Cantabrians are invited to reflect on their earthquake experiences at Quake City during an upcoming free entry weekend.

The Canterbury Museum special exhibition will waive its usual entry fee for visitors on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 August.

The exhibition is designed to take visitors through the events of the Canterbury earthquakes, from the first shake on 4 September 2010, through the destruction and rescue efforts of 22 February 2011 and the cleanup and rebuild over subsequent years.

Almost 250,000 visitors have seen Quake City since it opened in February 2013, including 51,000 since it moved from Cashel Mall to 299 Durham Street North in September 2017.

Canterbury Museum Director Anthony Wright hopes locals take advantage of this opportunity to see how the Museum presents the events they’ve lived through.

“Quake City is a safe place for Cantabrians to remember and reflect on their own earthquake experiences. I hope they take the opportunity to visit the exhibition for free,” he says.

Quake City exhibits some of the defining objects of the Canterbury earthquakes, including top of the spire of ChristChurch Cathedral, as well as items like road cones, water containers and portaloos that were part of many Cantabrians’ lives post-earthquake.

Visitors can harness pedal power to watch a short film on Gap Filler’s cycle-powered cinema, or design new buildings for Christchurch using Lego bricks. There are also scientific explanations for what caused the quakes and why the February seismic event, in particular, was so destructive.

The upcoming free entry weekend is supported by the exhibition’s major sponsor, the Earthquake Commission (EQC).

EQC General Manager Resilience Dr Hugh Cowan says “the Earthquake Commission is proud to be a major sponsor of the Quake City exhibition. The earthquakes will forever be a part of Christchurch’s history and this exhibition is a way for residents and visitors to connect with the events on many different levels – from the science behind them to the incredible human stories of community resilience. Support for such initiatives is a key part of what EQC does to promote awareness and understanding of natural disaster risk.”

Quake City, 299 Durham Street North, corner Armagh Street, open 10.00 am to 5.00 pm daily (except Christmas Day). Admission charges normally apply.

For more information go to https://www.canterburymuseum.com/whats-on/quake-city-free-weekend/

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