Make Parliament part of your Wellington Open Day

"The public are invited to make Parliament part of their Wellington Open Day experience this Sunday," says Parliament Visitor Services Manager Philippa Henwood.

"We will be open from 10am until 5pm. Come along and take the time to visit Parliament".

The Wellington Open Day on Sunday 26 June, organised by Positively Wellington Tourism, is a way to educate Wellingtonians about tourism products in the Wellington region before the influx of visitors expected for the Rugby World Cup 2011.

Free, one-hour guided tours of Parliament will begin on the hour at the Visitor Centre in the foyer of the Beehive (Executive Wing). The tours cover: the everyday life and activities of Parliament, learning about New Zealand's system of government and parliamentary processes; finding out about the history, architecture, refurbishment, and restoration of Parliament Buildings; and discovering some of the artworks displayed in the parliamentary precinct. Philippa says specialist artwork tours will be a feature of the Wellington Open Day.

"We have specifically designed an artwork tour which will run four times. It is an opportunity to view significant art, not normally included in the regular tour. Visitors taking these tours will be asked to make a gold coin donation to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal," she said.

The 1.5 hour long artwork tour will visit three buildings in the precinct. It will include the Pacific and Asia themed rooms in Parliament House, a special exhibition of 10 Dutch-New Zealand artists in the Bowen House exhibition space, and the opportunity to view significant art from the Parliamentary collection in locations off the regular tour route.

Visitors must pre-book for one of the four artwork tours as space is limited. To book, email the Tour Desk at tour.desk@parliament.govt.nz or phone (04) 817 9503.

Visitors for the normal Parliamentary Tours running on the hour do not need to book but are advised to arrive early.

All visitors to Parliament must complete security screening and store their luggage (including cameras) in the secure storage facilities.

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