Clapham National Clock Museum

Clapham National Clock Museum

The Clapham National Clock Museum was established by clock collector Clapham, who was born in Yorkshire, came to New Zealand in 1903, and eventually settled in Whangarei. He was highly knowledgeable in clock collecting, and his sense of humor was also world-renowned.

He collected over 400 clocks and music boxes, some of which are rare in the world and still in working condition. In 1961, he sold his treasures to the local government for a symbolic amount of money. The government then established the current Clapham National Clock Museum. Since then, the museum has expanded in size and grown its collection, allowing visitors to gain a comprehensive understanding of the history of clock development. There are countless clocks of all sizes in the museum, featuring an incredibly diverse array of styles that are truly dazzling. Wandering through this world of timepieces, one can’t help but marvel at the boundless creativity and imagination of humankind reflected in the clocks' designs and colors.

Featured clocks in the museum include longcase pendulum clocks, automatic memorandum clocks, and Vienna regulator clocks. One particularly creative clock features the head of an animal or a skull, with the hour displayed in the left eye and the minute in the right eye—both eyes roll up and down as time passes, making it quite amusing.

Claphams National Clock Museum

Must-visit reason: New Zealand’s most interesting clock museum

Continent where the attraction is located: Oceania

Country/region where the attraction is located: New Zealand

Province/state where the attraction is located: Northland Region

City where the attraction is located: Whangarei