Museum of New Caledonia
Musée de Nouvelle-Calédonie
The best introduction to Kanak culture, with a collection of carved roof finials, masks, stone adzes and artifacts from the islands of Oceania.
The New Caledonia Museum sits south of the city center. It is the island’s most important ethnographic museum and presents traditional Kanak society in depth: carved finials from the roofs of great huts, door posts, masks, green jade stone axes, bamboo carvings and shell money, along with objects from Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and other parts of Oceania. The outdoor courtyard has a reconstructed traditional great hut. It’s recommended to visit here before the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, as it makes Kanak culture easier to understand. The museum closed for an extension and renovation in recent years, so check opening hours and admission prices on its official website before you go.
Opening hours
Check official announcements
Nearby sights
- St Joseph's Cathedral
- Port Moselle Market
- Place des Cocotiers
- Nouméa City Museum
- Maritime Museum of New Caledonia
- Michel Corbasson Zoological and Forest Park
- Baie des Citrons
- Aquarium des Lagons