Wanaka, South Island

Puzzling World Tumbling Towers

Tumbling Towers

Leaning Tower girls

Leaning Tower

Puzzle Centre

Puzzle Centre

Roman Toilets

Roman Toilets

Puzzling World

Ames Room

Puzzling World 3

The Great Maze, Wanaka

Puzzling World 6

Puzzle Abyss Toilets

Puzzling World 5

Ames Room

Puzzling World

Welcome to Wanaka’s wonderful world of weirdness!

For over 50 years Puzzling World has been baffling brains in the Great Maze and challenging reality in the Illusion Rooms.   

Take amazing photos, enjoy the Puzzle Centre, café and gift shop and visit New Zealand’s most incredible public toilets!   Offering a great day out for all ages, Puzzling World provides affordable, world-unique entertainment making it a “must-see” addition to your NZ itinerary.   

Activity Age Information 
Ideal for all ages. Please supervise children in the illusion rooms.

Admission Rates: valid til 31 March 2025
Combo Admission; Illusion Rooms PLUS Great Maze: Adult $27.50, Child $20, Seniors $24.50
Family Pass:  $85 (2x adult + 2 x child)  (Child is 5–15 years, Seniors over 65 years)
Puzzport 12 month pass: Adult $69, Child $50

For individual activity prices, vouchers and deals click here >>

EXTRA STUFF  Themed toilets and free to use puzzle centre on-site. Snack shop with hot and cold food, drinks and ice cream. A must-visit for the family, this is educational, very interactive and above all, lots of fun for all ages!

 
Birthday Parties

Kids always have a great time here (as well as big kids at heart!) so we welcome kids parties and offer a large reserved booth in our Puzzle Centre and special rates on admission and kids snack packs.

Contact us to discuss how we can make your child’s day extra special or check out some of our birthday party deals here >>

Annual Passes (Puzzports)

We have launched our multi-entry “PUZZPORT”. Visit us often with visiting family or friends? Want to join your kids on a rainy day in our Illusion Rooms without paying full price each time? – then this is for you.
Just $69 for an Adult or $50 for Children (5-15 years) gives unlimited access for the cardholder for 12 months.
Order on-line or in the shop to recieve your passport to Puzzling fun!!

Puzzling World History

Wanaka’s Puzzling World was opened in 1973 and started with the world’s first 3-D Super Maze!  The brainchild of Stuart and Jan Landsborough, the Puzzle Centre and then the Illusion Rooms followed soon after. Boasting the Hologram Hall, Tilted House, Hall of Following Faces and Ames Room (where dwarfs and giants are created!) followed by 1999’s Leaning Tower of Wanaka and the famous Roman Toilets these developments helped cement its standing amongst the world’s weirdest attractions.
In 2004 Stuart handed over the reins to daughter Heidi and son-in-law Duncan Spear, and in 2012 they opened the exciting Sculptillusion Gallery. 

 
Other Languages

China >>
Korea >>
Japan >>

North Island

South Island

Map of New Zealand
  • Central Otago
  • Auckland
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Christchurch
  • Dunedin
  • Coromandel
  • Gisborne
  • Fiordland
  • Hawkes Bay
  • Marlborough Sounds
  • Manawatu
  • Nelson & Golden Bay
  • Northland
  • North Canterbury
  • Queenstown
  • Rotorua
  • South Canterbury
  • Taranaki
  • Southland
  • Taupo
  • Wanaka
  • Waikato
  • Wellington
  • West Coast
  • Whangarei
  • Bay of Islands
  • Tauranga
  • Gisborne
  • Hamilton
  • Napier
  • Kapiti
  • Palmerston North
  • Whanganui
  • New Plymouth
  • Arrowtown
  • Te Anau
  • Akaroa
  • Ashburton
  • Hanmer
  • Kaikoura
  • Methven
  • Mt Cook
  • Oamaru
  • Tekapo
  • Timaru
  • Abel Tasman
  • Motueka
  • Nelson Lakes
  • Blenheim
  • Picton
  • Catlins
  • Gore
  • Stewart Island
  • Central Plateau
  • Invercargill
  • Cromwell
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Westport
  • Glenorchy

Our favourite destinations…

Auckland

New Zealand’s economic heart and biggest city is also an exciting family visitor destination, situated on a sunny harbour with city beaches just minutes away from the CBD. Orientate yourself by heading down to Viaduct Harbour, wandering the waterfront, checking out the super yachts or enjoying the waterfront restaurants. Nearby is the must-visit Sky Tower along with excellent and kid-friendly museums and tons of exciting activities!

Wellington

Wellington is New Zealand’s capital. Here you will find New Zealand's parliament buildings, including the 'Executive Wing', more well-known as 'The Beehive' due to its distinctive shape. Another icon to look out for is the Wellington Tram, which was the main means of public transport between 1878 and 1964.

Christchurch

With a population of around 400,000 Christchurch, in Canterbury, is the South Island ’s largest city, yet much of it has the feel of a small town. Perhaps that’s why it’s known as the Garden City but with the expansive Hagley Park, Botanic Gardens, Port Hills, River Avon and numerous beaches the city certainly has an open, relaxed feel that’s hard to beat.

Queenstown

With its well-deserved reputation as New Zealand’s activity adventure capital you’ll never run out of activities and things to do in Queenstown, but you may run out of time! With breathtaking scenery, activities and festivals, cafes and restaurants, skiing and snowboarding, shopping and wineries, this lakeside alpine resort rates as one of the world’s top vacation destinations for all ages and seasons.

Rotorua

Rotorua sits on the shore of Lake Rotorua, one of sixteen lakes in the area formed by hundreds of thousands of years of eruptions from the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The area is renowned for its geothermal activity and top of any activity list is to see the bubbling mud pools that are around the region for yourself. The Waimangu Volcanic Valley offers a first hand insight into the devastation caused by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera and is a great place to discover steaming volcanic craters and bubbling, spitting  pools of mud!

Nelson and Golden Bay

The Nelson and Golden Bay regions, at the top of the South Island, boast enviable sunshine hours, glorious sandy beaches, safe swimming spots, lots of wildlife to look out for, and Abel Tasman National Park - an absolute must to explore, on foot, by kayak, your own craft or watertaxi.  Nelson is home to a vibrant arts and crafts community with a fabulous Saturday market, and is close to award-winning wineries and family-friendly bike tracks to take you around the coast.

Hawkes Bay

Napier was rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake and is now known as NZ's Art Deco City.  The Art Deco influence has created a unique city – nowhere else can you see such a varied concentration of art deco style. With over 2,200 sunshine hours a year, Napier is a year-round holiday destination with countless activities to entertain the kids – there's days of entertainment on Marine Parade alone, plus numerous other family-friendly trips and activities.  Add to that the beaches, walks and flat cycle paths, outdoor cafes and entertainment, and you have a perfect holiday destination!

Northland

Beautiful, unspoiled beaches, fishing, historic gum fields, kauri forests – the Far North has it all. With subtropical temperatures, it's often known as ‘the Winterless north', with warm, humid summers and mild winters.
Gateway to the Bay of Islands, Paihia is a pretty, lively beachside town and a perfect base for your family holiday. It’s your start point for Bay of Island adventures including day cruises, sailing, kayaking, swimming with dolphins and reef or wreck diving.