Te Papa has comprehensive collections in a variety of disciplines including Art, History, and Māori as well as a vigorous ongoing research programme.
Find out more about our experts, our research projects and publications, and how you can get some objects and specimens identified.
Find out how we acquire and care for works of art, taonga, artefacts, and specimens. See some of our recent acquisitions. Learn how you can access our collections and archives for research or exhibition purposes including borrowing from our collections.
List of our Te Papa experts, by collection area. The list includes the Collection Services team, which supports all the collection areas.
Te Aka Matua Library is a major research and reference resource, with particular strengths in New Zealand, Māori, natural history, art, photography and museum studies. Make an appointment or an enquiry online.
Tales from Te Papa is a series of mini video documentaries that showcase many of the exciting, wonderful and significant pieces that are held in our collections.
Tuhinga: Records of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, a collection of papers by Te Papa's curators, collection managers, and research associates on a range of topics, from archaeology to zoology.
Collection Managers inspecting Marquesean warrior mannequin.
View in Collections Online
Te Papa is committed to lending its collection items to non-profit organisations for public exhibition or to approved institutions for research purposes.Te Papa's loans process