Last chance to see old favourites at Te Papa

19 December 2016

Te Papa’s Slice of Heaven and Inspiration Station to close 23 January.

The twisted hull of the Rainbow Warrior, a battered police baton from the 1930s riots, a sinister 1950s hangman’s box - fans of Te Papa’s Slice of Heaven will have their final chance to farewell their favourite objects this summer.

The New Zealand 20th century history exhibition will close on 23 January 2017, to allow construction to begin on an exciting new Art Zone on level four of Te Papa. The rest of the museum will remain open throughout the changes.

Slice of Heaven exhibition, 2010. Photograph by Michael Hall. Te Papa

Kate Camp, Communications Manager at Te Papa, says summer visitors will have plenty to see and do in the space before it closes.

“There’s a terrifying 1920s school dentist nurse's chair, the battered blue helmet John Minto wore during the 1981 Springboks protests, and a life-sized grocery store nearby for kids to play in,” says Camp.

“There’s so much to entertain kids and parents alike during the school holidays.”

Also to close on 23 January is the nearby Inspiration Station, one of four children’s Discovery Centres at Te Papa, and home to the ‘Big Baby’, a mechanical sculpture from the set of Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners.

The other three children’s areas will remain open.

Inspiration Station has been beloved by a generation of kids since 1998 – and the next generation will have their own favourites in the renewed Te Papa.

Over the coming years, Te Papa will transform its permanent exhibits, including creating new New Zealand history areas.

“We’re excited to develop new ways to tell New Zealand’s stories, showing hidden histories, and different perspectives through the latest technologies,” says Camp.

ENDS

Kirstie Ross, our Slice of Heaven curator, has written about her favourite objects in the exhibition:

Media contact

Steph McDonald, Outreach Manager
027 424 1716