Collections API
Get data about our collections to use in research, creative work, or websites with our collections API.
Our collections API is a tool that helps you search and view the data and images for the taonga we hold.
It provides access to data for almost 1 million object and specimen records, 300,000 images, and piles of information on related people, places, topics, species, and research.
How we use our API
Collections Online is built using it – whenever you search for something, or look at a picture, that’s the API working. We also use it to share our collections in a lot of other ways:
Building digital interactives on the museum floor
Producing datasets to publish on external sites like GBIF
DigitalNZ uses it to regularly harvest our collections so they can be included in their site.
Try it out
Arotahi immerses you in an artwork from Te Papa with some chill soundscapes.
Our API Browser lets you see the actual records, including information that doesn’t show on Collections Online.
Make something
You can include our API in your own applications – you just need a free registration key.
Check our github wiki for information about getting started.
For Python users, try the askCO Python wrapper.
Share it with us
If you build something with the API we’d love to know about it. Drop us a line at digitaloutreach@tepapa.govt.nz and tell us what you’re up to.
