Museum of New Zealand -- Te Papa Tongarewa

New Zealand’s largest cultural investment and Wellington’s most exciting attraction, Te Papa opened in 1998. It has since played a major role in increasing visitor numbers to the capital city. One of the largest national museums in the world, Te Papa is redefining the word museum. Built at a cost of NZ$317 million, it has attracted over 18 million visitors by combining interactive technology with stunning world-class displays that tell the story of New Zealand—its culture, history, art, and natural environment. Te Papa is also a partnership between Pakeha (the majority culture of European descent) and Maori culture. It includes a range of magnificent exhibitions featuring Manu Whenua, some of the country’s most significant Maori treasures, as well as Te Marae, a unique 21st-century carved meetinghouse.

The second level contains Mountains to Sea, which puts the spotlight on the natural world. From minuscule insects to a slightly creepy colossal squid specimen, with computer-generated interactive displays and 3D animation to keep people of all ages amused, it presents both the familiar and the bizarre of New Zealand’s natural inhabitants. Head outdoors to Bush City, a living, growing exhibition of the natural environment, from native bush to volcanic landscapes. Cross a swing-bridge, visit a glowworm cave or a wetland, climb a lava flow, or dig for fossils. The story of New Zealand’s dramatic landscape and the part that earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the weather play in its shaping, is told in Awesome Forces. This is also where you can see a carved figure of Ruaumoko, the Maori god of earthquakes, and where you can visit the earthquake house to experience a simulated aftershock of the Edgecumbe earthquake of 1987.

The part I love best, though, is OurSpace , a spectacular multimedia adventure. It includes The Map, a walk-on satellite map of New Zealand that triggers images; and The Wall, a fabulous interactive space where you can upload your own images to the Te Papa database and create works of art that merge with everyone else’s. Two motion simulator rides add to the excitement. The High Ride takes you on an adrenalin-filled adventure through the thrill of adventure sports to a bungy jump off Auckland’s Sky Tower. The Deep Ride explores an underwater volcano and creatures 2,000 meters (965,616 ft.) under the sea.

On Level 4, Tangata o le Moana: The Story of Pacific People of New Zealand explores how Pacific Island cultures have influenced and affected New Zealand—and kids will love the hologram movie of their early exploration. Golden Days is a captivating animated junk shop that comes alive, and Passports explores the migrant story of New Zealand in a fantastic exhibition and audiovisual presentation that is one of the highlights of the museum. Slice of Heaven/20th Century Aotearoa explores the stories, people, and events that changed the 20th century.

Spread over six levels, the museum includes much more and warrants at least half a day’s exploration. It’s playful, imaginative, bold, and more than impressive. It is an essential destination if you’re keen to learn more about New Zealand. Few people leave unmoved. It’s stunningly high-tech and loads of fun. On top of that, the architecture isn’t bad, either. The 60-minute Introducing Te Papa Tour is an excellent choice if you’re short on time. It runs hourly from 10am to 3pm November through March, and twice daily at 10:15am and 2pm in winter, with a 7pm Thursday tour year-round. The tour costs NZ$12 for adults and NZ$6 for children 15 and under. Request foreign-language guides at the time of booking. A self-guided tour booklet is available at the information desk for NZ$3, an excellent investment. Audio guides in several languages are also available.

Te Papa has two eateries: Te Papa Café (Level 1), serving excellent New Zealand cuisine; and Espresso Bar (Level 4), for coffee and snacks. It also has two superb gift shops, Te Papa Store, featuring original crafts and top Maori designs, and Te Papa Kids’ Store, which is full of educational, fun, and distinctively New Zealand books and toys.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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