How is the building protected from earthquakes?

Base isolators under the structure

Te Papa Quiz: New Zealand's National Museum in Wellington

This Te Papa quiz explores the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, a bicultural museum that opened in Wellington in 1998. Play 10 interactive questions on its name, a colossal squid, the marae inside, the Gallipoli exhibition with giant figures, earthquake protection, Phar Lap and free entry.

Start Te Papa Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

City
In which city is Te Papa?
Opened
When did Te Papa open?
Name
What does Te Papa Tongarewa roughly mean?
Squid
Which giant sea creature is on display?
Marae
What special space is inside the museum?
Gallipoli
Which workshop made the giant figures in the Gallipoli exhibition?
Quake
How is the building protected from earthquakes?
Horse
Which famous racehorse's skeleton is at Te Papa?
Entry
How much is general entry for visitors?
Idea
What principle guides the museum?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: In which city is Te Papa?
Answer: Wellington
It stands on the waterfront.
Q2: When did Te Papa open?
Answer: 1998
It replaced the old Dominion Museum.
Q3: What does Te Papa Tongarewa roughly mean?
Answer: Container of treasures
The name is in te reo Maori.
Q4: Which giant sea creature is on display?
Answer: A colossal squid
It was caught in 2007.
Q5: What special space is inside the museum?
Answer: A marae
It is called Rongomaraeroa.
Q6: Which workshop made the giant figures in the Gallipoli exhibition?
Answer: Weta Workshop
The figures are about 2.4 times life size.
Q7: How is the building protected from earthquakes?
Answer: Base isolators under the structure
They absorb shaking.
Q8: Which famous racehorse's skeleton is at Te Papa?
Answer: Phar Lap
His heart is in Canberra.
Q9: How much is general entry for visitors?
Answer: It is free
Some special shows charge a fee.
Q10: What principle guides the museum?
Answer: Partnership between Maori and other New Zealanders
It is a bicultural museum.

Te Papa Quiz – New Zealand's National Museum in Wellington

Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand, opened on the Wellington waterfront in 1998. Its name is often translated as container of treasures, and it is built on partnership between Maori and other New Zealanders.

Inside is Rongomaraeroa, a working marae, alongside galleries of art, history and nature. A colossal squid caught in 2007 is a big draw, and the skeleton of the racehorse Phar Lap stands in the collection.

Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War uses huge figures by Weta Workshop to tell soldiers' stories. Base isolators protect the building from earthquakes, and general entry is free.

What This Quiz Teaches

Museum fans will enjoy these questions.

Where Te Papa is
What its name means
Which treasures it holds
Which exhibitions stand out
How the building is protected

Did You Know?

Phar Lap's hide is in Melbourne.
The museum holds a large collection of taonga.
Most New Zealanders simply call it Te Papa.
It draws over a million visitors a year.
The colossal squid weighed about 495 kilograms.