Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand

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.

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: 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.

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.

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 TripAdvisor’s top tourist attraction 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 happening at Te Papa

  • A burger, frieds, a creme brulee dessert and some green leaves are displayed on a wooden tray.

    Kai-kōrero: Burger Wellington at Te Papa Cafe

    Inspired by hōtoke (winter), smoky flavours, and shared stories, Kai-kōrero is Te Papa Cafe’s entry in Aotearoa New Zealand’s most hotly contested culinary competition.

    Mon 03 Aug to Sun 23 Aug, 9am–3pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • Photobook Festival

    The Photobook Festival is back for 2026 with workshops, bookselling, and talks at Te Papa. A multi-event festival celebrating artists’ photobooks from around Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally – Including a book fair, talks, exhibitions, and workshops. A must for anyone interested in innovative books and visual art. Free and open to everyone.  

    6:30pm, Thu 6 Aug – 4.00pm, Sat 8 Aug 2026

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • A sepia image of a woman in a bathing suit sitting next to some seaweed on a beach.

    Nancy Adams: Te Toi Rimurimu

    Talented artist and botanist Nancy Adams had a passion for algae and seaweed. This small display of collected specimens and vivid watercolours celebrates the centenary of Adams’ birth.

    On now

    Wed 22 July – November 2026

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • Several badges on a banner.

    Iti te Kupu, Nui te Kōrero

    Badges are small objects that tell big stories. These miniature billboards broadcast statements of identity and belonging. Explore over 200 badges expressing commitment and resistance in this small but mighty exhibition.

    On now

    16 Jul to 22 Oct 2026

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • A person in a black singlet and black trousers is sitting cross-legged on a wooden floor with large potplants in a line in front of them and one behind. There are seated people watching in the background.

    Toi Art Performance: ‘That’s you Mugwort!’

    Watch Ann Shelton’s That’s you Mugwort! (2026), a performance commission for the exhibition Ahi Tāmau: Māreikura Whakaahua | Slow Burn: Women and Photography, curated by Lissa Mitchell.

    Sat 8 Aug 2026, 3.00 to 3.30pm

    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.

  • A man in a green shirt is pointing to a giant model of a soldier while talking to two other people.

    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

  • A woman in a green shirt is talking to a group of people while standing in front of a Māori carving.

    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

  • Several people gathered around a colossal squid in a tank.

    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

  • Several people are gathered around a screen that is describing what they can see on the wall behind them.

    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

  • A person in a green shirt is describing an artwork to two other people.

    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

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.

  • Two adult albatross perform a mating dance

    Te Taiao: Natural history and the environment

    Here, explore the online focus on te taiao – the unique natural world of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific, highlighting native plant and animal species, conservation science, and how the collections contribute to knowledge, including both environmental science and collection care.

  • Painting undergoing conservation work

    Art and photography in Aotearoa New Zealand

    Explore online stories about the work of artists and photographers from the national art collection through videos, podcasts, and in-depth articles about expressions of culture, art conservation, and creativity across Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific. Watch interviews with traditional and contemporary artists, browse selected artworks in our collection, take a deep dive into photographers, or watch makers blending cultural storytelling with artistic expression.

  • Three women in brightly coloured dresses are greeting each other on a Pacific Island.

    Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa: Pacific peoples and cultures

    Discover online stories, identities, and traditions of Pacific people living in Te Moana Nui a Kiva and Aotearoa New Zealand. Features include stories about identity, community, traditional and revived knowledge, as well as connections to Te Papa’s collections. Whether you whakapapa to the Pacific or want to learn more, explore the vibrant stories of Tangata o le moana Pacific people.

  • A printed map of New Zealand with a column of text down each side of the page.

    Aotearoa New Zealand social history and identity

    Explore online stories and taonga about Aotearoa New Zealand's social fabric – the voices, collections, and communities shaping the nation, with an emphasis on diversity, social justice, and historical change, from community stories, immigration, suffrage, protest, settler history, social movements, and national identity.

  • A colourful stage within a room with sunlight through coloured windows bathing the room in shades of blue and purple

    Te Marae o Te Papa Tongarewa: Rongomaraeroa

    Rongomaraeroa is a unique marae (meeting place) within Aotearoa New Zealand. Like all marae, it is founded on Māori principles of kawa (marae protocol) and tikanga (cultural practices) it was created for our unique museum context as a contemporary marae acknowledging the whakapapa (ancestral history) and the taonga (treasures) of all peoples who call Aotearoa New Zealand home.

  • Two men press their noses together for hongi

    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.

  • Several women wearing black and wreaths on their heads made of kawakawa leaves are sitting around a cloak on some boxes in front of them.

    Repatriation

    In 2003, the government mandated Te Papa to develop a formal programme for the repatriation of Māori and Moriori ancestral remains from international institutions to iwi. Here you can learn about the repatriation process, see all the repatriations to date, and meet the team.

  • View of Te Taiao | Nature, with two moa in the foreground and various displays behind

    Exhibitions

    Celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique natural environment. Hear extraordinary stories from Te Moana nui-a-Kiwa Pacific peoples. Find your favourite paintings, sculptures, photographs, or art installations. Experience powerful stories that celebrate Māori as tangata whenua – the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand.

  • Collections Online homepage screenshot

    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.

  • A white fern shape on a blue background

    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.

  • Research

    Research at Te Papa

    Discover our ongoing, multidisciplinary programme of research, and find out how we can support you in your own investigations.

  • A woman in a green shirt is holding a picture flat children's book up and reading to children off camera.

    StoryPlace

    StoryPlace is a space specially and exclusively for preschoolers and their caregivers. Here, toddlers can explore museum-related themes through play, games, storytelling, and song. Led by a friendly Te Papa Host.

  • books stacked upright and in piles

    Te Papa Press

    Discover popular, award-winning books about New Zealand’s art, culture, and natural world.

  • Mother and baby

    Facilities

    Read about self-service lockers, parents’ rooms, lost property, Wi-Fi, and Discovery Centres.

Get involvedWhakaeke mai