Ages: Up to 12 years. Children must be accompanied by an adult
Times: 10am–6pm, every day of the year
Cost: Free

Discover one of Wellington’s best educational activities for children and families – Te Papa’s Discovery Centres.

Explore, touch, play, ask questions, research, and learn. Pick a room to suit your whānau’s interests, then get hands-on with educational exhibits, games, and books.

Ask a friendly Host  for help with ideas and information, or delve deeper into each subject with our themed reference books and magazines. Discovery Centres are so much more than play areas …

NatureSpace, Level 2

Step inside a dinosaur footprint, crawl into a whale heart, inspect an insect under a microscope, find a fossil, and much more. At NatureSpace Discovery Centre, our natural environment takes centre stage!

Caption

Girls playing in the model whale heart, 2015. Photograph by Michael Hall. Te Papa

PlaNet Pasifika, Level 4

Bang a drum or strum a ukulele, make a lei, or just chill out with a good book. PlaNet Pasifika showcases the diversity of expression and creativity among the people of Pacific Island nations.

Learn about different celebrations, body adornment and the cultural importance of tattoo, as well as tīvaevae and tapa.

Caption

PlaNet Pasifika 2015. Photograph by Michael Hall. Te Papa