A time of renewal: Waikato Museum to temporarily close for building work
12 July 2024
The exterior of Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga O Waikato in July 2024
Long-awaited renewal works to fix existing issues and prevent future problems will begin at Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato before the end of this month.
The weekend of Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July will be the last opportunity for visitors to enjoy the current exhibitions, including the deadly prehistoric predators of Six Extinctions.
As part of the closing weekend, the public is invited to attend an event at 11am on Saturday 20 July, ‘Te Whakataa a Te Winika’. This will acknowledge the majestic waka taua Te Winika with song and karakia, before she is at rest (whakataa) from public view during the closure.
“Protecting taonga, improving watertightness and increasing accessibility are at the heart of this significant mahi. As the region’s home for more than 30,000 collection objects, Waikato Museum is a unique space and we’re making sure it can remain a taonga for future generations too,” said Liz Cotton, Director Museum and Arts.
The main part of the building will be closed from Monday 22 July, while Exscite remains open with a new entrance from the river-facing side of the Museum.
“We know Exscite is a family-favourite so we’re delighted that it can stay open throughout this period,” said Cotton.
“With all its amazing new interactives, the refurbished upper floor of Exscite has been a huge hit since it opened recently. If you and your whaanau haven’t already visited to admire our 30 million year old giant penguin fossil, or to have a go catching the slithering digital tuna (eels), then we look forward to seeing you here soon.”
During the work there will be a new entrance to Exscite from the river-facing side of Waikato Museum, accessed through the carpark located off Victoria Street. Mobility parking spaces and a drop-off zone will be available.
To allow for the set-up of the riverside entrance, Exscite is going to be closed on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 July. It will then be open every day 10am to 5pm from Wednesday 24 July.
Along with Exscite staying open, the Museum’s classrooms on the ground floor will continue to be used for delivering Education programmes and public events. Staff in the public-facing Visitor Experience team will either continue to work on site or be temporarily redeployed to assist with other Museum projects and Hamilton City Council facilities.
The environmental upgrade of Waikato Museum has been long planned as part of Hamilton City Council’s renewals programme, and will ensure the building meets industry standards for the safe care, storage and display of objects, taonga and artworks.
Taking place over four and a half months, the programme will provide better climate control by adding an airlock entry to the Museum’s front entrance and renewal of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC) throughout the building.
Along with electrical renewals, there will also be improvements to accessibility and amenities, such as public bathrooms and flooring.
Outside, Waikato Museum’s forecourt will be upgraded to improve visitor experience and accessibility, while also improving connections to and visibility of the Museum from Victoria Street. The phased project to replace the Museum’s roof will also be completed during the closure.
The entire museum will be open to the public again from Friday 6 December 2024. Details of exhibition programming for summer 2024/2025 will be announced in coming months.
Please note
For te reo Maaori, Waikato Museum uses double vowels (uu) in place of vowels with a macron (ū) to represent a long vowel sound. This spelling approach is the preference of tangata whenua in Hamilton Kirikiriroa and Waikato iwi for te reo Maaori words.