Te Papa is open | Te Papa Covid-19 information
Kei te tuwhera a Te Papa | He mōhiohio nā Te Papa mō Covid-19

Matariki: The Māori New YearMatariki: Te Tau Hou Māori

  • A starry sky over a darkened landscape
    Taikura Kapa Haka 2021

    Taikura Kapa Haka 2021

    Historically, Te Papa has hosted the annual Taikura Kapa Haka event as part of our Matariki celebrations, welcoming kaumātua groups from throughout Aotearoa. This year, we’ve used a new approach and have captured each group as they perform kapa haka within their own rohe, as well as interviews with members of that group about their experiences within Taikura Kapa Haka and what this means to them in 2021.

  • Cover of the Matariki activity book
    Matariki activity book

    Matariki activity book

    Learn about Matariki through fun kids' activities. Featuring word searches, colouring pages, games, and stories, discover what's important during Matariki.

    Education resource

  • Matariki Dawn ceremony at Te Papa
    What is Matariki?

    What is Matariki?

    Matariki signals the Māori New Year. It is a time of renewal and celebration in New Zealand that begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster.

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    What is the Maramataka | the Māori lunar calendar?

    What is the Maramataka | the Māori lunar calendar?

    The Māori calendar begins in Pipiri (June/July) with the reappearance of the Matariki star cluster signalling the New Year. Learn the names of the months and nights in the traditional Maramataka.

  • The New Moon over the mountains
    Nights in the Maramataka | the Māori lunar month

    Nights in the Maramataka | the Māori lunar month

    Discover the nights in the Māori lunar month, and the activities related to them.

Read more about Matariki and the Maramataka

Surrealist ArtHe Toi Pohewa

  • Fluffy white clouds in a bright blue sky, with a red sofa in the shape of lips superimposed on top
    Surrealist Art: Masterpieces from Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

    Surrealist Art: Masterpieces from Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

    Enter the marvellous world of surrealism. See extraordinary artworks by Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Marcel Duchamp, Leonora Carrington, Man Ray, and more. Astonishing, surprising, and only at Te Papa.

    On now
    12 Jun – 31 Oct 2021

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • People sitting in a cafē with teapots and cups in front of them
    Surrealist Art Tour and High Tea

    Surrealist Art Tour and High Tea

    Prepare for your Surrealist Art journey with our High Tea package, then join your Te Papa Guide and be treated to the profound stories and intentions behind the masterpieces in the Surrealist Art exhibition.

    Tour He toro

    Book now
  • A headshot of a woman with black glasses and her hair in a bun on top of her head.
    Talk: A Mouthful of Fur – The hairy, furry and beastly symbolism of female surrealists

    Talk: A Mouthful of Fur – The hairy, furry and beastly symbolism of female surrealists

    Hear Dr Chelsea Nichols untangle the symbolic use of animal fur in artworks by female surrealist artists including Meret Oppenheim, Dorothea Tanning, and Leonora Carrington.

    Sat 14 Aug 2021, 2.00pm–3.00pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • Screenshot from ‘How to make a dadaist poem’ poem featuring a pair of scissors and newspaper
    How to make a dadaist poem

    How to make a dadaist poem

    Is of a fish! Have fun with words: follow these instructions to create your own dadaist poem, using things you are likely to have at home.

Explore Surrealist Art

What’s onE aha ana

  • Inside the nature exhibition
    Te Taiao | Nature

    Te Taiao | Nature

    You’re the explorer in our Te Taiao | Nature exhibition zone. Celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique natural environment – and get ready for our future as kaitiaki.

    On now
    Permanent exhibition

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • Black wool in a web stretched across a museum gallery floor, with white numbers sitting in random parts of it.
    Chiharu Shiota: The web of time

    Chiharu Shiota: The web of time

    The web of time, an installation by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota, creates the vision of a night sky studded with constellations of numbers.

    On now
    On display now

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • A hot pink feather fan on a light pink background
    Feathermania: Fashion to die for

    Feathermania: Fashion to die for

    From the 1850s to the 1910s, feathers were the height of fashion – worn by royalty, military men, debutantes and fashionable women alike.  Featuring examples of ‘feather finery’ and bird-beak jewellery, visitors learn how feathers played an integral part in women’s fashion internationally.

    On now
    5 Jul 2021 – April 2022

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • Two men and a woman looking at taxidermied birds. The man in the middle is pointing at the other man
    Introducing Te Papa Tour

    Introducing Te Papa Tour

    Discover New Zealand's rich history and cultures through Te Papa's world-leading exhibitions and treasures. Ideal for visitors with limited time or wanting an introduction to New Zealand's rich history and cultures.

    Tour He toro

    Book now

VisitToro mai

  • Black wool in a web stretched across a museum gallery floor, with white numbers sitting in random parts of it.
    Exhibitions

    Exhibitions

    Celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique natural environment. See Gallipoli through the eyes and words of eight ordinary New Zealanders. Immerse yourself in a room of colour. Hear extraordinary stories from young refugees.

  • Children with facepaint on playing in front of flags
    Events

    Events

    Our exciting programme of events runs all year. Watch song and dance performances, join in with kids activities and cultural days, hear from our experts, and much more.

  • A mobile phone displaying the Te Papa NZSL mobile guide is superimposed onto a photo of the moa skeletons on display at Te Papa
    Explore Te Papa in New Zealand Sign Language

    Explore Te Papa in New Zealand Sign Language

    Learn about exhibitions and how to find your way around the museum. Discover Te Papa’s mobile guides on your own device.

  • A dispenser for hand sanitiser stands in the entrance foyer of Te Papa
    Te Papa Covid-19 information

    Te Papa Covid-19 information

    Wellington is at Alert Level 1, so Te Papa is open without restrictions.

  • Te Papa External View. Photograph by Michael Hall. Te Papa
    Plan your visit

    Plan your visit

    Get directions, download the museum map, find out about our parking facilities, reserve a wheelchair, and more.

Recent blogs

  • A woman stands in a printing press room looking directly at the camera
    Exploring Asian Aotearoa’s diverse cultures through languages

    Exploring Asian Aotearoa’s diverse cultures through languages

    Voices of Asian Aotearoa will see a variety of projects focused on the languages and cultural identities of different Asian New Zealand communities. Curator Grace Gassin introduces our first project, Chinese Languages in Aotearoa.

    Te Papa Blog

  • A scene of confrontation between a large group of protestors and the police
    1981 Springbok Rugby Tour – Cardboard and clown suits

    1981 Springbok Rugby Tour – Cardboard and clown suits

    Forty years ago, Aotearoa New Zealand erupted into violent protests when the South African Springbok rugby team toured the country from July to September 1981. Curator History Stephanie Gibson takes us through some of the items in our collection that record what many people wore as personal protection during the protests.

    Te Papa Blog

  • A carved wooden head. The eyes are made of shells, and the head is wearing a hat
    The Solomon Islands myth of Tiola and the origin story of nguzunguzu

    The Solomon Islands myth of Tiola and the origin story of nguzunguzu

    This is a kustom stori of the Roviana people of the Western Solomon Islands of Tiola, a banara (chief) in mythology and the origin of the nguzunguzu, canoe prow figureheads used by the islands’ tribes.

    Te Papa Blog

  • Aerial photo of an island showing dense housing, with the sea level around the island low
    Co-collecting climate change in Tokelau

    Co-collecting climate change in Tokelau

    Pacific curator Rachel Yates introduces a co-collecting project that took Te Papa to Tokelau’s three low-lying coral atolls in the South Pacific to document the effects of climate change.

    Te Papa Blog

  • Seven people stand with the woven garment adorned over a mannequin
    Otintaai: The Rising Sun and the I-Kiribati climate change warrior

    Otintaai: The Rising Sun and the I-Kiribati climate change warrior

    We put the spotlight on the recent acquisition, Otintaai, a female I-Kiribati climate change warrior. Curator Rachel Yates introduces the master weavers and some of the speeches from the welcoming ceremony in May 2021.

    Te Papa Blog

Read more blogs

Explore Te Papa at homeToroa Te Papa i te kāinga

  • General view of the Ko Rongowhakaata exhibition, showing a Māori meeting house
    Walkthrough tour of Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow

    Walkthrough tour of Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow

    Take a virtual walkthrough of the exhibition Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow wherever you are, and explore the land, people, and stories of Rongowhakaata, an iwi whose unique art reflects their innate creativity, rich history, and innovative spirit. Ko Rongowhakaata is on display at Te Papa until 2 Oct 2021.

  • A New Zealand landscape scene with the Matariki star cluster in the sky
    Matariki: The Māori New Year

    Matariki: The Māori New Year

    Learn all about Matariki and see our events. Matariki is a time to gather with family and friends to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.

  • View of Oriental Bay, with Wellington Harbour on the left and houses lining the street on the right. A crowd of hundreds is walking along the boardwalk
    Online jigsaw puzzles using our collections

    Online jigsaw puzzles using our collections

    Take a moment or two to relax with online jigsaw puzzles using taonga from our collections. Come back frequently to find new ones!

  • Two people looking at the camera
    Raranga Matihiko TV – Home learning

    Raranga Matihiko TV – Home learning

    The Raranga Matihiko team and our Learning team have created 16 episodes, designed for home learning for junior and senior students, that weave digital technologies around museum taonga, and exploring kaitiakitanga (guardianship and protection).

  • Waitangi Day activity book
    Treaty of Waitangi learning resources

    Treaty of Waitangi learning resources

    Watch interviews, download activity books and learn more about the Treaty of Waitangi and what it means to all New Zealanders.

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    The Current

    The Current

    Add your voice to The Current and help solve New Zealand’s toughest nature challenges. We’ll share your anonymous response with researchers via data.govt.nz.

  • Maramataka dial is displayed on a wall. To the left, a plant hangs into the frame. To the right, a taxidermied penguin appears in the frame. Under the dial can be seen an open book
    How to use the Maramataka | Māori lunar calendar

    How to use the Maramataka | Māori lunar calendar

    Print a Maramataka dial, explore its energy levels, and use it to plan activities with your whānau.

  • Illustration of a tattooed Māori chief 1784
    Tāmoko | Māori tattoos: history, practice, and meanings

    Tāmoko | Māori tattoos: history, practice, and meanings

    Discover the history and practice of tāmoko, and find out why the lines of a moko carved in skin represent much more than a tattoo.

  • Sailing vessel
    Voyage and discovery in the Pacific

    Voyage and discovery in the Pacific

    The history of the discovery of Aotearoa New Zealand goes back a millennium and contains the stories of many fine explorers, from Kupe to Cook. Here, explore Pacific exploration and European colonisation through our taonga, kōrero, and events.

  • A kaka, a type of parrot with red under its wings
    Birds of New Zealand

    Birds of New Zealand

    Birds are an important part of New Zealand's nationhood. We are the only nation where the people are colloquially known by a bird name – 'Kiwi'.

  • Manuka, Leptospermum scoparium J.R.Forst. & G.Forst., collected 02 Apr 2009, southern Wairarapa, New Zealand. CC BY-NC-NDCC licence. Te Papa (SP087325)
    Māori medicine

    Māori medicine

    Rongoā Māori is the traditional Māori healing system. Ailments are treated in a holistic manner.

  • Green fence with a hand-painted sign on it saying, 'Give nothing to racism' in green and black.
    Antiracism and activism

    Antiracism and activism

    Articles on protest, decolonisation, and antiracism from our experts and across the web.

  • A man receiving a Samoan tatoo in Te Papa
    Sāmoan tatau (tattoo) meanings, stories, tools, and history

    Sāmoan tatau (tattoo) meanings, stories, tools, and history

    Pacific curator Sean Mallon and Sāmoan tatau artists Sulu’ape Steve Looney and Tuigamala Andy Tauafiafi talk about the meanings and history of Sāmoan tattooing.

  • Close-up of 1905 All Blacks jersey, featuring a brown crest on the top and a large silver fern on the left-hand side. The jersey is black
    The significance of the silver fern

    The significance of the silver fern

    The ‘silver fern’ (Cyathea dealbata) – ponga in te reo Māori – is a species of tree fern only found in New Zealand, and as such has become a potent symbol.

  • Kete whakairo (patterned bag), 1800-1833, New Zealand, maker unknown. Purchased 1977. Te Papa (ME013967)
    Māori weaving

    Māori weaving

    Learn about the goddess of te whare pora (the house of weaving) and the different types of weaving that are important in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Get involved Whakaeke mai