Museum of New Zealand: Te Papa Tongarewa

Te Papa Tongarewa museum ("Te Papa" or "Our Place" for short) is New Zealand's national museum and is right in the heart of Wellington next to the docks. If you only have time to visit one thing in Wellington, visit Te Papa. Many of the collections are online, so if you can't make it all the way to New Zealand, then have a look at the web pages instead. Originally dating from 1992 (or 1998 for the present incarnation in its iconic building), this is a modern museum suitable for children and adults alike and the exhibits are fun and often interactive, whilst still being educational. Most of the exhibitions are free, but you pay if you want ...  Read the complete review

Te Papa Tongarewa is not just the national museum of New Zealand, it is also a heavyweight cultural player worldwide. Many European museums such as the Louvre or the British Museum carry centuries of what is best described as cultural baggage, due to national histories involving unashamed imperial expansion and exploitation. However, there is an intellectual integrity about the historical displays at Te Papa that are refreshingly free from baggage. The visitor walks away with the sense that when different cultures come together, we may have shared histories but often diverse legacies. The respect for indigineous culture is clear, with the display of Maori objects ...  Read the complete review

Te Papa is New Zealand's national museum and lies in the middle of the capital, Wellington. The first thing to note is admission is free which instantly gets a big thumbs up and gets the tourists flocking in. As you approach the famously architected building plastered between Courtney place (the main bar/shopping street) and the ocean, you are welcomed in with an array of interesting sculptures. Also note there is a hidden subterranean exhibit showing you first hand the building's anti-earthquake foundations, which is fascinating in itself. This brings us to the fact that New Zealand and Wellington in particular is rife with seismic activity, thus ...  Read the complete review