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Museum of New Zealand

Te Papa Tongarewa

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

International visitor tickets

Science and nature

Botany, fishes, birds, insects, fossils, molluscs – read about Te Papa's scientific research and stories from leading natural history experts.

  • A partial satelite view of Aotearoa New Zealand with some design brackets on top of it.

    Watch: The Active Land talks

    The Active Land talk series hosted at Te Papa highlights the diverse range of cutting-edge research into natural hazards happening in Wellington. In partnership with the Natural Hazard Commission (NHC) Toka Tū Ake.

  • Photograph of a colossal squid

    Colossal squid

    All you’d want to know about the colossal squid – from its anatomy, to how it was found.

  • Spiders and insects

    Insects, arachnids, myriapods, bugs, creepy-crawlies, moths, butterflies and their allies.

  • An aerial photo of a city in ruins after an earthquake.

    Faultlines: Earthquakes in Aotearoa New Zealand

    Around 20,000 shakes are measured every year in Aotearoa New Zealand – about 55 a day – our whenua (land) never stops shaking. Plates collide. Pressure builds. The land ruptures. How do we cope with living on such shaky ground?

  • A set of bones in a flat plaster cast on a black background

    Fossils and dinosaurs

    Te Papa’s collections and research on dinosaur bones, animals, and plant fossils from past geological ages, and the people involved in the discovery of their remains.

  • A rat in a tree attacking a bird in a nest at nighttime.

    The Current

    Idea: Soil connects us to culture, food, nature, people, and place, so we shouldn’t treat soil like rubbish.

    How do you feel about this idea?

  • School kids cleaning a river of plastic

    Community stories: Taking action for nature

    River cleaners, tree planters, possum trappers, and climate crusaders. Explore stories from around Aotearoa New Zealand of communities taking care of their natural environment.

  • A spiny lobster on a white background.

    Crustaceans of Aotearoa New Zealand and the South Pacific

    Crustacea includes lobsters, crabs, shrimps, prawns, hoppers, wood lice, water fleas, and several other groups. Most crustaceans live in the sea but some are found in freshwater or on land. The one thing they all need to survive is water, or at least a moist habitat.

  • A lot of different fish on a blue background.

    The deep sea

    Colossal squids, fishes, and creatures of the deep. Te Papa holds the largest and most comprehensive collection in the country, and the largest collection of New Zealand fishes anywhere in the world.

  • Tail of a whale as it dives into the ocean

    Whales, dolphins, and sharks

    Researching, caring for, photographing, and displaying the whales, dolphins, and sharks of Aotearoa New Zealand and the South Pacific.

  • Underside of a fern frond with brown seed pods

    Botany

    Te Papa’s botanical collections and research encompass marine algae (seaweeds), lichens, mosses, liverworts, lycophytes, ferns, and seed plants.

  • A kaka, a type of parrot with red under its wings

    Birds of Aotearoa New Zealand

    Birds are an important part of New Zealand's nationhood. We are the only nation where the people are often colloquially known by a bird name – ‘Kiwi’.

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    Science for Lunch talks

    From deep-sea creatures to earthquake hazards, hear about the latest scientific discoveries in and around Aotearoa, straight from the experts.

  • Science Express podcasts

    Listen to a range of podcasts covering topics such as climate change, Ebola, radiation therapy, alpine fault drilling, and forensics.

  • Watercolour painting of Milford Sound

    A right continental fuss: Zealandia explained

    Dr Hamish Campbell, Te Papa’s geologist in residence from GNS Science, talks about the news that intrigued the world in February 2017 – that it can legitimately be claimed that Zealandia is a distinct continent.