ExhibitionsNgā whakaaturanga

Celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique natural environment. See Gallipoli through the eyes and words of eight ordinary New Zealanders. Hear extraordinary stories from young refugees.

Note: Level 5 art galleries are currently closed for maintenance.

Opening soon

Find out what exhibitions are coming up

A long beige banner image with an older woman with bright orange hair, heavy makeup, a tiara and bold jewellery on. She is looking at the camera with a slight sneer.

Opening soon: Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery

Created by Vivienne Westwood Limited and produced by Nomad Exhibitions, this retrospective exhibition celebrates the iconic jewellery of renowned British fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood (1941–2022).

Opening soon

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

A black rectangle with a large cut diamond on the right-hand side. There is a figure of a queen in the diamond.

Opening soon: Hye Rim Lee: Āke Tonu Atu | Eternity

See Hye Rim Lee’s immersive and imaginative Black Rose and White Rose in Toi Art on Level 4.

Opening soon

6 Dec 2024 to mid 2025

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Exhibitions on now

Find out what is currently showing at Te Papa in Wellington

A space in a museum with tall poles and two walls with text on them.

Treaty of Waitangi: Signs of a Nation

Discover how the Treaty has shaped relationships between the peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand.

On now

Permanent exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Te Taiao | Nature

You’re the explorer in our Te Taiao | Nature exhibition zone. Celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique natural environment – and get ready for our future as kaitiaki.

On now

Permanent exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

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.

On now

Ongoing

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

A father and daughter hold hand on an ornately carved wharenui (large meeting house)

Rongomaraeroa

An authentic and inclusive marae (communal meeting place) for the 21st century.

On now

Permanent exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

General view of an exhibition space with a large projection on the wall, a waka (Māori canoe) in the foreground, and further exhibits in the background

Mana Whenua

Mana Whenua takes you on a stirring journey that explores and celebrates Māori as tangata whenua (the indigenous people) of Aotearoa New Zealand.

On now

Permanent exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Three carved wooden marionettes with cords and feathers attached on a white background.

Karetao-puoro

Visit three karetao-puoro (instruments that are figures too) created by artist James Webster to give karetao a voice by incorporating taonga puoro into their design. Watch the whānau of karetao in action in Tokotū (Rise Up), the story of Ranginui and Papatūānuku.

On now

Wed 5 Jun – mid 2026

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Manu Rere Moana

The navigation of the Pacific by waka hourua | double-hulled sailing waka is one of the great achievements of human technology. This exhibition celebrates the mātauranga of celestial navigation that enabled these extraordinary voyages.

On now

Permanent exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

A group of Māori men lift a waka onto the shore

He Kaupapa Waka

E kau ki te tai e, e kau ki te tai e! Celebrate the thriving waka community.

On now

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

View of the John Parker exhibition, showing three glass plinths containing sculptures

John Parker: Handmade Precision

John Parker is one of New Zealand’s most distinctive ceramic artists. Simple lines, clean edges, and industry-inspired forms feature throughout his 50-year career.

On now

On now

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Phar Lap

Phar Lap was a legendary racehorse and an adored animal hero for a generation of people in New Zealand. You can pay your respects to his bones here, in the country he was born.

Open

Permanent exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

A man stands looking at a red wall featuring paintings hung in the salon style

Toi Art

Discover our world of art, featuring new, exciting commissions alongside the national art collection.

Note: Level 5 is currently closed for maintenance.
Visit Level 4 for current art exhibitions.

Display case showing a taxidermy seagull suspended from its roof alongside a number of carved pou, wooden poles

Moriori – People of Peace

Learn about the Moriori people who inhabit Rēkohu | the Chatham Islands.

On now

Long-term exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Tangata o le Moana: The story of Pacific people in New Zealand

Celebrate the story of Pacific people, past and present, in all areas of life.

On now

Long-term exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Passports

Remarkable stories of people who migrated to New Zealand over the last 200 years.

On now

Long-term exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

The Mixing Room: Stories from young refugees in New Zealand

Young refugees invite you to hear their extraordinary stories.

On now

Long-term exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Multiple glass-fronted cases against a wall display an array of items, from birds and sheep, to a bottle of wine and a blender

Blood Earth Fire

Explore New Zealand’s dramatic transition from untouched paradise to cultivated land.

On now

Long-term exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

The Colossal Squid

Meet the only colossal squid on display in the world.

On now

Permanent exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Britten Bike

See the record-breaking Britten V1000 motorbike, designed and built by Kiwi genius John Britten.

On now

Long-term display

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

A man and two children standing on a suspension bridge look into the bush

Bush City

Step outside into a living, growing exhibition. Explore native bush and a volcanic landscape.

On now

Open daily until 5pm

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Quake Braker

Go underground to see the amazing Kiwi innovation that ‘puts the brakes on’ in an earthquake.

On now

Permanent exhibition

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Past exhibitions

When the moon sees the sun

View When the moon sees the sun, 2019, a digital video with sound by Jeremy Leatinu‘u and the first in a series of recently acquired digital artworks showing in Toi Art.

Cloesd

25 Jul – 19 Nov 2024

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

A photo of someone dancing or singing at a darkly lit space with red and blue lighting.

Generation X: 50 Artworks from the Chartwell Collection

Generation X: 50 Artworks from the Chartwell Collection is a big noisy group show featuring contemporary art made by Gen X artists. This exhibition is presented by City Gallery Wellington.

Closed

27 July – 20 October 2024

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Microscopic photo of five sponges: one is shaped like an X; a three-bladed windmill; an enoki mushroom; a fish hook; and a little explosion

This Swaying Earth

A suite of exhibitions where artists and makers express their relationships with the natural world.

Closed
23 Sep 2023 – 19 May 2024

A magician poising for a photo. In his left hand area lit cigarette lighters between each finger. In his right handle, lit candles are held between each finger

The Perfect Moment

These photographs are a glimpse into The Spencer Digby - Ronald D. Woolf Collection.

Closed

Sat 4 Nov 2023 – 19 May 2024

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Dinosaurs of Patagonia | Ngā Taniwha o Rūpapa

An astonishing exhibition of the dinosaurs of Patagonia, South America – which included the Patagotitan, one of the most massive creatures ever to walk the planet, life-sized casts, and real fossils up to 230 million years old.

Closed

16 Dec 2023 – 28 Apr 2024

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Mataaho Collective: Te Puni Aroaro

Experience the ground-breaking artworks of Mataaho Collective – four wāhine Māori artists who have worked together for the last decade.

Closed

18 Dec 2022 – 28 Jan 2024

Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

Mannequins dressed in Pacific inspired fashion

View more of our past exhibitions

Look at exhibitions presented at Te Papa, going back to 1998.