What to see at Te Papa? That’s not an easy question, as it’s massive.

But I’ll attempt to answer the question in this post.

You could easily spend a full day in the museum, but that’s not going to be realistic for most (you’ve got plenty of fun things to do in Wellington), so these are what I consider to be the five must-visit exhibits at Te Papa.

They’re all free, permanent/long-term exhibits, and won’t take up all your day.

That said, this 45-minute express tour is $20 and starts at 5 pm. It’s a great way to get a grasp of the museum, and lets you go in with a better plan to explore the museum the following day.

1. THE EARTHQUAKE HOUSE

The Earthquake House is an old favourite that’s been in Te Papa since the museum opened in 1998. For a year or so the exhibit closed but reopened in 2019 with a refresh. Scientists have learned lots about earthquakes since 1998, and that has been incorporated into the updated earthquake house which has an education element in it, along with some humour. And yes, the house still replicates an earthquake.

Where is it: Level 2 Nature Exhibition

Quick tip: You can book a Te Papa introduction tour which many people enjoy.

2. THE COLOSSAL SQUID

Wowser, I remember when the largest colossal squid was first caught (as bycatch in New Zealand waters) in 2007 and the news spread around the world. Luckily, the fisherman put the colossal squid on ice before it ended up at Te Papa where lots of studies went on behind the scenes to learn about the rare specimen.

And voila it was then on display and the squid attracted many people to Te Papa to get a glimpse of its 450kg frame. It’s still at Te Papa after disappearing (not literally) for a little while, and now is back in the Nature exhibition wowing people to this day.

Where is it: Level 2 Nature Exhibition

3. THE GALLIPOLI SCULPTURES

Okay, I really want to include the whole Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War entire exhibition. But, I’m being sneaky by claiming you need to see the sculptures because you need to walk through the whole exhibition to see the different ones, and you can’t help but be absorbed by the entire exhibition.

The eight sculptures are impressive in size, 240% bigger (2.4x) than human size and detail, which took a cumulative 24,000 hours to create. You can see details like beads of sweat, dirt marks, and arm hairs all visible.

If you’re not famalir with New Zealand’s role in Gallipoli this brief recap will give you some background info.

This exhibit does get busy, but you can early entry ticket so you can go at 9.30 am, rather than at 10 am.

Where is it: Level 2

4. BUSH CITY

I’m definitely one who prefers outdoor adventures to indoor adventures, so being able to take a break and walk through the bush city is perfect. It’s not massive and adults probably won’t spend more than 10 minutes walking among the 1000+ native trees, but there are some activities for kids such as digging for fossils. Oooo, but you might want to pop into the cave if you haven’t seen glowworms on your New Zealand adventure yet.

Where is it: Outside on Level 1 & 2.

5. THE BRITTEN MOTORBIKE

This one is mostly for sports and petrol heads, but the V-1000 Britten motorbike is beautiful. It’s in the museum as it was designed by a kiwi, John Britten, and in 1993 set the record for the fastest motorbike ever (>1000cc) with a top speed of 302 km/h.

You won’t spend long here, but it’s a good way to get you up onto higher levels of the museum 😉

Where is it: Level 4

Well there you go, if you put these five things to do at Te Papa on your list, you’ll have easily spent an hour in Te Papa, more likely two. I hope that helps make planning a trip to Te Papa a little less confusing when your friends and family start asking about what to see in Te Papa. Or you could just check out the official site too….

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Jub

Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.