Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Experience the whole of New Zealand in one building! Te Papa is New Zealand's bold, innovative and interactive national museum. Explore the great treasures and stories of this country, its unique natural environment, Maori culture and taonga (treasures), dynamic art heritage, and its fascinating history. Te Papa is located on Wellington's spectacular waterfront. Open 10am to 6pm every day except Christmas Day. General admission is free for New Zealand residents.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingAdmission tickets
from
$20.53
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
830 within 3 miles
Attractions
179 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- zyligSaint Paul, Minnesota93 contributionsTe Papa a real gemThe one sightseeing thing we did in out brief stay in Wellington was to visit Te Papa museum. The museum got off to a great start as it had easy access and parking that even foreigners like us could handle. The cafe was excellent for lunch. We we spent most of our time on the Māori exhibits. We felt that they were well done and hopefully reflect the input from various Māori tribes. The impact of the vessels and houses was significant. Perhaps more oral histories could be collected and rotated has time goes by that capture the thoughts about their society and roles in New Zealand. The Te Papa also has a lot of natural history presented in an appealing way for younger folk. Very happy we did not miss this.Visited February 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten February 18, 2024
- Endlesstraveler99Cobble Hill, Canada204 contributionsWonderfully done free MuseumWonderful museum and free. Very interesting large nature section. War section was also extremely well done. Large Museum, so you need lots of time. Highly recommended.Visited February 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten February 19, 2024
- A J11 contributionsLearn About ALL of New ZealandTe Papa is a must-do in Wellington. You will learn all about New Zeland, from its volcanic formation, to wildlife, human settlement, Maori culture, colonization, literally everything. We only devoted 4 1/2 hours and could have spent much more time seeing all the exhibits. I loved the bird displays, and seeing the sounds exhibit and which birds are extinct was particularly impactful. You can also see a giant squid in person! We started at the natural history section and spent so much time there, we had to move quickly through the other sections. The exhibits showcasing Maori and Pacific culture were insightful as I was completely uninformed about the history and the people. The Scale of our War exhibit was also fantastic, and seeing the scale models made by Weta Workshop must be seen to be believed. And, the museum is free! I want to go back and spend more time seeing things we may have missed - give yourself plenty of time to visit.Visited February 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten February 19, 2024
- MartyH_10Blackburn, United Kingdom100 contributionsExcellent. Well worth visiting.Just spent a very enjoyable couple of hours in the museum - easily spend far longer. Free entry to most of it. Well laid out and sign posted over several floors. Visited the art exhibits, the Maori section and history of early settlers, + Gallipoli & Bush City area. All excellent. Plenty of places to rest and grab a coffee/snack. Highly recommended. Tip: we arrived at 10 30 ish, which matched with the mid morning rush, including school parties. Therefore, go to the upper floors first and work downwards. Found that helped a bit avoiding the crowds.Visited February 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten February 20, 2024
- barnie7225 contributionsSuperb!Great museum but the Gallipoli exhibition is superb and definitely shouldn’t be missed. It’s one of the best museum exhibitions that we’ve seen anywhere in the world and the Weta Workshop sculptures are just incredible, as are all of the other models & displays. We found the stories of the eight individuals who took part to be incredibly moving and they gave us a new insight into what they experienced before, during and after the war. We expected to be in the museum for half an hour but ended up staying for half the day. We highly recommend this museum to everyone.Visited February 2024Traveled with friendsWritten February 22, 2024
- BeaAuckland Central, New Zealand38 contributionsDo not hesitate, just goTe Papa Museum: Wellington's Top Destination! A captivating blend of interactive exhibits, rich history, and cultural treasures, making it a must-visit spot in the heart of Wellington. From engaging displays to friendly staff, it's the go-to place for an enriching experience in the city: Maori history & art, biology, geology, and NZ fauna and flora...Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten February 24, 2024
- nlgragLarchmont, New York61 contributionsFabulous museum and spectacular guideOur travel agent had pre-booked a private tour. Our docent name was Won Won The museum is beautifully curated with intelligent interactive activities that help you understand more. Contemporary art is mixed in with traditional Maori art making an interesting counterpoint. Our guide was so well informed and thoughtful and funny that the 90 minute tour seemed over in a flash.Visited March 2024Traveled with friendsWritten March 3, 2024
- Robin CSimcoe, Canada38 contributionsexcellent museum experiencelarge clean well organized museum.free entry.terrific exhibits including history of immigration from the south pacific islanders to Europeans and more .well laid out. very thorough coverage of New Zealand participation in WW1 and WW 2 ..could easily spend 1/2 day here. we were there in Dec 2022. no rushes or long line ups .Visited December 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten March 6, 2024
- willjc95West Midlands, United Kingdom528 contributionsA first rate museumVisited February 2024. We hadn’t realised how good this place would be and we had only allowed 2 hours in the afternoon. I would recommend allowing more time to see all that this museum has to offer. Absolutely excellent, and made even better with it being free entry.Visited February 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten March 8, 2024
- helzioEdinburgh, United Kingdom105 contributionsLovely day tripGreat day to spend half a day! Lots of interesting exhibits, we visited the Gallipoli which was very well done and very emotional. We went midweek and the museum wasn't too busy which was nice. Recommended for a day in Wellington!Visited February 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten March 12, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
14,380 reviews
Excellent
11,102
Very good
2,602
Average
538
Poor
81
Terrible
58
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
Ruben L
65 contributions
Sep 2024 • Solo
First of all, the admission is free, which is absolutely awesome. Making education available that way is great, at least in my opinion. I was there for about 4 hours but barely managed to even scratch the surface of what can be seen and learned in the museum. There are so many different exhibits and they are all huge, I visited the one about wildlife and earthquakes and Fauna and Flora in general and I really recommend you do the same, it was quite interesting. Afterwards I went to the exhibit about NZ’s involvement in the first World War, which was fascinating, especially the huge wax models that looked incredibly realistic, in combination with the lighting and the otherwise dark room, it created a truly cinematic experience that didn’t expect at all. After that, I went to the exhibit about how the Maori came to NZ and how the European settlers (like so many other times in history) came to Aotearoa NZ and what (yes mostly negative) effect they’ve had, also really interesting. There are so many other exhibits that I haven’t seen yet, but I’m sure they’re all great as well. So have fun. Only mind that after September 17th international visitors will have to pay $35 for admission, but entry will remain free for New Zealanders. Enjoy!
Written September 7, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michel10000
Driebergen, The Netherlands1,690 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Because the museum is so large, a 1-hour introductory tour for 22 NZD is worth it. The entrance is also free. The guide explains some history of both the country and the Maori to a small group of approximately 10 people. You then have the opportunity to visit the various rooms and floors yourself.

Written November 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Van & my two ladies
Wellington, New Zealand72 contributions
Nov 2024 • Family
Highly recommend prioritising the exhibits so you can soak up all the wonderful information provided. We were there for 2 hours.
❤️Jeremy Leatinu’u’s short movie was really clever but we saw it on the last day.
💙 Pātū Toi was very engaging, a room with digital access to the museums entire 400+ art collection. You get to browse on iPads then select your favourite, add your name and why you liked it and it features on the wall of the room. Each of us finding a favourite was very fun.
💜 And with it being so topical we spent time exploring the Treaty exhibition. We all learnt a great deal and enjoyed being in the space.
💖 Seeing one of the cannons from the actual Endeavour was very cool too.
❤️Jeremy Leatinu’u’s short movie was really clever but we saw it on the last day.
💙 Pātū Toi was very engaging, a room with digital access to the museums entire 400+ art collection. You get to browse on iPads then select your favourite, add your name and why you liked it and it features on the wall of the room. Each of us finding a favourite was very fun.
💜 And with it being so topical we spent time exploring the Treaty exhibition. We all learnt a great deal and enjoyed being in the space.
💖 Seeing one of the cannons from the actual Endeavour was very cool too.
Written December 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wow ngā mihi what a thoughtful and detailed review! So glad you enjoyed the museum across lots of different areas. Hope you can come back and visit again, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights. PS: the work by Jeremy Leatinu'u has been replaced by another amazing immersive artwork, Hye Rim Lee: Āke Tonu Atu | Eternity, here til middle of next year if you're passing ;)
Written December 12, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Phil H
Perth and Kinross, UK24 contributions
Dec 2024 • Couples
We visited here 2 years ago but when we returned today were taken by surprise by the fee which amounts to almost £35 uk for entry. Despite the confident ‘ puffy’ positive spin put on this by the admins in various publications , I think it is going to affect entry numbers in the long run. We consoled ourselves with coffee and cake in the nice museum cafe however. With us visiting yearly to see our Daughter and Grandchildren alas Te Papa is a once only visit .
Written January 7, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravellingCouple
Fairfax, IA199 contributions
Dec 2024 • Couples
The museum was not worth the admission cost for us, an adult couple. We normally love museums, but this one was too expensive for what it was. The main level was absolutely packed with little children, you couldn't get through to look at anything, there was a long line to get into the Gallipolli exhibit and you couldn't even go into the traditional meeting house (which was the main draw for me). Bush City was a nice little walk, but the upper floors were pretty sparse (fewer children though). :) For adults, I don't feel like it was worth it. If you have kids, this might be fun. It's more of a children's museum. We definitely regret spending $40 USD to get in.
Written January 7, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Venture45161132711
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
I am disappointed that we wasted our time visiting. We had a ferry check in at 12:00.
We arrived at the que to purchase tickets at 10:15 am for the dinosaur exhibit.
After 20 minutes wait staff erected a sign saying that tickets can be purchased online.
To do this you need access to Ticketek. The process was far from simple requiring sign up.
By the time I got through the sign up process and put my tickets for 10:30am through the checkout it came up that my session had timed out and I had to go back. This required exiting and re entering the tiketek site. A huge waste of time.
A staff member came downstairs and stated if we purchased tickets and went upstairs we could go straight up. When I finally got through to book our tickets the 10:45 session was full and we would have to wait till
One person was on the ticket booth and people were lined up for at least 45 minutes.
Our children were bitterly disappointed as this was to be a hilight of our holiday.
We managed a quick look around other exhibits but if you don't have at least 4 hours to spare I wouldn't bother again.
Some organisation and extra staff on ticketing could have prevented issues.
We arrived at the que to purchase tickets at 10:15 am for the dinosaur exhibit.
After 20 minutes wait staff erected a sign saying that tickets can be purchased online.
To do this you need access to Ticketek. The process was far from simple requiring sign up.
By the time I got through the sign up process and put my tickets for 10:30am through the checkout it came up that my session had timed out and I had to go back. This required exiting and re entering the tiketek site. A huge waste of time.
A staff member came downstairs and stated if we purchased tickets and went upstairs we could go straight up. When I finally got through to book our tickets the 10:45 session was full and we would have to wait till
One person was on the ticket booth and people were lined up for at least 45 minutes.
Our children were bitterly disappointed as this was to be a hilight of our holiday.
We managed a quick look around other exhibits but if you don't have at least 4 hours to spare I wouldn't bother again.
Some organisation and extra staff on ticketing could have prevented issues.
Written December 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tobegold
Vancouver528 contributions
Nov 2024 • Couples
Overpriced for what it is as is most attractions in NZ, especially those that are free for NZ residents but charge for visitors. Bad enough they charge NZ$100 just to enter the country. NZ is getting to be a country not worth visiting due to how it wants to fleece visitors. The Gallipolli exhibit was very good though. Do not patronize me with your standard reply of:
“Kia ora sorry to hear you didn't visit the museum. As we are only partly funded by government we do need to earn revenue to keep offering our services to the public.”
You obviously just want to grab tourist $$$.
When I get home maybe I should contact museums to double the admission price to NZers. Maybe Canada should charge $100 for NZers to visit as well. If anybody would ask me as to where to travel I would honestly have to say skip NZ and visit other countries- and I have travelled around the world quite extensively.
“Kia ora sorry to hear you didn't visit the museum. As we are only partly funded by government we do need to earn revenue to keep offering our services to the public.”
You obviously just want to grab tourist $$$.
When I get home maybe I should contact museums to double the admission price to NZers. Maybe Canada should charge $100 for NZers to visit as well. If anybody would ask me as to where to travel I would honestly have to say skip NZ and visit other countries- and I have travelled around the world quite extensively.
Written November 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susie813
248 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
It's worth visiting this museum. There are exhibitions that require ticket entry as well as many floors of the museum that are free to enjoy. On our day of visit, it was quite crowded so we did not get to enjoy the local cafe.
We loved the cultural displays and history showcases.
We loved the cultural displays and history showcases.
Written January 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wolverine154
Albuquerque, NM396 contributions
Dec 2024 • Solo
Gotta give them credit for locating the museum right across the street where the Banksy exhibit was on a wing of the convention center. But seriously, as a mainland American who was basically born in Hawaii (dad was in the Air Force & got transferred there when I was 6 months old) & has been back there twice as an adult + Tahiti & Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island), I have a certain fascination w/Polynesian culture. The breath & quality of the artwork, relics & displays on the 4th floor were world class-I am rarely that impressed. For comparison, MOMA is a total 2nd class joke top to bottom that could be razed & no one would be the wiser. So it was worth the price of admission alone. On the other hand, the Hollyweird stylized temporary exhibit on Gallipoli was a cheap & bizarre embarrassment w/its focus on larger than life constructed caricatures of real humans who were in this WWI conflict. I say this as an American who minored in film studies in college & wrote my thesis on modern Aussie cinema from the early 60s to the early 80s & Gallipoli was one of the films I wrote deeply about-have probably seen the movie 4 times in 40 years & this exhibit is beyond cringey.
Written February 4, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
b_long176
Sydney, Australia1,099 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
We actually spread our visit over two days, as we only got in to Wellington in the late afternoon, and there's lots to see and do in this museum. Lots of NZ history, animals and Maori culture, plus stories about NZ immigration & the ANZACs, were very interesting.
And please, for those tourists who decide they're more important than anyone else, respect the local wishes. If there's a sign saying please don't take photos of a particular Maori exhibit, don't take photos.........
There's also a couple of great art exhibits, and don't forget to go up onto the balcony on the top floor for great views over the harbour & city.
And please, for those tourists who decide they're more important than anyone else, respect the local wishes. If there's a sign saying please don't take photos of a particular Maori exhibit, don't take photos.........
There's also a couple of great art exhibits, and don't forget to go up onto the balcony on the top floor for great views over the harbour & city.
Written March 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
About how much time does it take to go through this museum?
Written March 3, 2019
We spent about two hours there, viewing the Terracotta Warriors and having tea and cake. We had been previously to see the War exhibition so didn't do that again. You can spend as much time as you want or see just the one exhibition. Warriors well worth a visit.
Written March 4, 2019
Wie ist es, wenn man um 11 Uhr kommt um 16 Uhr an der Fähre sein muss, ins Museum möchte, wo parkt man am besten?? Danke und liebe Grüße!
Written December 14, 2018
Direkt neben dem Museeum ist ein großer Parkplatz ausserdem gibt es schräg gegenüber einen großen Supermarkt (New World) wo man auch schon mal ein paar Stunden parken kann. Vom Museeum zum Fährterminal (interislander da weiter weg) sind es 4,5 Kilometer, also ein Katzensprung. Auto irgendwo parken und mit dem Bus fahren würde ich nicht machen, zumindest dann wenn ich einen Fährtermin habe.
Written December 14, 2018
Davi Beck
Sao Paulo, SP
Hello, I am going to New Zealand in december on vacation and I wonder to know how much time is recomended to discover Te Papa museum?
Written July 23, 2017
4 hours should be enough if you dont explore every detail of all the floors. The WW1 exhibit is awesome
Written July 23, 2017
Are u still open on Christmas Day? Your website isn't clear
Written December 23, 2016
No the website says closed on Christmas Day.
Written December 23, 2016
Hi
Just checked website and it says closed on Christmas Day. Worth visiting if you have time.
Written December 23, 2016
My Wife and I are doing a cruise round New Zealand next year ,so we only get a day in each port .I suppose that all the cruises stop at the same ports of call.
My question is what are the best places to visit ,we are in our 70's so nothing like hang gliding or that adventurous.
Written October 27, 2016
Personally I would advise Zealandia (nature reserve) and a visit to Weta workshops (this co does fabulous movie set work and the tour is great)
Written October 28, 2016
Hello,
Is there parking at this museum?
Many thanks, Han
Written September 13, 2016
Hi Han, there is an underground car park at Te Papa, with very limited above ground parking too. It is located very centrally, so if you're in the CBD it's just a few minutes walk away.
Enjoy your time there, it's fantastic. :-)
Written September 13, 2016
MonicaDulbecco
Quito, Ecuador
Hoy en junio, estará todavía la exhibición de gallipollis
Written April 10, 2016
TePapaMuseum
Wellington, New Zealand
It sure is. We're open 365 days of the year including Christmas day!
Written August 24, 2015
Showing results 1-10 of 11
As Featured In
By Tripadvisor
New Zealand in autumn and winter: epic experiences and otherworldly wonders
With swathes of treasured national parks, jewel-bright lakes and snow-speckled mountains, New Zealand has a fine repository of all things natural. Beyond the visual majesties, there’s plenty to do to unleash your inner adventurer.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing