Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki Park

Address: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 55 Cable Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New Zealand

Website: https://www.tepapa.govt.nz

Hours: Daily 10am-6pm

Admission: Free general admission; some temporary exhibitions ticketed.

Te Papa Tongarewa - commonly known as Te Papa - is New Zealand’s national museum and a major cultural institution located on Wellington’s waterfront. It opened in 1998 and combines collections, exhibitions and public programmes covering natural history, art and cultural heritage.

The museum’s displays place strong emphasis on bicultural presentation of New Zealand’s Māori and Pākehā histories and include major collections of Māori and Pacific material culture. Galleries cover geoscience, natural history and New Zealand’s social and military history, alongside rotating temporary exhibitions.

Te Papa was created by merging national collections into a single purpose-built facility with an emphasis on accessibility and public education. The building and galleries were designed to present both national stories and international loan exhibitions.

The museum occupies a prominent waterfront site in central Wellington, adjacent to the central business district and within easy walking distance of the harbour and parliamentary precinct.

• Opening year: Opened in 1998 as New Zealand’s national museum and is located on Wellington’s waterfront, combining national collections with public programmes.

What to See#

• Māori and Pacific galleries: Māori and Pacific galleries presenting indigenous culture, history and taonga (treasures) from across Aotearoa and the Pacific.
• Natural history galleries: Natural history and science exhibitions that cover New Zealand’s geology, biodiversity and Antarctic connections.
• Special exhibitions: Special exhibitions space that hosts temporary shows including the modern Gallipoli exhibition and international touring displays.

• Arrive mid-week in the morning to avoid heavy weekend and school-group traffic - the main entrance faces Civic Square/Cable Street on Wellington's waterfront.
• Check Te Papa's website and reserve timed tickets for special temporary exhibitions in advance; many permanent galleries (including the marae and natural history displays) are free but popular.
• Don't miss the on-site marae space (Rongomaraeroa) and the museum's Māori cultural displays-look for scheduled talks or guided tours that explain the significance of the taonga on display.