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
Feel the earth move under your feet and see how seismic shifts created New Zealand’s landscapes.
Experience the powerful geological forces that change the surface of the planet. Explore how they have shaped New Zealand’s unique landscapes, plants, and animals. Find out why tectonic plates shift, what causes earthquakes, and how New Zealand split from the supercontinent Gondwanaland 83 million years ago.
14 Feb 1998 – 2 Apr 2018
Level 2
Free entry
All ages
40 minutes
Realistic earthquake sounds, and there is an optional earthquake simulation. Visitors may find this distressing.
Wheelchair accessible. Ramp access to the earthquake house is available from its exit.
A house with a shaking floor simulating an earthquake
Dinosaur fossils and life-size models
A sound and light show about the Māori story of creation, and the enduring relationship between the land, its people, and the forces of nature
A seismic station and other interactive experiences
You can also learn about the role of the Earthquake Commission – a national agency that provides natural disaster insurance – and find out how to stay safe in an earthquake.
Fossilised bird grave sites are common in New Zealand, but one particular cave in Martinborough has revealed thousands of bones of flightless birds who plunged to their deaths.
Dr Hamish Campbell, Te Papa's geologist in residence from GNS Science, talks about the news that intrigued the world in February 2017 - that it can legitimately be claimed that Zealandia is a distinct continent.
Bird expert, Colin Miskelly, comments on recently rediscovered 1940s footage of a kiwi, and explains how far wildlife documentaries have come in the last 70 years.
