The Weta Cave

This has to be one of the best things you can do in Wellington, if you're a LOTR fan!

When you visit the Weta Cave (the shop), you can see prop replicas that you can purchase. But the real props can be seen on the Weta Workshop tour, so definitely spring for that.

We started our visit outside where there are three giant troll sculptures you can scream in front of (LOL) When we were there, our guide lifted up one of the trolls' little aprons and there were actual small Wetas (the insect) scurrying underneath! So cool.

Once inside the Weta Cave, you can see a few neat exhibits there, like Hobbit feet, an impressive Gollum sculpture, Sting (the Sword), and Theoden's armor - just to name a few.

If you like seeing all of that, then while you purchase items from the Weta Cave, also purchase tickets to the Weta Workshop tour! That's where all the movie magic happens.

Photos aren't allowed on the Workshop tour, but you won't need photos to remember all that you see. The Halo Warthog, Sauron's armor (really light), Hellboy's firearm (actually really heavy!) - just to list a couple and not spoil everything. And yes, you do get to touch and hold some of the actual screen-used props! Ah!

We also got first-hand views of the armorer workshop - behind glass of course. It was super fun to see them working on these swords, helmets, weaponry, etc.

If you have come so far to visit the Weta Cave, definitely also do the Weta Workshop tour!

Great for movie enthusiasts and LoTR fans, well-worth stopping by for us! Book your tickets in advance online to guarantee your spots - they have tours running daily and hourly depending on availability. The tour guides are super friendly and informative, you aren't allowed to take photos inside due to copyright reasons, but the experience is so fun and the props and process is so cool to see. It is not a large space, since it's pretty much part of their studio and they've outfitted part of it for the weta cave. But there's lots to see in terms of movie props, models, process, and information on what they do for movie production.

The Weta Cave has a lot of souvenirs and things to browse, though with the pandemic their inventory has become more limited - you may not find everything you want because they simply don't have stock. They do have a lot of limited releases of miniatures, figurines, artwork and posters that you should check out if you are fans, but overall I wouldn't say it's it fully stocked shop to begin with.

The Weta Cave Studio Tour was very disappointing. I have done the Harry Potter world in London and expected something similar but not as large. This was very tiny (like 3 rooms) and disappointing with not that many props. It was cool that there was an area to touch different props to see the difference, but I was quite bored and it was very short. I wouldn't recommend it. However, we did see the studios where Peter Jackson works, and also the world's largest green screen- outdoors, with no security. As our tour guide stated- "Kiwis don't really care about celebrities- they're just people. And sitting outside of someone's house for a picture is considered stalking and that is illegal." I wish the US would catch onto this.

After visiting Hobbiton and seeing the gorgeous vistas of New Zealand that embody the world of Tolkien, I was thrilled to be going to the Weta Cave and Workshop, where all the magic happened. This ended up being one of the disappointments of our trip, however, not without some positives.

If you aren't interested in reading the long experience below, my simple advice: come here on your own time with your own transportation, do the tour once, then explore Miramar and the studios on your own.

We opted for the There and Back Again tour, which includes a shuttle ride from downtown Wellington to Miramar and back. Our driver was nice and showed us some key areas of the city that have a special place to a fan of the films. First off, everything felt rushed right from the beginning. After a nice drive through Miramar and pointing out some of the studio buildings, we were dropped at the Weta Cave and Weta Workship with a strict timetable of when we'd be leaving (I personally don't like to think about departure before I even got to experience where I am).

We were checked in by our driver and given a chip to see a special documentary. We had a few minutes to look around at the Weta Cave, which is honestly just a gift shop of Weta Workshop's amazing replicas and collectibles. I definitely wanted some time to look here, but we were whisked away to the movie. There was no one else in the room. It was a great 26-min film about the history of the studio with interviews with key people, but it's something I could have watched on my own. After the film we again tried to look at the gift shop, but our tour was starting.

We went out with our group and tour guide. I'll leave his name out of it, but I wish we had had someone else. He was not from NZ and clearly moved there to be part of the studio and got stuck being a tour guide. He was apathetic, uninteresting, and robotic in what he talked about. More than once he stopped to listen to his radio and hurry us along because "there was a big important group here today throwing everything off". We did not care; we should've been treated like the only people there.

The tour itself isn't much. It's a room by room tour of the old Workshop (which is no longer used), where you get to see screen-used props. It was genuinely cool seeing this stuff, but again, it'd have been better if it was a self-guided museum. Our tour was done early, only about 35 min. When it was over and I realized that was it, I was further deflated. We headed back to the gift shop to get our souvenirs, which was honestly the highlight of the experience. I started looking with half an hour before our shuttle was scheduled to leave, when the driver comes in and asks if we're ready to go. I was privately very upset and set absolutely not, we'll be ready at the appointed time. This seemed to be an issue, but I took the time I was given.

We purchased some amazing things we'll each treasure forever, Weta Workshop makes detailed collectibles and replicas of their film creations as well as original things. The workers in the giftshop were great. The replica "museum" to the side had more screen-used props and miniatures. Everything is expensive, but worth the time that goes into it.

Our shuttle back took a leisurely route, and our nice driver from earlier then tried to sell us a bunch of different tour packages we weren't interested in. I would definitely come back to the Weta Cave for shopping, but will never take the tour again, especially the option with the shuttle.

Got a new wedding ring...my precious!

We did the "There and back again full experience". Included the Lord of The Rings, Thunderbirds Are Go tour, and transportation from downtown Wellington.

This was my favorite thing that we did in Wellington. I knew that the Weta Workshop worked on a lot of movies but I was blown away at how many. They helped out on some fight scenes in The Avengers, Xmen, and countless more!

Also learned that they made the huge/detailed sculptures for the Te Papa Museum. As well as Smaug and Gandalf at the Wellington Airport!

Even walking through the gift shop was incredible with all of the statues. Even though you can't take pictures on the majority of the tour you can take pictures during certain parts at the end of the tour and in the gift shop.

Highly highly recommend coming here!

By far one of the coolest things we did while in New Zealand!

We did a tour of the workshop as well as a a chainmail and leather making hands-on workshop. You get to make chainmail with instructors who worked on chainmail for movie sets as well as make a key chain from leather. Definitely a must-do for the LOTR fans!

Even if you don't want to pay for a tour, the "gift shop" offers SO much to see as well as a free informational video on Weta and its meager beginnings!

Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Wellington!!

Weta Workshop was easily my #1 pick and most memorable experience. The tour shows you how Weta Workshop designs and manufactures effects for films like The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia and others. I made advanced reservations for the Combo Tour -- highly recommended -- since it allows you to experience the 2 most popular tours in one package.

In the first part of the tour, we got to go inside a converted area of Weta Workshop, which houses realistic (and often creepy!) props, costumes, creatures and vehicles created for the big screen. But probably the highlight of the tour was getting to wander through Manufacture Alley, an interactive section where you can learn all about the artistry and craft of the different roles involved in the film industry such as costume design or robotics. Just as the first part was about to wrap, we got to meet a Weta crew member who took us through the process of making props for different movies he worked on.

In the 2nd part, you'll explore the miniature sets created for the TV series Thunderbirds Are Go. Okay, so my husband and I were pretty much the only people on our tour who never heard of this series. But apparently, it's based on a 1960's British sci-fi show that featured puppets characters on miniature sets. However, Weta has modernized the concept by featuring a blend of digital characters along with physical sets.

First, I think its best if you find a ride there. Uber or take a bus. A lot cheaper if you do it that way. Don't be late and get there at least 15 minutes early.
The tour itself is small but good. You get to see behind the scenes of how they make movie props and more! If you are a Peter Jackson fan you will definitely find this interesting and up your alley. I'm not the biggest fan and have never seen Lord of the Rings but I still found this very insightful.

Do the tour!
Incredible minds inspire imagination.
WOW!
Then go to Te Papa to see Peter Jacksons new adventure.

Thank you to our guide Reece for such an entertaining, funny, and informative tour! I love that the guides are artists/designers themselves so you can see the passion they have for the work displayed and also know firsthand all of the hours and hours and dedication that goes toward creating movie magic. We initially were just doing the free mini-museum but happy we decided to do the tour. You learn so much more and really enjoyed it! Plus Reece was great at answering any questions so if you have any questions from your favorite movies that Weta Workshop worked on make sure to ask your guide! Everyone inside the giftshop and where we paid for our tickets were also very friendly!