Long-term exhibition
The story of New Zealand’s dramatic landscape and the part that earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the weather play in its shaping.
How was this land turned from forests and wetlands to farms and settlements? Why were thousands of ‘alien’ plants and animals introduced and why did others become extinct? Experience the transformation with Blood, Earth, Fire!
A taste of New Zealand’s diverse natural environment through a living outdoor display of forest and other plants set in typical landforms.
30 November 2012 – November 2013
Discover the weird and wonderful animals that have adapted to one of the world's most extreme environments – the deep sea.
Sessions run every 20 minutes
Enjoy an evocative journey through 100 years of New Zealand history in Golden Days – a wonderful junk shop that comes to life.
The new installation by Lisa Reihana called Mai i te aroha, ko te aroha, meaning 'From love, comes love', was commissioned specifically for Te Ara a Hine, internal entrance to Te Papa's Marae.
Beautiful taonga (treasures) and fascinating stories combine to create a stunning picture of Māori, the tangata whenua (original people) of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Explore New Zealand’s diverse range of plants and animals and their living places – mountains, fresh waters, forests, coasts, and the surrounding seas.
Ngā Toi | Arts Te Papa is Te Papa's new arts experience. All Level 5, as well as the website, now features a new, changing programme of art from the national collection.
Te Papa's spectacular multimedia experience. Free entry, charges apply for the OurSpace rides.
The remarkable and moving stories of the people who have come to live in New Zealand over the last 200 years.
31 January – August 2013
Thomas Andrew’s remarkable photographs provide a window onto Samoan life and politics around the turn of the 20th century.
Te Papa's base isolators – go underground to see what makes Te Papa a safer place for people and collections when an earthquake strikes.
An exploration of the Treaty signed in 1840 between the British Crown and Māori – its history and place in New Zealand today.
Slice of Heaven: 20th Century Aotearoa is about the stories, people, and events that changed New Zealand’s 20th century and gave the century its unique flavour.
Outstanding individual exhibits, displayed on their own outside the exhibitions, that show unique or unusual aspects of New Zealand’s identity and history.
3 September 2011 – 2014
Tai timu, tai pari, Tainui: journey of a people explores the cultural expressions, material culture, and institutions of the Tainui people.
From Kupe to King Kapisi and bro’Town, Pacific people are putting Pacific cultures – and New Zealand – on the map. Explore their stories past and present, from the battlefield to the sports field and beyond.
Te Papa’s Marae (meeting place) – focal point for pōwhiri (welcomes) and many other special events – is an outstanding example of contemporary Māori art.
Long term exhibition
Come face-to-face with Te Papa's colossal squid! Build a squid, and explore the life of one through computer interactives and a 3-D animated movie.
10 April 2010 –
Young refugees to New Zealand invite you to share their extraordinary stories – told through art, film, poetry, performance, and digital media.
27 September 2012 – 15 September 2013
Te Papa’s new exhibition, Uniformity: Cracking the dress code, explores the meanings and origins of uniforms, which often have military or religious roots.
21 July 2012 – 2013
Over a 25-year period, Wellingtonian Walter Cook built up an extensive collection of British and European decorative arts.
High Ride
Deep Ride
See OurSpace in action on YouTube
See all ride prices
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