Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira reopened its doors to the public on Monday 25 May.
In the first three days of reopening, a steady stream of visitors came to the Museum, showing similar numbers for the
same time last year for visitors from Auckland (excluding school visits).
Dr David Gaimster, Chief Executive, Auckland Museum says, “It was a momentous and frankly wonderful occasion when we
reopened the Museum to the public on Monday. The karakia prior to opening was a very emotional moment for all who were
there, as was seeing visitors waiting outside to come in.”
Heading into the Queen’s Birthday weekend, visitors can experience the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition direct from the Natural History Museum in London, which has been extended until Sunday 16 August. During
Level 2, Auckland War Memorial Museum is free for all New Zealanders to visit and explore the Museum.
“There has been a huge response to the reopening of the Museum, with a lot of positive feedback from our visitors and on
social media,” says Dr Gaimster, “It’s gratifying to know that Aucklanders are excited about their Museum reopen to them
- it’s been a great week for the Museum.”
Visiting the Museum is a slightly different experience under Level 2, to keep visitors safe while in our galleries and
taonga. All visitors are asked to register with NextUp for a virtual queue into the Museum, to save time on the day and to contact trace all visitors. More information about
how to do this can be found here.
Auckland Museum looks forward to welcoming Aucklander’s and the rest of New Zealand through its doors this long weekend
and beyond.
Please note: Together with the Kai Room, the popular Weird and Wonderful and Volcanoes galleries will not open at Level 2 due to
the high touch interactive nature of these spaces. This is a temporary safety measure and the Museum hopes to return to
regular operations as soon as possible.
All school visits, public programmes and onsite events will continue to be suspended until further notice to ensure the
safety of Museum visitors, people and communities.