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What’s on at Te Papa

Mānawatia a Matariki

Celebrate Matariki – the beginning of the New Year in Aotearoa New Zealand, marked by the rising of the Matariki star cluster.

On now

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

He Kura Toi Tangata: 50 years of the Waitangi Tribunal, 1975–2025

As part of the Waitangi Tribunal's 50th anniversary celebrations, The Waitangi Tribunal and Te Papa present a panel discussion to mark this special occasion.

Thu 22 May 2025, 6.30pm–8.00pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

A group of primary school age children walking up a footpath next to a blue tsunami zone sign painted onto the road.

It Starts Before the Shake: Wellington

Join scientists, experts, and emergency managers to discuss as a community what the next big earthquake and tsunami could look like and what you can do to prepare together.

Sun 25 May 2025, 11.00am–12.30pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Events

Our exciting programme of events runs all year. Watch song and dance performances, join in with kids activities and cultural days, hear from our experts, and much more.

Explore the website – The digital museum

matariki-night sky with designed star on it

Matariki: The Māori New Year

Learn all about Matariki and see our events. Matariki is a time to gather with family and friends to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.

A teatowel showing two small children holding their pants open and looking down. The main message is "Oh! That explains the difference in our wages"

Protest, antiracism, and activism

Read about protest collecting, decolonisation, and antiracism from our collections and tohunga (experts) and across the web.

Portrait of Chris Parker wearing a felt hat. The hat features tiny versions of the key New Zealand public figures during Covid-19, a bag of flour, a tiny self-portrait of Chris wearing his orange hoodie, and a tiny official Covid-19 symbol

LGBTQI+ histories of Aotearoa New Zealand

Explore queer objects, artworks, and stories in Te Papa’s collections and discover more about the rich histories of Aotearoa New Zealand’s LGBTQI+ communities and icons – including the AIDS Quilt, Carmen Rupe, and Xena: Warrior Princess.

Two men press their noses together for hongi

Learn online with Te Papa

Are you interested in peeking inside Te Papa to take a journey into the wonders, taonga (treasures), and events that make up Aotearoa New Zealand’s history? Find out about our online learning options.

Research at Te Papa

Discover our ongoing, multidisciplinary programme of research, and find out how we can support you in your own investigations.

A photo of a stack of books with books leaning on it from both sides.

Te Papa Press

Discover popular, award-winning books about New Zealand’s art, culture, and natural world.

Repatriation

In 2003, the government mandated Te Papa to develop a formal programme for the repatriation of Māori and Moriori ancestral remains from international institutions to iwi. Here you can learn about the repatriation process, see all the repatriations to date, and meet the team.

A woman with two kererū perched on her hands

Discover the Collections

View the collections held at Te Papa, learn about outreach that is happening, read our blog, or find out about a specific topic.

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