Te Papa Tours and Activities

Te Papa


See, smell and touch the exhibits at New Zealand’s hi-tech and interactive free national museum.

Embrace New Zealand’s culture, history, flora and fauna with six floors of exhibitions and interactive experiences at Te Papa (Museum of New Zealand). Its full Māori name is “Te Papa Tongarewa,” which means “container of treasures.”  

Start your hands-on adventure inside Our Space, a hi-tech interactive experience that includes The Wall, a 59 feet (18 meter) long interactive video wall.

Learn about the natural forces that shaped New Zealand at the Awesome Forces exhibit. Step inside the shake house and experience a simulated earthquake. Watch the light and sound show that tells the Māori account of creation.

At Mountains to Sea you’ll see displays of more than 2,500 native plants and animals, from insects to the 68-feet (21-meter) skeleton of pygmy blue whale.

Get close to what’s thought to be the heaviest squid ever caught. It weighs 1,091 pounds (495 kilograms) and has a mantle length (the length of the muscular organ that protects the body) of 8.2 feet (2.5 meters). It was captured by a New Zealand fishing vessel in Antarctic waters in 2007 and is preserved in a large tank.

Appreciate some of the museum’s cultural treasures, including thousands of Māori ancestral carvings, ornaments and weapons. Te Papa also houses the national art collection, which includes thousands of works by New Zealand artists, photographers and sculptors.

Explore an urban rainforest at Bush City, just outside the museum. Here, you can crawl through a limestone cave to see glow worms and the bones of an extinct moa bird.

Kids will love the activities designed for them. They can dig for dinosaur bones, learn traditional Māori games, make a puppet, examine insects under a microscope or take an art class.

Situated in Cable Street on Wellington’s waterfront, Te Papa is easily reached by car and public transport. Most of the city’s buses travel near the museum and the main railway station is just a short walk away. There is pay parking 24 hours a day.

Te Papa is open daily, including public holidays. Admission is free though charges may apply to some temporary exhibitions.

Plan a trip to see Te Papa

Price found within the past 48 hours. Click for updated prices.
Quest on Johnston
U Suites on Oriental Parade
TRYP by Wyndham Wellington, Tory Street

Reviews of Te Papa

4.9
Top destination
5 - Excellent
47
" "5 - Excellent 88.67924528301887%
4 - Good
6
" "4 - Good 11.320754716981131%
3 - Okay
0
" "3 - Okay 0%
2 - Disappointing
0
" "2 - Disappointing 0%
1 - Terrible
0
" "1 - Terrible 0%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Been to this museum twice now - twenty years apart and still one of my most favourite museums in the world.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

4th floor had fantastic displays of Maori history and culture

Popular places to visit


Best Lodging Options Near Te Papa

James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor
James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor
4.5 out of 5
147 The Terrace, Wellington
James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor
Rydges Wellington
Rydges Wellington
4.5 out of 5
75 Featherston St, Wellington
Rydges Wellington
ibis Wellington
ibis Wellington
3.5 out of 5
153 Featherston St, Wellington
ibis Wellington
Naumi Studio Wellington
Naumi Studio Wellington
4 out of 5
223 Cuba Street, Wellington, Wellington
Naumi Studio Wellington
Willis Wellington Hotel
Willis Wellington Hotel
3.5 out of 5
355 Willis St, Wellington
Willis Wellington Hotel
Museum Apartment Hotel, Independent Collection by EVT
Museum Apartment Hotel, Independent Collection by EVT
4.5 out of 5
247-257 Wakefield Street, Wellington
Museum Apartment Hotel, Independent Collection by EVT
Oaks Wellington Hotel
Oaks Wellington Hotel
4.5 out of 5
89 Courtenay Place, Te Aro, Wellington, Wellington
Oaks Wellington Hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton Wellington
DoubleTree by Hilton Wellington
4.5 out of 5
Corner of Lambton Quay and Grey Street, 28 Grey Street, Wellington, NZ
DoubleTree by Hilton Wellington
Microtel by Wyndham Wellington
Microtel by Wyndham Wellington
4 out of 5
25 Vivian St, Wellington, Wellington
Microtel by Wyndham Wellington
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.