a frienf that they also have a café onsite, the downfall was that the café was closed due to a coffee machine malfunction:(
The current exhibition by contemporary Marc Blake was also really good, a talented artist with an eye for creative expression, colour and design.

Awesome awesome awesome! My partner and I discovered the TSB Wallace art centre while we were doing an alternate route of the Auckland coast to coast walk from Onehunga to the Prince’s wharf. The grounds surrounding the Pah homestead are beautifully abundant and even dog friendly. Inside the art center is several galleries of some of NZ’s finest contemporary art. The vibe of it is completely unpretentious and showcases some provocative works. The trust has done an excellent job in restoring the homestead while giving it a modern feel at the same time There’s a café that is supposed to be pretty good and a sculpture garden to delight in. This place is a real gem and graciously accepts donations for entry.

A beautiful art venue in the heart of suburbia. This grand old home of the Wallace family contains a great selection of art and sculpture as well as hosting a number of regular art prize contenders. Worth a visit on a sunny or wet Sunday. It’s café offers liquid and cake filled respite along the way.

Pah Homestead is one of Auckland’s secret gems. It used to be known as Monte Cecilia House and was refurbished in the Noughties to become what it is today — the home of the James Wallace Arts Trust art collection and The Pah Café, set inside the most gorgeous historic homestead surrounded by stunningly beautiful grounds.
Dating from 1877, the house itself retains its original character and looks out over its own park of mature trees. It it set well back from the road and has a very ample carpark for visitors which is a bonus but make sure you take a walk through the park! Once a home to nuns and orphans and then abandoned and neglected for many years, a fun fact is that this is where Bic Runga recorded her album Birds.
Now owned by Auckland City, the house and grounds are available to hire as an event venue and I think it’s one of the most special places in the city. Go there!

The introduction of the TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre (a very catchy name) bought a touch of class to the area that had been sadly lacking in recent years.
Set in a restored Pah Homestead, within the confines of Monte Cecilia Park — which boasts the biggest collection of northern hemisphere trees in New Zealand — the arts centre provides a stunning introduction to contemporary art, one which seems quite at odds with the surroundings.
You can walk in on any different week and be suprised with something new, as they are constantly changing around the exhibits. Watch out if you take your kids and are a bit squeamish about things such as genitals however — you never know what kind of dad dick may be lurking around the corner .
They have a nice café, with good coffee and lovely grounds to drink it in, with a small sculpture walk in the back garden.

I stumbled across this place while out for a run, seeing the sign on Mt Albert Road. And what a great find, with it’s wonderful park and a historic homestead that includes an art gallery and a café.
I took my mum when she was visiting and she loved looking around. While there we visited the café and had devonshire tea. It was a reasonable $ 9.50 for a delicious scone with cream and jam — and it was no hassle to substitute the tea for hot chocolate /​a coffee.
The Pah homestead is another wonderful gift to the people of Auckland, providing a relaxing park in the middle of suburbia.

Pah Homestead is the home of the James Wallace Trust’s Art Collection. It’s a wide ranging collection, largely built around the annual Wallace Art Awards, and the breadth of it means that there’s both gems and ones that aren’t such gems! However, there’s usually so much on display that you’re bound to find some works that you will connect with.
Even if you don’t, the Pah Homestead itself has a fascinating history, and has a great location in Monte Cecilia Park with views out towards the Manukau harbour. There’s also an onsite café and I can recommend high tea on the balcony; you get a generous tray of food for $ 25 per head, which is great value. Champagne is extra!

This historic home located in Hillsborough’s Monte Cecilia Park is a beauty. I came here only last month after having lived in Hillsborough for 5 years and not knowing it existed. It is a lovely old home, high varnished wooden floors and rose ceilings. There is a café too, but rather than sit inside opt for the wide sweeping veranda, that is the best place to sit. As you walk down from the veranda is a small yard, there are some quite cool sculptures here and a pretty garden with some sculptures amongst the flowers. Around the back of the property are park benches and some massive palm trees, it is a stunning home.
There are various exhibitions and events here so to find out what is on visit the website. Additionally there is an art store where you can buy works of art such as ceramics, glass and jewellery.