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What’s on at Te Papa

A large artwork filled with clouds of olive green and black paint. Adding to the surreal cloudscape are small, detailed drawings of decapitated birds’ heads, mountains, fantastical creatures and circular hiapo motifs that create small pockets of narrative.

Toi Art

Fresh takes and new favourites. You’ll find them in Toi Art.

Toi Art opened again on Saturday 14 June, with more opening up at the end of June – see what’s coming up!

On now

Sat 14 Jun

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

An image of an orange-red table with tea and teapots along with three-tierd plates with small cakes.

Eat Your Art Out

A high tea to delight your eyes and taste buds.

From 28 June, daily sessions at 10:30am, 11:00am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, and 2:30pm.

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Several older people performing kapa haka Māori performance on a stage.

Relive Taikura Kapa Haka 2025

Over 600 kaumatua (elders) came to Te Papa to perform waiata (songs), mōteatea (chants), poi (balls on string), and haka (ceremonial dance) at Taikura Kapa Haka 2025.

Watch the livestream recordings of both days.

School Holiday activities

The backs of several children sitting on the ground with their arms in the air in a ballet pose. There is someone on the stage in the background showing them what to do.

Dance Workshops: The Ballet Zoo with The Royal New Zealand Ballet

These Royal New Zealand Ballet Dance Workshops are a unique opportunity for children to learn ballet from RNZB Dance Educators.

Fri 4 and Sat 5 Jul, check for times

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

The Ballet Zoo with The Royal New Zealand Ballet

Step into the magical world of The Ballet Zoo – a delightful new ballet experience for children these school holidays!

Fri 4 and Sat 5 Jul, check for times

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

A child is playing with Lego at a table in the Te Papa marae.

Autism NZ and LEGO whānau fun day

Check out the creativity of LEGO® art by autistic tamariki on display in association with Autism New Zealand. Then join the fun day event for LEGO build activities and the chance to win some great LEGO prizes!

Fri 11 Jul 2025, 10.00am–5.00pm

Sat 12 Jul 2025, 10.00am–2.00pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Two young boys wearng VR headsets and standing in front of three signs advertising an immersive antarctic virtual reality experience anotu Scott's Hut..

Scott’s Discovery Hut VR Experience

Antarctic Heritage Trust and Te Papa invites you to explore Antarctica and visit Scott's Discovery Hut through our latest virtual reality experience.

7 - 13 Jul 2025, Every half hour from 10.00am to 4.00pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Explore the website – The digital museum

matariki-night sky with designed star on it

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.

A teatowel showing two small children holding their pants open and looking down. The main message is "Oh! That explains the difference in our wages"

Protest, antiracism, and activism

Read about protest collecting, decolonisation, and antiracism from our collections and tohunga (experts) and across the web.

Portrait of Chris Parker wearing a felt hat. The hat features tiny versions of the key New Zealand public figures during Covid-19, a bag of flour, a tiny self-portrait of Chris wearing his orange hoodie, and a tiny official Covid-19 symbol

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.

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.

Research at Te Papa

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

A stack of books both sitting horizontally and vertically.

Te Papa Press

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

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.

A woman with two kererū perched on her hands

Discover the Collections

View the collections held at Te Papa, learn about outreach that is happening, read our blog, or find out about a specific topic.

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