The best museums New Caledonia

This is THE visit not to be missed during your stay in New Caledonia. A masterpiece of the architect Renzo Piano, the Tjibaou Cultural Center is the result of the Agency for the Development of Kanak Culture (ACDK) founded following the Matignon Agreement. Inaugurated in 1998, this center aims to promote Melanesian culture.
Built on the very spot where the Melanesia 2000 festival was held in 1975 by Jean-Marie Tjibaou (the independence leader assassinated in 1989, in whose honor a statue erected on the heights of a hill overlooks the site), it celebrates France's recognition of the traditions and history of the Kanak people.
It was a long and arduous task for Renzo Piano, an internationally renowned architect (Osaka-Kansai airport, Georges Pompidou center), who undertook this ambitious project. It is a contemporary interpretation of the island's architectural heritage where the combination of steel and wood bridges modern and traditional styles.
The building, organized around a central alley flanked by columnar pines, links the ten large stylized huts that reflect the ten customary areas of New Caledonia.
The latter house numerous exhibition rooms evoking the culture, history and customs of the Kanak civilization, one of which is dedicated to the life of Jean-Marie Tjibaou.
The center also hosts various artistic events, temporary exhibitions, festivals, conferences and screenings. The Bérétara room honors contemporary Kanak and Oceanian art. The two media libraries (Ngan Vhalik for multimedia and Mwà Véé for books) have many interesting works on Melanesian and Oceanian cultures as well as many books on the theme of Kanak identity.
Outside, the Kanak Way, an initiatory plant walk that retraces in five stages (the origin of beings, the nourishing earth, the land of the ancestors, the land of the spirits and rebirth) the legend of the creation of the first man, the founding hero Téâ Kanaké, allows one to grasp the strength of the link with nature in Kanak society and the very great importance it gives to plants.
In this landscaped park, one discovers the symbolic vegetation of Melanesia, as well as the three traditional huts of the Mwakaa customary area, one for each of the New Caledonian provinces (North, South and the Loyalty Islands).
A dance show representing the creation myth is held every Tuesday at 2:30 pm in the gardens.

This museum is installed in an old colonial building. It traces the world of mining and the history of the region. The Le Nickel company (SLN), founded in 1880, was at the origin of development in Thio. It set up the infrastructure necessary for the exploitation of the site. The mines, the ore processing plant and the shipping wharf required a large workforce, half of which was recruited from Japan. A very interesting museum directly related to the modern exploitation that you can appreciate by visiting the mine.

This museum invites visitors to discover the maritime history of New Caledonia. The discovery is articulated around four themes: the sails of trade, maritime migrations, maritime links and the marking of the country and the voyage of La Pérouse during the Age of Enlightenment. Temporary exhibitions allow visitors to learn more about various themes related to the sea throughout the year.

It is a recommended stop on your arrival on the Pebble! In this beautiful colonial house, you will discover the history of New Caledonia, its mixed populations, the major political decisions from 1853 to 1939, as well as the participation of Kanak infantrymen and Caledonian soldiers in the First World War and the historical turning points that the territory experienced, such as the nickel boom between 1966 and 1971. Once the visit is over, you can take a break in the museum gardens, located behind the veranda.

Opened in 1971, the Museum of New Caledonia is entirely devoted to Oceanian and Melanesian traditions. The first floor is dedicated to the Kanaks and one can discover sculptures of the Grande Case. Puzzles made of gaïac wood, totems and masks are also on display. The mezzanine is generally turned towards the South Pacific and covers, for example, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, etc.

Jean-Louis Martin will make you discover his honey house, the point of sale and the mini-museum of the bees which were installed in a large yellow house decorated with honeycombs. Niaouli honey, letchi honey, jamelon honey, coffee honey, royal jelly... Enough to delight the gourmets. The honey house has a direct sales point if you want to leave with one (or more!) jar(s) of their delicious honey. A "Discovery Farm" excursion is also possible to learn all about beekeeping through the ages.