Dive into the collections
Explore 800,000 artworks, taonga, photographs, collection objects, and botanical and zoological specimens from Te Papa’s collections. Learn about different cultures – or your own! – or find inspiration for your own artworks.
Collections Online is how you can spend time with Aotearoa’s taonga from the comfort of your bed.
What are you interested in? Dinosaur teeth? Contemporary art? Buzzy bee? Xena? (Cats obviously.)
Our collection areas cover Taonga Māori, Pacific Cultures, New Zealand History, Photography, Art, Botany, and Zoology. These topics are complemented by over 190,000 images, with over 60,000 available for high-resolution download.
How to search on Collections Online
Whether you want to find photos of cats, dive into contemporary art, or browse scientific specimens, How to search on Collections Online offers lots of tips to help you get what you want (so long as we have it in our collection!).
Image comprised of Two people on a glacier, date unknown, photographer unknown. Te Papa (A.015014) and Portraits and country scenes, Waipukurau, 1940, by Eric Lee-Johnson. Te Papa (E.001670)
Inspiration
How people are using Te Papa’s collection images
Paris Collage Collective are a group that “through collaborations and creative projects ... want to help build meaningful connections between likeminded people that go further than likes and shares”. They post new, frequently surreal and humorous submissions each day, and often use our collection items.
Colourising black and white photographs from the collections
Arotahi | Focus – a ‘slowing viewing’ experience
Use the slow movement of the images as a meditative experience, or a new way to appreciate the detail of some the collections’ images. Try it on your phone with headphones, or with a group on a big screen.
Explore Arotahi | Focus at bit.ly/Arotahi
More information on how Arotahi works
So what are you waiting for? This puppy needs company.
Go!
Dog race, 1920-1935, photographer unknown. Te Papa (A.016229)