Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
Open every day 10am-6pm
(except Christmas Day)
Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
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.
Fresh takes and new favourites. You’ll find them in the new season of Toi Art with changing exhibitions on Levels 4 and 5.
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!
Slow Burn showcases the diversity of photography by women and non-binary artists in Aotearoa New Zealand from the 1960s to today.
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.
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.
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.
Experience over 140 whakairo (carvings) spanning seven centuries – many never exhibited before. He Toi Whakairo: The Art of Māori Carving showcases creativity, ancestral narratives, and contemporary innovation. Every carving is an expression of artistic excellence and human dignity.
On now
29 Aug 2026 – August 2031
Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga
A free drop-in session by contemporary artists featured in the exhibition He Toi Whakairo: The Art of Māori Carving. Experience live whakairo (carving), create your own karetao (articulated marionette figures), and meet artists and ask questions.
Sat 29 Aug 2026, 11.00am to 2.00pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
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 30 Aug, 9am–3pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
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
He Puna Kōrero invites you to listen to inspirational words from Māori language leaders to fuel your reo Māori journey amongst the community every Wednesday in celebration of Mahuru Māori.
Wed 9 Sep 2026, 12:30– 1:30pm
Wed 16 Sep 2026, 12:30– 1:30pm
Wed 23 Sep 2026, 12:30– 1:30pm
Wed 30 Sep 2026, 12:30– 1:30pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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 online stories of Tangata Whenua – the world of Māori, including mātauranga, taonga, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, identity, and te reo Māori language resources, and stories of resistance and contemporary identity.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Hear from our subject experts and go behind the scenes to find out the latest on what’s happening at Te Papa.
Discover our ongoing, multidisciplinary programme of research, and find out how we can support you in your own investigations.
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.
Discover popular, award-winning books about New Zealand’s art, culture, and natural world.
Read about self-service lockers, parents’ rooms, lost property, Wi-Fi, and Discovery Centres.
Stay in the loop about the wide range of happenings at Te Papa.
Find out how you can support Te Papa through a donation or bequest, or by becoming a patron.
Align your brand with Aotearoa New Zealand’s globally-loved national museum and gain access to exciting partner benefits.
