It all started one day in 1971 when a man called in to see the then Mayor of Te Aroha, Mr. Henry Skidmore, about buying an old plough from him.  When Henry asked what he wanted it for, the man replied, “For a museum."

That set the Mayor thinking. “That’s just what we need in Te Aroha, a museum.”  He called a public meeting and on 30th June 1971 the museum was born.

Now housed in the historic Cadman Building Te Aroha museum has a fine array of local artifacts and archives along with displays, photos and exhibits, recalling the diverse history of this beautiful little town nestled under the sacred mountain and along the banks of the historic Waihou river.