Auckland Museum

What Auckland Museum does

Auckland Museum (Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum) is a New Zealand nonprofit cultural institution and war memorial founded in 1867, headquartered in Auckland Domain, Parnell, with 251–500 employees. It operates as one of New Zealand's oldest research institutions and houses a 4.5 million-object collection spanning human history (~200,000 objects including significant Māori taonga and Pacific treasures), natural sciences (1.5 million+ specimens covering botany, entomology, geology, land vertebrates, marine life, and palaeontology), and documentary heritage. The institution serves five primary customer segments — general public and tourists, school groups (ECE to Year 12), academic researchers, military veterans and families, and Māori/Pacific communities — through physical galleries, special exhibitions, guided tours (including a daily Mandarin tour), the Research Library Te Pātaka Mātāpuna, and the school programmes portal at learn.aucklandmuseum.com.

The museum's technology platform centres on three digital products: Collections Online (a searchable database of over 1 million records), Online Cenotaph (New Zealand's most trusted military commemoration database with 250,000+ records across 40 conflicts, established 1996), and the Tāmaki Paenga Hira Public API — a RESTful/HTTPS service delivering JSON-formatted collection data under a CC-BY 'open by default, closed by exception' policy, backed by GitHub-hosted documentation. Distribution is primarily domestic through physical visits, ticketed exhibitions (Wildlife Photographer of the Year, DIVA, Sharks, Mana: Protest in Print), the museum store, and venue hire, with global digital reach via Collections Online, the API, and integrations with Flickr, Wikimedia Commons, GBIF, and Pinterest.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across eight streams: paid admission tickets, an annual membership programme (Mini Museum Member $50, Museum Member from $60, Friends & Whānau Pass $25), venue hire, museum store retail, donations and legacies, fee-based research services, government and trust grants (Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Creative New Zealand, British Council, Wikimedia Knowledge Equity Fund), and food and beverage (Tuitui Bistro & Café, 1929 Espresso Bar). Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer walk-in admissions with event-driven attendance via rotating special exhibitions, Twilight Tuesdays evening openings, Mingle at the Museum singles events, Māori Cultural Experience performances, and curriculum-aligned school programmes. Distribution also includes a free MyMuseum card providing Aucklanders with general admission access and partner discount arrangements with Rialto Cinemas and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

Name

Auckland Museum

Legal name

Auckland War Memorial Museum (Tāmaki Paenga Hira)

Website

https://aucklandmuseum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Auckland Museum (Tāmaki Paenga Hira) is a New Zealand nonprofit cultural institution and war memorial founded in 1867, serving visitors, schools, researchers, military families, and Māori/Pacific communities through exhibitions, education programmes, and digital collection platforms spanning 4.5 million objects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Museum and Heritage Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Historical Sites (712120), Museums (71211), Historical Sites (71212)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Indigenous & Community Cultural Institutions (THAJADAK), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

Keywords

• Museum exhibition services
• Heritage collections research
• Cultural education programmes
• Museum venue hire
• Digital collection databases

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Revenue from paid exhibitions and general museum entry. Special exhibitions like Wildlife Photographer of the Year and DIVA require paid admission.
2. Museum Membership: Annual membership program offering unlimited free entry to paid exhibitions, exclusive events, and Member-only previews. Includes Mini Museum Members for children aged 5-15 ($50) and standard Museum Members from $60.
3. Venue Hire: Rental of museum spaces for events, corporate functions, and private gatherings. Contact +64 9 302 9765 for bookings.
4. Museum Store: Retail sales of New Zealand and Pacific handcrafts including wooden carvings, jade, books, fine jewellery, ceramics, and glassware through physical storefront and online.
5. Donations and Legacies: Financial contributions from visitors and supporters, including bequests, object donations, and dedicated funds for specific initiatives like Online Cenotaph and Te Aho Mutunga Kore.
6. Research Services: Fee-based research services including research library visits (by appointment), image orders, and military history research through Pou Maumahara Memorial Discovery Centre.
7. Grants and Government Funding: Support from government bodies including Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage for specific programs like Te Aho Mutunga Kore textile knowledge exchange centre.
8. Food and Beverage: Revenue from Tuitui Bistro & Café and 1929 Espresso Bar, with Members receiving 10% discount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Auckland Museum operates as a public museum and war memorial offering paid exhibitions, permanent galleries, guided tours, Māori cultural performances, school education programmes, venue hire, retail, and a membership programme. It also delivers digital research and commemoration services through Collections Online (1+ million records), the Tāmaki Paenga Hira Public API, Online Cenotaph (250,000+ military records), the Research Library, and Te Aho Mutunga Kore textile knowledge exchange centre.

Product overview

Auckland Museum (Tāmaki Paenga Hira) operates as a multi-faceted cultural institution offering a unified portfolio of physical visitor experiences, digital platforms, and educational programmes. The core digital products include Collections Online (searchable database of 1+ million records), the Research Library (appointment-based access to Documentary Heritage), the Tāmaki Paenga Hira Public API (RESTful JSON access to collection data), and Online Cenotaph (250,000+ military service records). Physical offerings include guided tours (Gallery Highlights, Secret Museum, Mandarin), Māori Cultural Experiences, school programmes, and special exhibitions. Membership programmes provide free exhibition entry and partner discounts. The museum also operates Te Aho Mutunga Kore (Māori/Pacific textile knowledge exchange), the Auckland Museum Podcast, and the Sheldon Werner Summer Studentship research programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Admission and Special Exhibition Tickets One-time paid entry tickets to Auckland Museum galleries and special exhibitions (e.g. Wildlife Photographer of the Year, DIVA, Mana: Protest in Print), aimed at general visitors and tourists.
• Museum Membership Annual membership programme offering unlimited free entry to paid exhibitions, Member-only previews and events, 10% discount at the Museum Store and cafés, and partner discounts at Rialto Cinemas and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
• Collections Online Searchable digital database providing access to over 1 million collection records across natural sciences, human history, and documentary heritage for researchers, students, and the public.
• Online Cenotaph Digital commemoration platform with 250,000+ records spanning 40 conflicts, enabling veterans, families, and researchers to share and access military service records across New Zealand.
• Tāmaki Paenga Hira Public API Public RESTful API providing JSON-formatted access to Auckland Museum's collection data for researchers, developers, and the public, enabling personal research, data projects, machine learning, and creative pursuits.
• Research Library (Te Pātaka Mātāpuna) One of New Zealand's major research libraries, open by appointment Tuesdays–Thursdays 10am–3pm, providing access to Documentary Heritage material including letters, diaries, photographs, artwork, maps, rare books, and early newspapers.
• Guided Tours Expert-led tours including Gallery Highlights Tour, Secret Museum Tour (access to underground collection storage), and Mandarin Tour conducted fully in Mandarin, offered to visitors with paid ticketing.
• Māori Cultural Experience Daily 11AM and 1.30PM cultural performance featuring traditional Māori songs, haka, and historical insights, included with general museum entry.
• School Programmes Curriculum-aligned educational programmes and resources for ECE to Year 12 students, including Collections to Classrooms, Māori language programmes (Akoranga i roto i te Reo Māori), and class visit bookings via AM Learn.
• Sheldon Werner Summer Studentship Programme Annual ten-week summer studentship for tertiary students offering career-relevant museum and heritage experience with Museum professionals, including stipend, tours, talks, supervision, and a research presentation.
• Museum Venue Hire Rental of museum spaces including galleries and atriums for corporate functions, private gatherings, conferences, and events.
• Museum Store On-site retail outlet selling New Zealand and Pacific handcrafts including wooden carvings, jade (pounamu), books, fine jewellery, ceramics, and glassware, with 10% discount for Museum Members.
• Te Aho Mutunga Kore Textile and fibre knowledge exchange centre supporting Māori and Pasifika communities through textile revitalisation projects, weaving rōpū, research, and community engagement with partner organisations.
• Auckland Museum Podcast (The Amp) Audio podcast series exploring Auckland Museum's collections and New Zealand heritage, featuring behind-the-scenes curatorial content.
• Image Order Service Fee-based image order service providing high-resolution collection images subject to copyright and cultural permissions, with openly licensed images distributed via Flickr, Pinterest, GBIF, and Wikimedia Commons.
• Object Donation Service Formal object donation service accepting proposals for Human History (nearly 200,000 objects), Natural Sciences (1.5 million specimens), and Documentary Heritage collections, with assessment and approval process taking up to three months.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with MOTAT to host summer students as part of the 2025/2026 Sheldon Werner Summer Studentship Programme, providing placement opportunities for tertiary students in the cultural heritage sector.
• New Zealand Maritime MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborating partner in the 2025/2026 Sheldon Werner Summer Studentship Programme, hosting students for career development in museum and heritage practice.
• Fletcher Trust ArchivescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Sponsor and collaborator for the 2025-2026 summer scholarships, supporting students in archival and heritage research. Also partnering to host students.
• Oriental Museum, Durham UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Source of five-year research and exhibition loan for 18th-century pauku (war cloak) as part of Hiwa-i-te-rangi project.
• Ngāti KuriflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIwi partnership in the Rangitāhua (Kermadec Islands) research project, working together to identify ecosystem change indicators and ensure long-term wellbeing of ecosystems.
• University of AucklandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in Rangitāhua project, collaborating on scientific research and ecosystem monitoring methodologies.
• Massey UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Rangitāhua research initiative, contributing to ecosystem research and conservation science.
• NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific partner in Rangitāhua project, providing marine and atmospheric research expertise for ecosystem monitoring.
• Manaaki WhenuacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner contributing landcare and biodiversity expertise to the Rangitāhua ecosystem research project.
• University of WaikatocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Rangitāhua research, supporting ecosystem research and indigenous knowledge integration.
• BritomartminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Te Aho Mutunga Kore public photographic exhibition at Britomart Precinct, showcasing Māori and Pacific taonga and community members.
• Friends of the Alexander Turnbull LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership presenting Letters Out Loud evening event featuring historic texts brought to life by performers.
• Te Papa TongarewaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational museum partner in Moriori research haerenga (journey), collaborating on documentation of Miheke Moriori and related taonga.
• Hocken LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Moriori Weaving and Research project haerenga, contributing to documentation and preservation efforts.
• Puke ArikiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional museum partner in Moriori research collaboration, part of national haerenga across libraries and museums.
• National Library of New ZealandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Moriori research haerenga, supporting access to documentary heritage materials.
• Otago MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum partner in Moriori research collaboration across New Zealand institutions.
• Canterbury MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Moriori research haerenga, collaborating on taonga documentation and cultural research.
• Govett Brewster Art GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition venue for Kete Iti project, hosting exhibition of woven kete iti bags created by weaving rōpu in mid-2025.
• Rialto Cinemas NewmarketminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner offering discounted movie tickets to Museum Members every night of the week.
• Auckland Philharmonia OrchestraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner offering 10% discount on Mainstage concerts and Classics Series tickets for Museum Members at Auckland Town Hall.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa: New Zealand's national museum, also a publicly funded cultural institution with comparable Māori/Pacific collections, exhibitions, and government funding flows. Most directly comparable peer for collections, exhibitions and visitor base.
• Canterbury Museum: Major regional New Zealand museum also focused on human history and natural science collections, partnered with Auckland on the Moriori research haerenga. Comparable scale, collections scope and reliance on public/government funding.
• Otago Museum: Dunedin-based museum also operating galleries, research programmes, and special exhibitions with comparable collections model. Direct peer in the GLAM sector and national museum research collaboration.
• Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT): Auckland-based museum and partner in the 2025/2026 Sheldon Werner Summer Studentship Programme. Comparable scale, Auckland visitor market, and education/programming model.
• New Zealand Maritime Museum: Auckland-based maritime museum, partnering with Auckland Museum on the Summer Studentship Programme. Comparable regional scale, programming model, and visitor base.

Broad incumbents

• National Museum of Australia: Comparable national-scale public museum with similar Indigenous collections and programming focus. Broad incumbent offering overlapping capabilities at a larger scale.
• Te Papa Tongarewa National Services: Reference back to Te Papa as the broader incumbent national museum services umbrella, including its national-leadership functions in collections care and repatriation.
• Powerhouse Museum (Museums of History NSW): Major applied-arts and sciences museum combining significant permanent collections, blockbuster exhibitions, and a research library — comparable mix to Auckland Museum but operating at greater scale and with broader scope.
• Smithsonian Institution: The largest museum/research complex globally with extensive digital collections, public API ecosystems, exhibitions and educational programming — analogous 'platform' orientation in the GLAM sector, although at vastly greater scale.

Peers

• Australian Museum:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/teahomutungakore
• Facebookfacebook.com/AucklandMuseum

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Auckland Museum