Old Bank Arcade

Opened in 1901 as the Bank of New Zealand's head office, it holds the corner of Lambton Quay and Willis Street, all columns, arched windows and polished detail. Wellington had the good sense to restore rather than replace it, and the old banking chamber now holds boutique stores and cafés under the original ceilings.

Time your visit for the top of the hour. The musical clock hanging in the arcade opens up and its animated figures act out scenes from the site's history while the chimes play. Look down as well as up: glass panels in the floor reveal the timbers of Plimmer's Ark, a ship that ended up beneath the building when this stretch of the city was still shoreline.

It's a five-minute walk along Lambton Quay from James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor. Come for the history, stay for a coffee in the chamber.