All Blacks Experience, Auckland : A family friendly guide to visiting with a toddler and what to expect
If there's one thing New Zealand takes very seriously, it's rugby. Even if you're not a huge of the sport yourself, it's difficult to travel around the country without encountering the All Blacks somewhere along the way. Rugby is woven into life in Aotearoa New Zealand in a way that goes far beyond what happens on the pitch, with the sport tied to community, identity, whakapapa (the Māori concept of genealogy and the connections between people, place and generations) and a strong sense of national pride.
David, as a lifelong Wales supporter and huge rugby fan, has always regarded the All Blacks with a mixture of admiration and a healthy amount of fear. They were the team that seemed almost unbeatable, and he still vividly remembers being nine years old and watching Jonah Lomu and the All Blacks destroy Wales at Wembley in the 1990s.
I, on the other hand, enjoy following the World Cup with David, but I don't support a domestic team. So when we were planning our time in Auckland, the All Blacks Experience caught our attention for a slightly different reason. We knew David would love it, but we also liked the idea of learning more about the spiritual meaning and community values behind the black jersey, including the Māori and Pasifika cultures that are such an important part of New Zealand's sporting identity.
And then there's Jamie, who at almost three years old has absolutely no idea what a scrum, lineout or All Black is, but is very enthusiastic about anything involving noise, running or the opportunity to get stuck in. It sounded like a great family morning out!
So would there be enough here for all three of us to enjoy, or would this end up being an attraction for David while I wrangled the toddler elsewhere? We headed along to find out.
Disclosure: We were kindly provided with complimentary admission to the All Blacks Experience as part of a collaboration. As always, all opinions and experiences are our own.
What happens at the All Blacks Experience?
The All Blacks Experience is a guided, interactive journey through the story of New Zealand rugby, combining player stories and sporting history with Māori and Pasifika culture, the haka and a chance to test your own rugby skills.
The experience is divided into five interactive zones. Along the way, you'll learn more about the players and teams that have shaped New Zealand rugby, explore some of the spirituality and traditions connected with the black jersey, experience two absolutely thunderous haka and then get the chance to have a go at kicking, line outs and passing in the interactive skills area.
Rather than a collection of rugby memorabilia and trophies, the All Blacks Experience is heavily driven by audio visuals and audience participation, and much of the focus is about the people behind the teams and the culture surrounding New Zealand rugby, which is what made it interesting to us as a family with very different levels of interest in the sport.
Learning the story of New Zealand rugby
The experience begins by putting the All Blacks into the wider story of New Zealand rugby, looking at how the game developed and the role it has come to play in the country.
One of the amazing objects you'll encounter is Te Whatu, the mauri stone that travels with New Zealand's national teams. Mauri refers to the life force or vital essence within living things, while Te Whatu is regarded as a taonga, a treasured object of cultural significance. The stone was gifted to the All Blacks in 2015 by Ngāi Tahu, one of New Zealand's major Māori iwi, and represents a connection between the teams, the land and the people of Aotearoa.
Be aware that if the All Blacks are playing away during your visit, the stone won't be on display as it will be travelling with them.
Moving on, a recreated club room features a video about the incredible grassroots programme that New Zealand Rugby champions: kids are encouraged to start playing from the age of three, and with over 500 rugby clubs across the country, it's easy for everyone to have access to the game. It's little wonder that the All Blacks are such fearsome opposition when they have such a tremendous pool of talent to draw from!
Getting Competitive
In the next room, we learned about what makes the All Blacks so successful, covering performing under pressure, tactics and coaching through a series of rapid fire computer games and puzzles. We were divided into two teams and each visitor stood in front of their own computer screen before being asked to do various tasks against the clock, such as tapping objects on screen as fast as we could, concentrating on individual projects under pressure and making tactical decisions during a match, Jamie was too little to join in with this bit but he enjoyed watching, older kids would love it.
Getting to know the All Blacks and Black Ferns
Before facing the haka, we moved into a recreation of the All Blacks' changing room, where audiovisual stories from former and current players gave an insight into their stories behind the jersey, their careers and the moments that have shaped New Zealand rugby, along with the dedication, discipline and resilience involved in reaching the highest level of the sport. It was so moving to hear how much it meant to the players to be an All Black - there is a deeper connection and national pride that goes far beyond sport.
The All Blacks may be the name most visitors associate with New Zealand rugby, but the story isn't limited to the men's team. The All Blacks Experience also celebrates the Black Ferns, New Zealand's women's national rugby team.
The first 45 minutes of the tour is guided, and we learned some fascinating facts - we were staggered to find out that the All Blacks didn't turn professional until the mid 90s - they won the World Cup in 1987, unpaid!
We also enjoyed learning that the name All Blacks allegedly comes from a typo made way back in 1905 - a British journalist covering the team praised them as "playing like all backs", but a typo ran the text as all BLACKS and a legend was born.
If you're lucky, you might even get to meet a former player! We were thrilled to meet Ian Jones, now General Manager, who David saw play in the 90s, but other famous faces have also been known to pop in.
Facing the haka
Ask the man in the street to describe the All Blacks and odds are they'll mention the haka. You don't need to follow rugby to recognise the sight of New Zealand's players standing together in formation, stamping their feet and chanting in unison before a match, eyes wide and tongues sticking out. It was one of the parts of the All Blacks Experience we were particularly looking forward to seeing.
Haka have traditionally been performed for many different reasons, including welcoming visitors, celebrating achievements, honouring important people or events, expressing collective emotion and bringing people together. While some haka carry an element of challenge or confrontation, describing the haka simply as a "war dance" misses much of its wider cultural meaning.
For the All Blacks and Black Ferns, the haka is a way of connecting the players with their teammates, their heritage and the fans they represent, as well as offering a fearsome challenge to their opponents.
At the All Blacks Experience, visitors are brought face-to-face with both the All Blacks and Black Ferns in a 180-degree, multi-sensory space. Lining up along the touch line, with the opposite end of the stadium on the screen in front of you, realistic projections, sound and lighting recreate the haka around you.
The All Blacks approach, life sized, fierce and proud, sizing us up, moving together as they get into their classic wedge formation. We take a breath, nerves tingling. Then the haka begins, thunderous and fully immersive, the boom of each foot stamp was felt in our very bones! It was incredibly powerful, intimidating, awe inspiring, stirring, emotional and the Black Ferns haka that followed moved us both to tears. Wow.
Speaking of tears, the haka section is very intense for grown ups, let alone youngsters, so we brought ear defenders for Jamie (aged 2) which worked really well - he was nervous about the big glaring figures on screen but didn't ask to leave. If you don't have any, the Experience can provide ear defenders for this room.
Understanding Ka Mate and Kapa o Pango
The experience also gives some context to the different haka associated with the All Blacks. Ka Mate is the haka most international visitors will recognise, having become closely associated with the All Blacks. Composed by Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha around 1820, it tells a story of survival and triumph over adversity.
Kapa o Pango, meaning "Team in Black", was created specifically for the All Blacks and first performed in 2005. It gives the team another haka expressing its identity and connection with New Zealand. The All Blacks alternate between the two at the team's discretion.
The Black Ferns have their own haka, Ko Uhia Mai, meaning "Let it be known", which was introduced in 2017. It's magnificent! You might notice that while the women do equally powerful movements, vocalisations and wide eyes as the male haka, they don't stick their tongues out.
Want to know what the haka actually says?
If, like us, you've watched the All Blacks perform the haka countless times without ever knowing exactly what the words mean, the All Blacks Experience has put together a useful guide to the lyrics and their English translations. It includes Ka Mate, Kapa o Pango and the Black Ferns' Ko Uhia Mai, so you can read the words and understand more about the meaning behind each performance.
Testing your rugby skills
After learning about the people, history and traditions behind New Zealand rugby, we were all itching to have a go. The interactive skills zone lets visitors step onto the training field and test themselves against a series of challenges, including kicking, passing, line outs, speed and agility. Super fans can also test their trivia knowledge! Don't worry if this is your first time holding a rugby ball, videos made by famous players will coach you before you start each activity.
I was about as good as Jamie at kicking; there was no way I was getting the ball more than a foot off the ground, let alone between the posts. David's schoolboy training came flooding back and he got the highest score of our tour group! But whether you're passing like a pro or not, the skills zone is a great opportunity for the whole family to join in together.
This was the part of the experience where Jamie could get most involved. You don't need to know anything about rugby to understand that you're supposed to kick a ball, hit a target, move quickly or react to something on the screen, which makes the activities accessible even for younger visitors who won't follow the storytelling in the main tour the same way as an adult.
He absolutely adored the agility tests, where you run over patterns of green tiles against the clock, dodging red tiles that deduct from your score, although his technique was more charging in a straight line that remembering which colour to avoid.
What if you aren't a rugby fan?
Rest assured, even if you've never watched a rugby match in your life, you'll get so much from this visit. As the Experience says, New Zealand Rugby is where the "spirit of a sport meets the soul of a nation" - it goes far beyond a game. Rugby is such a force for good, community, inclusivity, passion and teamwork - all things that anyone can get behind and feel enthusiastic about.
The stories around Māori and Pasifika culture, the significance of the haka and Te Whatu, and the sense of identity and pride surrounding the black jersey - the All Blacks are such an integral part of New Zealand's essence that a visit will give as great a dose of cultural and historic context as a trip to a museum.
FAQs and Useful Information
Where is the All Blacks Experience?
The All Blacks Experience is in Auckland's SkyCity precinct, at Level 4, 88 Federal Street, right in the heart of Auckland CBD.
If you're approaching from Federal Street, the entrance is between Depot Eatery and the SkyCity Grand Hotel, with escalators taking you up to Level 4. You can also reach it from inside the SkyCity precinct via the airbridge, or from an additional entrance on Albert Street.
How long do you need at the All Blacks Experience?
The guided experience currently takes around 45 minutes, with the attraction recommending that visitors allow 60 to 90 minutes in total. This gives you time for the guided experience, the interactive skills zone and a look around the official All Blacks and Black Ferns shop.
What time does the All Blacks Experience open?
The All Blacks Experience is currently open seven days a week from 9.30am until 5pm, closing only on Christmas Day. Guided tours currently run from 10am until 4pm, with tours departing hourly and additional departures added when required.
Do you need to book the All Blacks Experience in advance?
Yes. The All Blacks Experience strongly recommends booking online in advance, particularly during busy periods, so that you can secure your preferred tour time. The current guidance is to arrive at least 15 minutes before your tour for registration.
Is the All Blacks Experience suitable for toddlers?
The All Blacks Experience welcomes children of all ages, and the interactive skills area gives younger visitors plenty of opportunities to get involved.
Bear in mind that the initial 45 minute tour involves a lot of listening to information and stories from the guide and watching videos - brilliant for grown ups and older kids but not a toddler's happy place. To combat this, and to protect everyone else's experience, we brought Jamie's wireless headphones so that he could listen to his Thomas the Tank Engine stories during the tour. This meant that he could still watch everything going on, but he had something to keep him focused when the tour narrative was going over his head.
As we said before, we'd definitely recommend ear defenders for toddlers during the haka.
Is the All Blacks Experience pushchair-friendly?
Yes. The attraction is fully accessible for wheelchair and pram users, with lift access to Level 4.
Are there baby-changing facilities?
Yes. Toilets and baby-changing facilities are available on Level 4a, which is accessed by lift from the main check in area.
What should you wear to the All Blacks Experience?
You'll want to wear comfortable clothing and flat-soled shoes or trainers, particularly because part of the experience involves physical and interactive activities such as running and kicking balls.
Is there parking at the All Blacks Experience?
There is parking underneath the SkyCity precinct, making it convenient if you're driving into central Auckland with children. The attraction currently offers visitors a 50% discount on SkyCity parking when they validate their parking ticket at the All Blacks Experience front desk.
The car park can be accessed from Federal Street or Hobson Street, with lifts taking you into the SkyCity precinct.
What else can you do near the All Blacks Experience?
The All Blacks Experience is located within Auckland's SkyCity precinct on Federal Street, just a short walk from the Sky Tower and Wētā Workshop Unleashed. This makes it easy to combine the experience with another attraction if you're planning a family day out in central Auckland. We went to Sky Tower after our All Blacks Experience visit, and you can read more about our family visit to Sky Tower in our dedicated guide.
SkyCity offers combination tickets if you'd like to visit more than one of the attractions. There is a Sky Tower + All Blacks Experience Combo, as well as a SkyCity Triple Combo covering Sky Tower, All Blacks Experience and Wētā Workshop Unleashed, which could work well if you want to make a full day of exploring the SkyCity precinct.
One important thing to note: buying a combo ticket online does not book your All Blacks Experience session time. You'll need to arrange your specific tour time in advance by emailing Reservations@ExperienceAllBlacks.com.
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