Hawke's Bay Museum

Hawke's Bay Museum Award-winning museum, home of the region's taonga and other treasures. MTG Hawke’s Bay is more like an art gallery in nature than a traditional museum.

Three distinct spaces complete this fascinating building, mixing elements of old and new together. The original 1936 Louis Hay Hawke’s Bay Art Gallery and Museum has been magnificently restored, a spacious light filled new wing adds a contemporary element and connects through a linkway gallery to the original theatre. MTG Hawke’s Bay welcomes you to experience the fascinating history of New Zealan

d with a specific focus on our colourful region. As well as long-term displays, such as the 1931 earthquake collection which is such a part of Napier’s identity, most exhibition and display spaces will change every six to twelve months. There will always be something new to come back and see. The MTG Theatre is a hub for live performance. Experience live theatre, dance and music alongside the best of international film. MTG Hawke’s Bay offers you an improved archive and research facility to make the extensive collection of records more accessible. This includes an online catalogue detailing over 15,000 records including manuscripts, books, business records and journals and an image library of over 7000 photographs. There is also a education suite, planned events, shop, venue hire, lectures, workshops, and school holiday programmes. Come and experience the wealth of everything MTG Hawke’s Bay has to offer. We look forward to welcoming you soon.

🎬✨ LAST WEEKEND! ✨🎬The final weekend of NZIFF films at the Century Theatre is here, so if you’ve been meaning to catch a...
04/09/2026

🎬✨ LAST WEEKEND! ✨🎬

The final weekend of NZIFF films at the Century Theatre is here, so if you’ve been meaning to catch a film (or two… or three 👀), this is your moment!

🍿 Settle in
🎥 Discover something unforgettable
❤️ Experience the magic of cinema on the big screen
🌟 And make the most of the final screenings this weekend!

Don’t let your NZIFF watchlist become a “wish I’d gone” list! 😍

🎟️ Grab your tickets, bring your movie-loving crew and join us at the Century Theatre for one last weekend of great cinema.

See you at the movies! 🍿🎬✨
Tickets: https://store.hawkesbaymuseum.com/event

Our newly opened exhibition He Hononga Manu – Connecting Birds, People & Place celebrates all things bird 🐦🪺As the exhib...
04/09/2026

Our newly opened exhibition He Hononga Manu – Connecting Birds, People & Place celebrates all things bird 🐦🪺

As the exhibition's colour scheme is based around the stunning colours of the kōtare kingfisher we're repaying the favour by campaigning for it as Forest and Bird's Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau, Bird of the Year.

We're keen to promote this beautiful shore bird as one of the best, and hope you will too! You have until 5pm on Sunday 20 September, so don't delay, cast your vote today 🦅

👉To vote for the kōtare kingfisher simply head to: https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz

Let's ruffle some feathers together! 🪶

From the Archives:Take a step back in time with this hand-coloured postcard capturing a sweeping view of Napier’s Marine...
03/09/2026

From the Archives:

Take a step back in time with this hand-coloured postcard capturing a sweeping view of Napier’s Marine Parade, looking south from Bluff Hill.

Along the foreshore, gardens, public facilities and gathering places helped shape the identity of the city 🌲🌲🌲

Look closely and you can spot the Municipal Swimming Baths, Tom Parker Memorial Fountain, Marine Parade gardens, Veronica Sunbay and the Soundshell, with buildings stretching along Hastings Street and the central business district beyond.

Postcards like this were more than souvenirs. They helped promote Napier as a destination, showcasing its coastal attractions, landscaped spaces and distinctive architecture to people near and far 🌏

The Marine Parade landscape was transformed following the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, when reclaimed land and new public spaces helped create the iconic waterfront we know today 🏖️🛳️

📍 Napier, Hawke’s Bay
📷 Collection of Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi [83199]
Public Domain

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for the opening of our new exhibition, He Hononga Manu: Connecting Birds...
02/09/2026

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for the opening of our new exhibition, He Hononga Manu: Connecting Birds, People and Place 🐦‍⬛🪺

It was so special to see our community come together to celebrate the birds, places and stories that connect us. Thank you for sharing the evening with us, for your conversations, your curiosity and support which made the opening such a memorable occasion.

A special thank you to our guest curator Tryphena Cracknell whose expert guidance was integral to the creation of this engaging space, and our exhibition team who went above and beyond, as always 🦅

And while we’re celebrating our feathered friends, we’re proud to be supporting the kingfisher for Bird of the Year! 💙🧡

🗳️ Voting opens Friday 4 September. We’d love you to get behind our beautiful kingfisher and help give this much-loved local bird the recognition it deserves.

From the Collection: A Victorian world in miniature! 🏡Take a closer look at this charming mechanical diorama with music ...
01/09/2026

From the Collection:

A Victorian world in miniature! 🏡

Take a closer look at this charming mechanical diorama with music box, from the Victorian era.

Beneath its glass dome is a tiny world complete with a village, windmill, river, bridge, sailing ship and railway, all set against a hand-painted sky and mountain backdrop ⛵️🚂🏔️

But this little landscape doesn’t just sit still. Pull the string and the windmill, train and ship spring to life, while the built-in music box plays one of two tunes.

Powered by an original clockwork mechanism, this intricate piece captures the Victorian fascination with miniature worlds, automata and mechanical ingenuity.

📍 Collection of Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi, [35285]

🎬✨ What’s on this week at the museum!There’s plenty to discover! 👀Catch NZIFF screenings at the Century Theatre, and exp...
31/08/2026

🎬✨ What’s on this week at the museum!

There’s plenty to discover! 👀

Catch NZIFF screenings at the Century Theatre, and explore our exciting new exhibition, He Hononga Manu; Connecting Birds, People and Place🐦

Come along, watch, explore and connect with us this week 🫶

🎫NZIFF tickets: https://store.hawkesbaymuseum.com/event

31/08/2026

We are all in a flap about our beautiful new exhibition at Kahukura Hawke’s Bay Museum, He Hononga Manu; Connecting Birds, People and Place 🦅

So much to see and do! 🐦‍⬛
Open now now and entry is free.

Thanks to our guest expert and curator, Tryphena Cracknell for bringing this vision to life 🫶🏼🪺

🎬 The New Zealand International Film Festival has landed is happening NOW! So grab your tickets and get along to the mov...
31/08/2026

🎬 The New Zealand International Film Festival has landed is happening NOW! So grab your tickets and get along to the movies!🍿✨

If you love great stories, big-screen magic and discovering films from Aotearoa and around the world, this is one festival you won’t want to miss.

👉 Read the article, pick your films and book your tickets before you miss out!
📰https://bit.ly/4qNDECP
🎫Tickets: https://store.hawkesbaymuseum.com/event

From the Archive: When motoring was still the new kid on the block! 🚗💨 Take a trip back to Waipukurau in the 1920s, wher...
27/08/2026

From the Archive:

When motoring was still the new kid on the block! 🚗💨

Take a trip back to Waipukurau in the 1920s, where six early motor vehicles line up outside Turner & Butler Garage. 📸

Look closely and you’ll spot P. Burke’s Shoeing Forge next door; a snapshot of when horse-powered transport and the motor age existed side by side. 🐎🚗

These weren’t just cars, they were signs of a changing Hawke’s Bay. Garages like Turner & Butler kept the region moving into a new era of motoring. 🛠️

What do you think these cars would have looked and sounded like, driving down the streets of Waipukurau? 👀

📷Turner & Butler Garage, Waipukurau, c.1920s. Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tā-ū-rangi, 78824
Public Domain

Address

1 Tennyson Street
Napier
4110

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm
Sunday 9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

(06) 835 7781

Website

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