Thousands of people waited for hours in Wellington on Saturday to visit the refurbished Carter Observatory.
The observatory, which has been closed for two years, opened to the public free of charge and queues to get in were more than two hours long at their peak.
The revamp cost $4.5 million and involved gutting the interior, earthquake strengthening the exterior, insulating the entire building and upgrading the electrics.
The Carter Observatory first opened in 1941, and became a national observatory in 1977.
