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Running a museum Te whakahaere i te muhiama

Manage your institution with skill, whether you’re starting small or growing fast, by following these best-practice guidelines for running a museum.

  • Art studio, Wellington, 16 July 1932, Wellington, by Leslie Adkin. Gift of G. L. Adkin family estate, 1964. Te Papa (A.005430)
    Exhibition development

    Exhibition development

    Create engaging exhibitions using Kiwi ingenuity and modest budgets.

  • New Western Bay Museum, 2015. Photograph by and courtesy of Chris Steel
    Setting up a museum

    Setting up a museum

    Prepare for the challenges of setting up a new museum or gallery.

  • Barrister’s wig and wig tin, circa 1905, England, by Ede & Ravenscroft. Gift of Dr Judy Malone, 2013. CC BY-NC-ND licence. Te Papa (GH017822)
    Legal compliance

    Legal compliance

    Information on common legal issues for museums and galleries, including tax and copyright.

  • Three huia (Heteralocha acutirostris), circa 1900, London, by Johannes Keulemans. Purchased 1993 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa (1993-0029-6)
    Governance and leadership

    Governance and leadership

    Consult our guides on governing museums and galleries, and providing strategic leadership.

  • View of factory floor with workers, 1924-1945, maker unknown, Gordon H. Burt Ltd. Te Papa (C.002013)
    Staff and volunteer management

    Staff and volunteer management

    Manage and train your museum’s staff and volunteers.

  • Vance Vivian Menswear premises, circa 1937, by Gordon Burt, Gordon H. Burt Ltd. Te Papa (C.002507)
    Customer service

    Customer service

    Improve visitors’ experiences and measure customer satisfaction.

  • Table centrepiece, in the form of a Mamaku (tree fern), circa 1890, New Zealand, by Frank Grady. Purchased 1987 with Charles Disney Art Trust funds. CC BY-NC-ND licence. Te Papa (GH003567)
    Bicultural development

    Bicultural development

    Work towards partnerships in accordance with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

  • Poster, ’Follow me!’, November 1914, United Kingdom, by E J Kealey, Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, Hill, Siffken & Co. (L.P.A. Ltd.). Gift of Department of Defence, 1919. Te Papa (GH016317)
    Marketing, visitor research, and museum evaluation

    Marketing, visitor research, and museum evaluation

    Increase your museum’s reach with cost-effective marketing and communications, and evaluate your museum to see if it’s reaching your target audience.

  • Textiles in flat storage at Te Papa
    Funding and sponsorship

    Funding and sponsorship

    Find funding for your museum or gallery, and increase your chances of being funded.