Refrigeration Revolution

Discover how the Edwin Fox’s 1885 conversion into a floating freezer reshaped global food trade and powered New Zealand’s economy.

Essential Info
Type
Exhibition
Start Date
03 Jul 2025
End Date
Restrictions
Ticket Pricing
Our ticket pricing below is in NZD and is priced per person.
Adult
(
ages 15 and over
)
$15
Kids
(
ages 5 to 14 years
)
$5
Kids Under 5
(
)
FREE
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Exhibition Overview

“Refrigeration Revolution” showcases the pioneering engineering that transformed a sailing ship into one of the world’s first refrigerated storage vessels.

Key Displays

  • Original Machinery: Boilers, compressors, and piping from the 1885 retrofit.
  • Engineering Blueprints: Period diagrams illustrating the installation process.
  • Trade Impact Infographics: Data visualisations mapping export growth in meat and dairy.

Hands-On Stations

  • Mini‐Refrigeration Model: Operate a scaled-down freezer system and learn the mechanics.
  • Virtual Cargo Hold Tour: Interactive 3D walkthrough of the converted hold.
  • Expert Demonstrations: Friday evening talks with maritime engineers.
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Testimonial
Wow this was a gem we didn't expect. A lovely museum full of stuff, a really interesting short movie about the Edwin Fox - and seeing a real 1853 convict ship in real life is one of those once in a lifetime things! Well worth the entry fee. Thank you .
Wow this is a gem!
A must visit especially if you want to learn about your ancestors and how they came to New Zealand. Very interesting and lots of information about the ship that bought many of our ancestors to New Zealand. Interactive, good for kids and very interesting video. Worth spending at least an hour looking through. Staff were very knowledgeable and keen to help. Good variety of merchandise for sale.
A must visit!
What a great museum!!! So well curated with informative displays and to be able to walk around the ship is an amazing experience. Would highly recommend.
A little gem of a museum. If you are in Picton just go, you won’t regret it!
Wonderful to see the Edwin Fox in dry dock being preserved for the future. The story of how it happened including captivating displays, personal stories and easy to digest explanation via a top movie presentation shown in the 1st floor mini theatre together bring this important history to life and make you glad you visited Picton.
An Important story for NZ and Australia
Excellent price for what's on offer. I loved the upstairs room with the chronology of the boat, the documentary video about it, and also the more general history of shipping in the area. The ancient boat itself was the cherry on top. Great experience and thoroughly recommended!!
Delightful museum
Exterior of the Edwin Fox Maritime Museum, a stone building with a gray metal roof, set against lush green hills and blue sky.