Te Papa - Museum of New Zealand, Wellington
Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum of New Zealand. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is translatable as "the place of treasures of this land". It is also the largest museum in southern hemisphere.
The main Te Papa building is on the waterfront in Wellington, on Cable Street. Inside the building are six storeys of cafes, exhibitions, and gift shops specialising in New Zealand's culture and environment.
Outside, the museum also incorporates outdoor areas with artificial caves, native trees and wetlands, including a safe haven for ducks and their ducklings – to the delight of many visitors.
The 36,000 square metre building had cost NZD $300 million by its opening in 1998. Te Papa was opened on St Valentines Day, 1998 by Sir Peter Blake and Prime Minister Jenny Shipley. The museum had one million visitors in the first five months of operation, and between 1 and 1.3 million visits have been made in each subsequent year.
Te Papa - Museum of New Zealand