Auckland Art GalleryToi o Tāmaki

Get up close to some of the finest artworks ever produced in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Hours Hāora
- Monday10 AM – 5 PM
- Tuesday10 AM – 5 PM
- Wednesday10 AM – 5 PM
- Thursday10 AM – 5 PM
- Friday10 AM – 5 PM
- Saturday10 AM – 5 PM
- Sunday10 AM – 5 PM
More info He pārongo atu anō
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Words by Jenn Berthier
Last updated 20 Jul 2025

There are many things to see and do at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. From four floors of exhibitions spanning centuries of art, to special events and experiences designed to excite and engage, the Gallery has something for everyone.

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is New Zealand’s leading visual arts experience with more than 17,500 artworks in its collection. Each year, the Gallery welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors to explore outstanding works by Māori and Pacific Island artists, as well as international painting, sculpture and print collections dating from the 11th century to today.

With an ever-changing programme of exhibitions sourced from the Gallery’s own collection of artworks as well as major touring exhibitions from international partners, there is always something new to see.

Browse the works at your own pace or get a more intimate understanding of the stories behind the art, artists and the building from one of our friendly and knowledgeable Gallery guides. Free English-language tours of the building and general collection highlights occur every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon at 1:30pm.

The good news for parents is that the Gallery is not just a place for grown-ups to wander quietly but a fun and educational place for kids to explore and discover art with hands on making activities in the family-friendly Creative Learning Centre, whānau drop-in sessions every weekend 11am–3pm, tamariki guides for ticketed exhibitions and scavenger hunts to keep them busy.

In addition to enjoying exhibitions in our unique Gallery spaces, visitors can recharge with a refreshing bite in the café or visit our shop for exquisite gifts crafted by local makers.

The Gallery is open daily from 10am–5pm, except Christmas Day. Entry is free (charges to temporary exhibitions and events may apply).

Location Te wāhi

Auckland Art Gallery, Wellesley St E & Kitchener St

Plan your route

Getting there Te huarahi ki reira

There is plenty of paid parking nearby or it’s a 15 min walk from Britomart station. There’s also a free tour in English tour every Tues, Weds, and Fridays at 1.30pm.

Local tip He tīwhiri mō te rohe

Recharge with a refreshing bite in the café or visit the shop for exquisite gifts crafted by local makers.

Ngā Taonga Tūturu: Treasured

Māori Portraits

Wed 18 Sep 2024 — Sun 29 Nov 2026

Representations of tūpuna, ancestors, hold profound significance in te ao Māori, the Māori world. They embody customary cultural values including mana, tapu and mauri (prestige, sacredness and life force) and hold the ancestral ties of whakapapa. For centuries, representations of tūpuna were given form through whakairo (carving). The mediums of painting and photography were adopted from the mid-19th century for this purpose, with these new forms of portraiture congregating among or standing in place of whakairo in whare tūpuna (ancestral meeting houses) and their modern equivalents.

One of the most prolific portraitists of the late 19th and early 20th-century, Gottfried Lindauer’s paintings acknowledge the mana and self-determination of tūpuna through his respectful evocation of their likeness. They were widely commissioned by Māori and Pākehā (European New Zealander) alike. The portraits in this exhibition radiate outwards from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, representing iwi (tribe) and hapū (subtribe) from throughout the motu (island). Recalling a whare tupuna, the gallery resonates with the mauri of these tūpuna.

Ngā Taonga Tūturu: Treasured Māori Portraits brings together whakairo and oil paintings from the collection of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, offering insights into the significance of tūpuna representations within te ao Māori. ‘Ngā taonga’ means many treasures while ‘tūturu’ signifies something permanent, true and original. This exhibition considers the inherent cultural values embodied and expressed within and through these taonga from a te ao Māori view.

How to get there:

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is located in the Auckland city centre and is easily accessible by a variety of transport options.

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