The boat, named Maori Girl, has been moved into temporary storage in the the museum's recently redeveloped NZR Bus Station garage area.
The craft was built for the Waikouaiti Whale Fishery Company.
This was a co-operative venture involving local Maori.
During stage two of the museum redevelopment, much of which was undertaken earlier this year, the former garage area was transformed, with a new roof and concrete flooring added , as well as new wiring and insulation, to make the area fully safety code-compliant.
Museum staff offices in the Bus Station tower area have also been revamped.
The third stage of the redevelopment, involving improvements to the museum's original Burnside building, was expected to begin early this week.
The museum has been closed to the public since early September because of extensive redevelopment work.
Exhibitions team leader Jennifer Evans said the foyer area would reopen to the public on Saturday.
The museum's popular end-of-year Pixie Town exhibition will also be on display.
It is intended that the foyer area remains open to the public until the overall redevelopment is completed, in late 2012, although much of the rest of the museum complex will remain closed in the interim.
