Urban Nature Activities at Te Papa
Come along to Te Papa for lots of fun nature activities designed for the city with author Rachel Haydon (The Urban Activity Book).
Sun 25 Oct 2026, 10am–1pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
On now – He Toi Whakairo: The Art of Māori Carving
He toi whakairo, he mana tangata. Be some of the first to experience over 140 whakairo spanning seven centuries – many carvings never exhibited before – showcasing creativity, ancestral narratives, and contemporary innovation.
Exhibitions: Toi Art
Fresh takes and new favourites. You’ll find them in the new season of Toi Art with changing exhibitions on Levels 4 and 5.
Book a guided tour of Te Papa
Go deeper into the action at Gallipoli, understand more about the Māori world, and hear the stories about the treasures Te Papa holds. Let Te Papa’s guides bring Aotearoa New Zealand’s people and landscapes to life!
Exhibition: Slow Burn: Women and Photography | Ahi Tāmau: Māreikura Whakaahua
Slow Burn showcases the diversity of photography by women and non-binary artists in Aotearoa New Zealand from the 1960s to today.
Exhibition: Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War
This ground-breaking exhibition tells the story of the Gallipoli campaign in World War I through the eyes and words of eight ordinary New Zealanders who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances.
Haere mai, welcome to Te Papa
New Zealand’s national museum is home to over two million objects across art, natural history, New Zealand histories, mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), and Pacific cultures. World-renowned for its commitment to biculturalism, Te Papa is one of TripAdvisor’s top tourist attractions in New Zealand.
The museum is free for all New Zealanders and delivers an exceptional experience to international visitors.
Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Papa
Ko Te Papa Tongarewa tēnei e mihi atu nei, e tiaki nei i ngā taonga rua miriona neke atu. He taonga toi, taiao, hītori, Māori, ā-Kiwa hoki ki konei. He whare taonga e pūmau tonu ki te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ki tā TripAdvisor, ko Te Papa te tino mō te hunga tāpoi ki Aotearoa.
He utukore te kuhu mai ki te whare taonga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa.
What’s new and coming up at Te Papa
Mini-Wellycon Board Game Convention
Bring your new games, or old favourites, to Te Papa this Labour Weekend for Wellycon’s mini board game convention.
Sat 24 Oct 2026, 9am–9pm
Sun 25 Oct 2026, 9am–9pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
Professor James Belich: Museums, history, and the stories we tell
Professor James Belich, ONZM, one of Aotearoa’s most influential historians, joins Friends of Te Papa in association with the Heritage Festival, for a special talk exploring how museums shape national identity, historical understanding, and our place in the world.
This link will take you to the Friends of Te Papa website.
Sat 24 Oct, 12.00pm–1.00pm
Wild Wellington Ngā Taonga Taiao waterfront walk
Discover the nature encounters you can expect at this time of year on a waterfront guided walk with Michael Szabo, wildlife expert and author of Wild Wellington Ngā Taonga Taiao: A guide to the wildlife and wild places of Te Upoko-o-te-Ika.
Mon 26 Oct 2026, 11am–12pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
Mātātupu Mātauranga: Future Thinkers
Join us for a day of tours, workshops, and talks by rangatahi (youth), for rangatahi. This event celebrates young people and their role as the future kaitiaki (caretakers) of te taiao (nature).
Sat 31 Oct 2026, 10am–2pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
Guided tours at Te Papa
Get even more out of your visit to Te Papa by letting our guides bring the stories of Aotearoa New Zealand’s people and landscapes to life.
Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War Tour
Experience the story that shaped a nation.
Take a powerful one-hour journey through Te Papa’s Gallipoli exhibition. Guided storytelling and Wētā Workshop’s artistry bring to life the real experiences of New Zealanders in a defining moment of history.9.30am (approx 60 mins)
From $50.00
Māori Highlights Tour
Explore te ao Māori (the Māori world) in this one-hour introductory tour. Discover key cultural concepts and taonga (treasures) through engaging stories and insights that spark curiosity and deepen understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Indigenous heritage.
1.00pm (approx 60 mins)
From $50.00
Introducing Te Papa Tour
Discover Aotearoa 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 Aotearoa New Zealand’s rich history and cultures.
10.15am, 12.00pm, 2.00pm (approx 60 mins)
Fom $50.00
Te Papa Highlights in Mandarin 蒂帕帕亮点之旅 汉语
通过生动翔实的中文讲解，让您进一步了解新西兰的历史文化，聆听馆藏珍宝背后的故事。
The perfect way to get an overview of Te Papa’s highlights, Māori treasures, and New Zealand history.
11.00am (approx 60 mins)
From $50.00
Art Narratives Tour
Journey through carefully selected highlights from galleries showcasing the diversity and innovation of contemporary art in Aotearoa New Zealand. From monumental sculptures and moving images to embroidery, ceramics, and even a playable video game, discover how contemporary artists are shaping and reflecting our nation's evolving story.
1.00pm (approx 60 mins)
From $50
Got a special occasion? Find the right way to celebrate at Te Papa
From Wellington wedding venues, to school balls or day-delegate packages, discover tailored packages that make planning your event at New Zealand’s national museum effortless.
Celebrate 2026
Celebrate the year-end at Te Papa, New Zealand’s National Museum, where rich culture, iconic spaces, and award-winning chefs create a truly memorable setting.
Te Papa Venues
Situated on Wellington’s waterfront, Te Papa offers the city’s largest collection of bookable event spaces, light-filled, flexible, and framed by harbour views. From conferences and meetings to weddings and school balls, every event sits among award-winning exhibitions and the taonga (treasures) of the nation.
Te Papa Venues Special Packages
From Wellington wedding venues, to School balls or Day delegate packages, discover tailored packages that make planning your event at New Zealand’s national museum effortless.
Wellington conference, functions, and meeting rooms
Hire a Wellington venue like no other – choose from our wide range of versatile and contemporary spaces.
Venues: Event planning
Start planning your event today and explore the possibilities across our venue spaces with our user guide, capacity charts, and accessibility information.
Explore the Digital Museum
Enter the Digital Museum – Explore rich online resources about Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific through stories about taonga in the collections, articles, blog posts, quizzes, and videos.
Discover stories about the national art collection, artists, photographers, curatorial research, and contemporary and historical collecting. Learn about mātauranga and the natural environment, te ao Māori and Pacific cultures, the Tiriti of Waitangi, and the social histories of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Explore the Digital Museum
Explore New Zealand’s rich history through pictures, quizzes, videos, and articles. Learn about the natural environment, Pacific and Māori cultures, and everything in between – from vintage fashion to rugby.
Te Papa’s blog
Hear from our subject experts and go behind the scenes to find out the latest on what’s happening at Te Papa.
Collections Online
Collections Online has information on over 1,000,000 artworks, objects, and specimens from Te Papa’s collections; from dinosaur teeth to contemporary art, buzzy bee to Xena.
Learn online with Te Papa
Are you interested in peeking inside Te Papa to take a journey into the wonders, taonga (treasures), and events that make up Aotearoa New Zealand’s history? Find out about our online learning options.
Get involvedWhakaeke mai
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