Explore Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

Auckland, otherwise known as the ‘City of Sails’, is a multicultural hub of all things business, urban, culture, art and food.

With a population of nearly 1.7 million people, there are plenty of things to do, places to visit, and attractions to see, with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki high on the must-do list.

History

The largest art institution in New Zealand, showcasing an impressive 17,000 works of art, there are multiple exhibition spaces spread across four levels within an award-winning building.

First opened in February of 1888, the Gallery originally shared the space with Auckland Free Public Library, with Sir George Grey’s Gift collection forming the majority of the collection.

Originally focussed on European and British art, as time passed, the Gallery began to showcase collections from a variety of genres, including New Zealand history, modern, and contemporary art, exploring in particular the first contact between Māori and European explorers in the 1600s.

Now incorporating a wide range of art from all over the globe, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki showcases painting, sculptures, and print collections from a variety of different cultures and collections.

Family Activities

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is a great place to bring the kids, with a Creative Learning Centre, free Whānau drop-in activities each weekend and every day during the school holidays, and Gallery games and activities.

The Creative Learning Centre on the mezzanine floor is a family-friendly space, allowing children to interact, explore, experiment, and discover their inner artiste.

Open daily, this is a perfect place to take the kids on a rainy day.

Open hours & Tickets 

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is open from 10am-5pm every day of the week, and open 10am-9pm on Fridays.

While there is an entrance fee for certain exhibitions, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is free of charge for New Zealand residents, Gallery members, and children aged 12 and under, with international visitor charges currently suspended until further notice.

Transport

Auckland is a large city with a plethora of public transport networks.

To plan a trip to Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki from where you will be staying, AT Mobile is a useful app run by Auckland Transport that helps plan and track journeys across the Auckland public transport networks. This can be downloaded via the App Store or Google Play.

If you’re driving, the closest public parking space is Victoria’s Street East car park.