Te Papa is closed Wed 12 and Thu 13 Aug. We will reopen at 10am on Fri 14 Aug. We will sign you in, and provide a safe and warm welcome. Kia kaha Aotearoa, stay well.

Visiting Te Papa during Alert Level 2 | Te toronga mai ki Te Papa i raro i te Pae Mataara 2

  • External shot of Te Papa showing bush on the left and a close-up of the exterior on the right

    Te Papa is closed Wed 12 and Thu 13 Aug. We will reopen at 10am on Fri 14 Aug.

    Explore Te Papa from home below. Listen to powerful kōrero (discussions), relax with an online jigsaw or two, spend some time with our unique manu (birds), learn how to make parāoa koroua (‘old man’s bread’), and get to know the maramataka (Māori lunar calendar).

  • A plastic bottle sits among some large stones

    Idea: Nature helps us get through lockdowns – workplaces should give back one day a month for nature

    How do you feel about this idea?

  • Composite image of a hei tiki, a photo showing a woman standing on a mountainside, and an octopus specimen in a jar

    Dive into the collections

    Explore 800,000 artworks, taonga, photographs, collection objects, and botanical and zoological specimens from Te Papa’s collections. Learn about different cultures – or your own! – or find inspiration for your own artworks.

VisitToro mai

  • A woman signs into Te Papa
    Visiting Te Papa under Alert Level 2

    Visiting Te Papa under Alert Level 2

    Visiting Te Papa is a little different under Alert Level 2. Here’s what you need to know to make your visit with us as comfortable as possible.

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    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.

  • Colourful stage set with person in costume
    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.

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    Facilities

    Facilities

    Read about Coat and Bag check, parents' rooms, lost property, Wi-Fi, and Discovery Centres.

Plan your visit

Explore Te Papa at homeToroa Te Papa i te kāinga

  • Painting depicting two yellowhead birds, with vibrant yellow heads and underside plumage and green back and wing plumage, sitting on a mossy log
    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.

  • Three kids make a rainbow from toys and other household items
    Kids and families

    Kids and families

    Do a whānau challenge, a jigsaw puzzle, print an activity book, watch videos, and play quizzes.

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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.

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    He Paki Taonga i a Māui

    He Paki Taonga i a Māui

    ‘He Paki Taonga i a Māui’ is a series of 18 short films for tamariki aged 7-11, and tells stories about taonga in Te Papa’s collection.

  • A group of people march in a line holding placards
    Watch: Stories of perseverance, from Parihaka to Polynesian Panthers

    Watch: Stories of perseverance, from Parihaka to Polynesian Panthers

    Hear kōrero (discussion) on the invasion at Parihaka, the Takaparawhā Bastion Point protests and eviction, the Samoan Mau and the events around ‘Black Saturday’, and the work of the Polynesian Panthers and other Pacific activists in Aotearoa.

  • Two people seated look into the camera – one a man in an open shirt with a forest on it and denim jacket, the other a man in makeup wearing a blue shirt with a map of New Zealand on it
    LGBTQI+ histories of Aotearoa New Zealand

    LGBTQI+ histories of Aotearoa New Zealand

    Explore queer objects, artworks, and stories in Te Papa’s collections and discover more about the rich histories of Aotearoa New Zealand’s LGBTQI+ communities and icons – including the AIDS Quilt, Carmen Rupe, and Xena: Warrior Princess.

  • 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
    Tā moko | Māori tattoos: history, practice, and meanings

    Tā moko | Māori tattoos: history, practice, and meanings

    Discover the history and practice of tā moko, 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'.

  • A baby grins, he's poking his head above a bathtub. There's water splashes on the walls.
    The little page of calm

    The little page of calm

    Relax with a jigsaw or quiz, watch a sunset video from Mahitahi Bruce Bay, or browse animals and other highlights from our collections. 

  • 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.

  • Uncle Pare stands in his kitchen. He wear a black and white striped shirt, black scarf, glasses, and a black brimmed hat. His kitchen is overflowing with a well organised array of bottles, utensils, plates, and jars
    Uncle Pare’s kai: Matariki recipes and kōrero

    Uncle Pare’s kai: Matariki recipes and kōrero

    Uncle Pare’s earliest kai memory is parāoa koroua cooked on hot embers. Watch his simple recipe as he describes how kai has shaped his life.

  • 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

    In traditional Māori medicine, ailments are treated in a holistic manner.

  • A black and white photo of a man sitting on a bench overlooking Lake Wakatipu, he wears a hat and is reading a book
    Collections Online

    Collections Online

    Browse 800,000 artworks, taonga, photographs, collection objects, and botanical and zoological specimens from Te Papa’s collections.

    Collections Online

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