New Zealand artist Bruce Mahalsky always dreamed of working in a museum. But he wanted to find something original, that is why the searching was rather difficult. So, he decided to make a museum for himself. The Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery is a small but amazing collection of unique items showing the beauty and quaintness of bones. 

Located in three rooms of the old villa in the city center, the museum has a collection of skulls, bones, biological wonders, ethnological art, and unusual cultural and paranormal artifacts. The artist was collecting these exhibits throughout his life.

There is also a gallery with specific texture bone sculptures of the artist and animal paintings on canvas. People and animals in full growth, collected from thousands of small bone fragments, amaze with the originality and the immense work. 

Some exhibits in the museum were personally selected or offered by friends and colleagues of the artist. Almost everything in the museum has a deep connection with the natural world. But some other interesting items are suiting the common atmosphere of the wonders’ “storage”.

The collection is always changing. New paintings and sculptures appear, the others become unsuitable. It is like a living organism. The artist creates new installations, improves, and updates the old ones.

Though the museum is small, it has charm. And if in huge museums and galleries you can miss something because of the abundance of exhibits and information, in this cozy gallery you will pay attention to every detail.

The museum is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A visit to the museum costs 5 New Zealand dollars, but children under 10 years old can enjoy the collection for free. It is located on a hill, close to George Street.