Everything you need to know about our exhibitions, such as details, dates, location and entry fees.
Long-term exhibition
The story of New Zealand’s dramatic landscape and the part that earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the weather play in its shaping.
How was this land turned from forests and wetlands to farms and settlements? Why were thousands of ‘alien’ plants and animals introduced and why did others become extinct? Experience the transformation with Blood, Earth, Fire!
A taste of New Zealand’s diverse natural environment through a living outdoor display of forest and other plants set in typical landforms.
9 June 2011 – June 2012
Collecting Contemporary presents a wide variety of New Zealand art and objects acquired by Te Papa between 2006 and the present.
22 September 2011 – 4 March 2012
This important collection of European fine prints is the founding art collection of Te Papa. It is also distinguished by being the earliest European print collection to be donated to a public institution outside Europe.
Sessions run every 20 minutes
Enjoy an evocative journey through 100 years of New Zealand history in Golden Days – a wonderful junk shop that comes to life.
The new installation by Lisa Reihana called Mai i te aroha, ko te aroha, meaning 'From love, comes love', was commissioned specifically for Te Ara a Hine, internal entrance to Te Papa's Marae.
Beautiful taonga (treasures) and fascinating stories combine to create a stunning picture of Māori, the tangata whenua (original people) of Aotearoa New Zealand.
4 December 2010 – November 2012
Discover the intriguing story of Māori matau (fish-hooks) – from ingenious tool to ornament, souvenir, and symbol of cultural revival.
Explore New Zealand’s diverse range of plants and animals and their living places – mountains, fresh waters, forests, coasts, and the surrounding seas.
24 June 2011 – 2 September 2012
This exhibition draws its inspiration directly from the pages of Vogue New Zealand. It showcases garments from top New Zealand designers, and those made here under licence from the world's leading fashion houses, such as Christian Dior.
Te Papa's spectacular multimedia experience. Free entry, charges apply for the OurSpace rides.
The remarkable and moving stories of the people who have come to live in New Zealand over the last 200 years.
12 June 2010 – 24 June 2012
Enter the world of New Zealand master potter Peter Stichbury (born 1924), whose experiences in England and Africa have shaped a remarkable career spanning more than fifty years.
Te Papa's base isolators – go underground to see what makes Te Papa a safer place for people and collections when an earthquake strikes.
An exploration of the Treaty signed in 1840 between the British Crown and Māori – its history and place in New Zealand today.
Slice of Heaven: 20th Century Aotearoa is about the stories, people, and events that changed New Zealand’s 20th century and gave the century its unique flavour.
Outstanding individual exhibits, displayed on their own outside the exhibitions, that show unique or unusual aspects of New Zealand’s identity and history.
3 September 2011 – 2014
Tai timu, tai pari, Tainui: journey of a people explores the cultural expressions, material culture, and institutions of the Tainui people.
From Kupe to King Kapisi and bro’Town, Pacific people are putting Pacific cultures – and New Zealand – on the map. Explore their stories past and present, from the battlefield to the sports field and beyond.
Te Papa’s Marae (meeting place) – focal point for pōwhiri (welcomes) and many other special events – is an outstanding example of contemporary Māori art.
10 April 2010 – April 2013
Young refugees to New Zealand invite you to share their extraordinary stories – told through art, film, poetry, performance, and digital media.
Toi Te Papa Art of the Nation showcases more than 300 impressive artworks – both historical and contemporary – from Te Papa’s collections. Experience the richness and diversity of New Zealand’s artistic heritage.
It took 7 days to write, 7 months to sign, 170 years to debate ... and counting. TREATY 2U is a unique exhibition that tells the story of New Zealand’s founding document.
17 December 2011 – 22 April 2012
This exhibition shows 200 years of gorgeous wedding fashion, featuring dresses from one of the world’s most superb collections – that of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
High Ride
Deep Ride
See OurSpace in action on YouTube
See all ride prices