
Te Taiao | Nature
You’re the explorer in our Te Taiao | Nature exhibition zone. Celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique natural environment – and get ready for our future as kaitiaki.
On now
Permanent exhibition
Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga
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
Join Te Papa and The Natural Hazard Commission | Toka Tū Ake to learn about risk preparation from experts at the forefront of natural hazard research in Aotearoa New Zealand.
When | Āhea
Sat 13 Jun 2026, 10am to 1pm
Where | Ki hea
Te Taiao | Nature (Backyard, Treehouse, Kiosk)
Cost | Te utu
Free, with museum entry
This activity trail event explores the science behind the unseen forces that shape our whenua, teaching us how to make our homes and communities safer.
These interactive activities encourage scientific learning through hands-on play and education.
Build strong structures that can withstand earthquakes, pack your own emergency grab bag, and learn more about natural hazards from Aotearoa's leading experts.
Meet the Scientists Teacher PD, 2021. Photo by Jess Dewsnap. Te Papa (168294)

You’re the explorer in our Te Taiao | Nature exhibition zone. Celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique natural environment – and get ready for our future as kaitiaki.
On now
Permanent exhibition
Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Restless whenua, strong people. Rūaumoko, god of earthquakes and volcanoes, lays his challenge – his restless rumblings present us with taonga as well as hazards. A country where colliding and subducting plates cause quakes, volcanoes, tsunami, and landslides.

Primary
Learn about the atua (deity) Rūaumoko and how he affects our lives here in Aotearoa New Zealand, through simple activities. Download a free activity book for kids – focused on preparing for emergencies, word searches, a crossword, colouring pages, creating a poem, and matching up parts of a volcano.
Activity book