The Wairoa District Heritage Museum situated at 142 Marine Parade Wairoa opened at the present site in 2001. It is housed in the old Union Bank of Australia building which is registered with the NZ Historical Places Trust. The museum presents historical displays related to the Maori and European history of the Wairoa area and surrounding districts. The strength of this museum lies in its photographic collections that present a pictorial history from the 1890s through to the present day. There is also a very strong collection of Maori taonga.