The Waikouaiti Coast Heritage Centre is a volunteer-run regional museum at 200 Main Road in Waikouaiti, on the Otago coast north of Dunedin. Its collection of 19,000 items spans eight main areas, and its gallery and gift shop sell paintings, craft work, souvenirs and gift lines, many made by local craftspeople.
Entry to the gift shop, gallery and heritage display is free. The centre is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm, and it offers group tours at other times by arrangement. Guided tours of the historic bank building cost $5 per adult as at 2026, with free entry for children under 16.
The genealogy research service is a draw for people who want to know how their family connected with the area. The centre also has an information centre and sells document and photographic reproductions.
The main building is the two-storey former Bank of New Zealand building, designed by Robert A Lawson in 1867 and built from limestone and cavity brick. Its veranda was added in 1927 and it is a listed heritage building. Work is under way to restore it. The centre is run by the Waikouaiti District Museum Society, which was formed in 1966, and it takes donations into its bank account. Groups can phone 03 465 7869.