Football fever catches on at Te Papa

19 November 2013

Te Papa is giving football fans in Wellington the chance to immerse themselves in the perilous past of New Zealand's fierce Mexican opponents.  

The two-for-one bonus means anyone who buys an adult ticket to Te Papa’s Aztecs: Conquest and Glory exhibition can now take another adult for free. 

Mexico was built on the legacy of the ancient Aztecs, who played high stakes ball games, where the losing coach, or the entire team, could be sacrificed. 

While the All Whites aren’t facing the same prospect in their last chance World Cup qualifier with El Tricolor, supporters of both teams can still celebrate a win or console themselves with a look at rarely-seen Mexican treasures. 

New Zealand is the first country to see the exhibition, involving more than 200 of the Aztecs’ most sacred objects from museums throughout Mexico. The show, which was years in the planning, heads to Australia in February. 

Cultural treasures , recently unearthed archaeological finds and dramatic multimedia give visitors a taste of everyday life in the market place, at the GreatTemple or on the ball court in the empire’s capital, Tenochtitlān. 

The two-for-one Aztec ticket bonus is available from Wednesday 20 November to Sunday 24 November (Adults tickets $18).