The Te Aroha Municipal Band provided regular open-air concerts during the season, with Japanese lanterns hanging from trees lighting the Domain. Facilities continued to be improved with the gardener's cottage built in 1906, electric light installed in 1906 and the Tea Kiosk opened in December 1908.

Te Aroha was an important sporting centre as well. Two new asphalt tennis courts were provided in 1908. Bowling tournaments were often held in the Domain with teams coming from the top half of the North Island. The township complemented the Domain with a variety of licensed hotels and private hotels. At the peak of its popularity there were five hotels and eight boarding houses.

The Domain was a popular picnic spot and school parties regularly came on special excursion trains. There were walks along the river to the waterfall behind the Domain, to the glow-worms in an old mining tunnel behind the Domain, to Bald-Spur and to a defensive pa south of the waterfall. Te Aroha was an especially popular destination for day-trippers on public holidays. On New Years Day 1912, 7,000 visitors arrived in Te Aroha for the day. Many of these arrived on special excursion trains from Auckland, which took five hours each way.

Changing Popularity

The Te Aroha Municipal Band provided regular open-air concerts during the season, with Japanese lanterns hanging from trees lighting the Domain. Facilities continued to be improved with the gardener's cottage built in 1906, electric light installed in 1906 and the Tea Kiosk opened in December 1908.

Te Aroha was an important sporting centre as well. Two new asphalt tennis courts were provided in 1908. Croquet and Bowling tournaments were often held in the Domain with teams coming from the top half of the North Island. The township complemented the Domain with a variety of licensed hotels and private hotels. At the peak of its popularity there were five hotels and eight boarding houses.

Changing Popularity

The decline in popularity of the Domain was gradual. With the construction of a new railway, Rotorua soon took over from Te Aroha as the pre-eminent Spa. Advances in medical science saw a discrediting and loss of faith in ‘scientific baleanology’, and changing fashions saw the concept of the fashionable spa fall out of favour. People still continued to use the baths, with more emphasis on casual enjoyment than the more formal ‘taking of the waters’. The Tea Kiosk closed in 1923 because it was losing money. In 1928 a new tepid swimming bath was opened when mixed bathing was introduced, but the No. 4 and No. 6 Bath Houses were closed around the same time.

Troops stationed near Te Aroha during the Second World War saw a brief revival in the fortunes of the pools, but the long-term decline continued.

In 1953 the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts offered the Domain to the Te Aroha Borough Council as a gift together with a subsidy for a period of years, but the offer was declined. The decline in use of the Domain facilities provided opportunity for new functions to operate. The skating rink was built over the old asphalt tennis court in 1956. The Museum took over the Cadman Bath House after the Bowling Club occupied it. The gardener's cottage, now a cafe, was then used by the Department of Conservation (DOC) as their office and Information Centre. However, the Croquet Club continued in popularity with the arrival of their own Club House in 1950 which is still home to the Te Aroha Croquet Club today.

 In recent years, however, there has been a quiet renaissance - tourism in Te Aroha has been increasing significantly. The Mokena Pools (now Te Aroha Mineral Spas) were opened in 1980 providing modern spa pools using the thermal soda water. The Wyborn Pools (now Te Aroha Leisure Pools) were opened in April 1999, providing a new outdoor swimming and soaking pool, and in July 1997 the historic No.2 Bath House was restored as a heritage bathing pool. The No.7 Bath House has also been refurbished. Development of mountain bike tracks behind the Domain added new activities and visitors to the Domain. The Domain House was operated as a restaurant over recent years, although it struggled and eventually closed for a number of years.

The Croquet Club is the only sporting club which remains to this day, since officially 1919, leasing and maintaining now 5 lawns in front of the Cadman Building.  Using the lawns at least 3 days per week and all year round thanks to the superb drainage work done by Army Engineers & Soldiers who returned from WW1.  Like yesteryear – Visitors are welcome to play “Golf Croquet” casually.  This resilient sport has also changed to keep up with the times.

 Despite these developments the Domain has still not recaptured the level of activity and significance it held during its heyday as a Spa. It is regarded as a ‘forgotten gem’ or as a “sleeping giant”.