Te Papa Tongarewa: Celebrating New Zealand Culture

By giving detailed information about key Māori figures through history – such as the first Māori king, different tribes, authentic newspapers and detailed diaries – the museum makes each visitor aware of New Zealand’s unique background and the ways in which the Māori explored the Pacific and created the first settlements.
The museum not only shows how New Zealand has developed culturally, but also how it has physically evolved through the years. Using advanced motion-sensor technology, you are shown the beginnings of this beautiful landscape from prehistoric times and how its horizons and natural habitats were created.

Carefully organised and displayed, the museum is home to the biggest and most extensive collection of plants and animals from the lands that make up this archipelago. With the country boasting such a vibrant natural habitat, there are regular ongoing discoveries of new species, and the national museum plays an integral role in the identification and organisation of each one.
The museum also houses an impressive collection of visual art. The National Collection was established in 1905, at first maintaining a focus on British art, but eventually obtaining works which represent the many creative feats of New Zealand artists themselves. Today, pieces from all the traditional visual arts can be seen, with a recent increase in contemporary commercial design.
The building itself has also received international acclaim for its innovative architectural design, with much of the interior using New Zealand-grown wood. The structure sits on 150 shock absorbers, an ingenious design that ensures the safety of visitors inside during even the most violent of earthquakes.

Celebrated both internationally and across Aotearoa (the Māori word for New Zealand), Te Papa targets the core principles of learning, understanding and encouraging sincere relationships with local communities, displaying New Zealand’s diversity by providing an array of viewpoints.