Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand

Open now! Breathe | Mauri Ora: An Immersive Journey into Nature by Marshmallow Laser Feast

Breathe | Mauri Ora features large-scale video works, a guided meditation by Cate Blanchett, and interactive experiences deepening our connection to the world around us. You can also immerse yourself in the journey of breath with a VR experience. Book ahead to explore digital artworks on an awe-inspiring scale this summer!

Book a guided tour of Te Papa

Go deeper into the action at Gallipoli, understand more about the Māori world, and hear the stories about the treasures Te Papa holds. Let Te Papa’s guides bring Aotearoa New Zealand’s people and landscapes to life!

Exhibition: Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War

This ground-breaking exhibition tells the story of the Gallipoli campaign in World War I through the eyes and words of eight ordinary New Zealanders who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances.

Now open: Toi Art

Fresh takes and new favourites. You’ll find them in the new season of Toi Art with changing exhibitions on Levels 4 and 5.

Haere mai, welcome to Te Papa

New Zealand’s national museum is home to over two million objects across art, natural history, New Zealand histories, mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), and Pacific cultures. World-renowned for its commitment to biculturalism, Te Papa is TripAdvisor’s top tourist attraction in New Zealand.

The museum is free for all New Zealanders and delivers an exceptional experience to international visitors.

Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Papa

Ko Te Papa Tongarewa tēnei e mihi atu nei, e tiaki nei i ngā taonga rua miriona neke atu. He taonga toi, taiao, hītori, Māori, ā-Kiwa hoki ki konei. He whare taonga e pūmau tonu ki te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ki tā TripAdvisor, ko Te Papa te tino mō te hunga tāpoi ki Aotearoa.

He utukore te kuhu mai ki te whare taonga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa.

What’s happening at Te Papa

  • A child is smiling up at someone with them. They are both in front of a gigantic screen with dots of light and swirling patterns.

    Breathe | Mauri Ora Events Season

    Explore our Breathe | Mauri Ora events season, featuring panel discussions, a wellbeing symposium, taonga puoro (Māori musical instruments), performances, and immersive dining. Discover experiences celebrating our connection to te taiao (nature).

  • A man in a stripey shirt and beard is smiling and holding a pot in front of a collection of books and pots.

    Toi Art talk: Collecting – A lifelong pursuit

    Passionate collectors of design, decorative art and antiques share their stories of obsession, instinct and luck in this special event celebrating the exhibition Towards Modernism

    Sat 31 Jan 2026, 1.30 to 3pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • A wide view of the Tiriti exhibition space in Te Papa, with the sgreen signage in the foreground, the tall pou in the mid-ground and the two walls of writing either side.

    Waitangi: He kōrero hirahira

    Explore Te Tiriti o Waitangi through activities in Treaty of Waitangi: Signs of a Nation.

    31 Jan - 8 Feb 2026, 10am to 6pm, daily

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Guided tours at Te Papa

Get even more out of your visit to Te Papa by letting our guides bring the stories of Aotearoa New Zealand’s people and landscapes to life.

  • A man in a green shirt is pointing to a giant model of a soldier while talking to two other people.

    Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War Tour

    Experience the story that shaped a nation.

    Take a powerful one-hour journey through Te Papa’s Gallipoli exhibition. Guided storytelling and Wētā Workshop’s artistry bring to life the real experiences of New Zealanders in a defining moment of history.

    From $50.00

  • A woman in a green shirt is talking to a group of people while standing in front of a Māori carving.

    Māori Highlights Tour

    Explore te ao Māori (the Māori world) in this one-hour introductory tour. Discover key cultural concepts and taonga (treasures) through engaging stories and insights that spark curiosity and deepen understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Indigenous heritage.

    From $50.00

  • Several people gathered around a colossal squid in a tank.

    Introducing Te Papa Tour

    Discover Aotearoa New Zealand’s rich history and cultures through Te Papa’s world-leading exhibitions and treasures. Ideal for visitors with limited time or wanting an introduction to Aotearoa New Zealand’s rich history and cultures.

    From $50.00

  • Several people are gathered around a screen that is describing what they can see on the wall behind them.

    Te Papa Highlights in Mandarin 蒂帕帕亮点之旅 汉语

    通过生动翔实的中文讲解,让您进一步了解新西兰的历史文化,聆听馆藏珍宝背后的故事。
    The perfect way to get an overview of Te Papa’s highlights, Māori treasures, and New Zealand history.

    From $50.00

  • A person in a green shirt is describing an artwork to two other people.

    Art Narratives Tour

    Journey through carefully selected highlights from galleries showcasing the diversity and innovation of contemporary art in Aotearoa New Zealand. From monumental sculptures and moving images to embroidery, ceramics, and even a playable video game, discover how contemporary artists are shaping and reflecting our nation's evolving story.

    From $50

Explore the website – The digital museum

  • Eight women arranged around a sofa on a stage and smiling at the camera.

    Watch: We Are Not Your Dusky Maidens!

    Watch five interviews with eight Pasifika women examining the trope of the sensual ‘dusky maiden’ and the cultural significance of flowers in the Te moananui a Kiwa Pacific Islands. Explore further through blog articles responding to the films, Te Papa collection images examples, and more Pacific writing and media.

  • A colourful stage within a room with sunlight through coloured windows bathing the room in shades of blue and purple

    Te Marae o Te Papa Tongarewa: Rongomaraeroa

    Rongomaraeroa is a unique marae (meeting place) within Aotearoa New Zealand. Like all marae, it is founded on Māori principles of kawa (marae protocol) and tikanga (cultural practices) it was created for our unique museum context as a contemporary marae acknowledging the whakapapa (ancestral history) and the taonga (treasures) of all peoples who call Aotearoa New Zealand home.

  • 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

    Research at Te Papa

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

  • Several women wearing black and wreaths on their heads made of kawakawa leaves are sitting around a cloak on some boxes in front of them.

    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 white fern shape on a blue background

    Te Papa’s blog

    Hear from our subject experts and go behind the scenes to find out the latest on what’s happening at Te Papa.

  • A dried starfish that has a lot of tendrils coming of each arm.

    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.

  • A stack of books both sitting horizontally and vertically.

    Te Papa Press

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

Get involvedWhakaeke mai