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Auckland Art Gallery

Auckland Art Gallery

Auckland Art Gallery
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki is New Zealand’s most compelling visual arts experience. Enter between majestic kauri (native tree) columns to explore four floors of exhibitions, seven centuries of art and one of Auckland’s most iconic buildings. Experience world-class touring exhibitions, immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and atmosphere of traditional and contemporary international works and discover the largest permanent collection of New Zealand art right in the heart of Auckland city. The Gallery offers a lively calendar of talks, performances, film screenings and children's activities to complement its exhibition programme. Please visit our website to see what’s on. Join a free Gallery tour in English 11.30am and 1.30pm daily. Open daily 10am-5pm (except Christmas Day) and 10am–9pm on Fridays.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • 5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We love the Auckland Art Gallery!!!
    We had an awesome day at the Auckland Art Gallery. Whanau drop-ins and Creative Learning Centre are my kids' favorites. We learned and enjoyed a lot on our visit at the gallery. If you're hesitant to bring your kids to an art gallery, our family highly recommends for you to do so. Learn some tips and fun facts about this must-visit attraction for kids and families in Auckland. Find out why bringing kids to an art gallery is a great idea and how to make the most of your visit with these helpful tips. Let's make learning about art fun and engaging for the little ones! Check out our FB page and YT channel for a video that you can watch with the your kiddos...
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 3 February 2024
  • ellen5181
    New York City, New York
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good for the price but I wouldn’t go out of my way.
    Its free so you need to factor it in. If I had paid I might have felt differently. It was interesting but nit memorable. I skipped the special exhibit but what I did see of the designer was beautiful. That might be worth it. Also if you time your visit there are free tours which might be interesting. Some of the commentary about the pieces, particularly LGBTQ was interesting.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 7 February 2024
  • AndyAquila
    Lyme Regis, United Kingdom
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth visiting for all art fans
    This is a very extensive gallery with plenty to suit most tastes. It is well signposted and laid out so that it didn't feel too crowded or busy. The 3D exhibit in the main concourse didn't work for us, despite several attempts. The café on site is good and was quick to provide snacks and drinks.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 March 2024
  • tammyBaltimore_Md
    Baltimore, Maryland
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Modern to the old works of art
    Free to enter accept currently to view work of art gowns by designer Guo Pei that's a charge of $24.50 NZ. Several floors starting on floor 2 the modern art displays, working you're way down to works of art from Picasso, Monet, VanGough & 5 gowns on display as a sample from designer Guo Pei, gold one very beautiful & impressive. Make sure you go to Albert Park up the hill behind Gallery. Highly recommend & isn't huge so can easily get through within an hour. Easy walk from Queen Street & cruise port, also a stop along the hop on/hop off bus route.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 5 April 2024
  • Patti J
    Portland, Oregon
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Surprising collection and it’s free
    This wonderful art museum is incredibly free. This was my introduction to New Zealand and I found the collection compelling and informative. The galleries were not busy. We also stopped for coffee in the cafe. The balcony view was sweet too. If you are interested in Māori portraits as well as some keen pieces of European art, this is a great place to start.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 April 2024
  • mary s
    Chicago, Illinois
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful collection
    Very nice variety of some masterpiece art thanks to wealthy donors. The price was right since it was free entry. Signage directing visitors around the museum could be much better.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 April 2024
  • evertoncummings
    London, United Kingdom
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mädri art Walter’s prize winner 2024. Floors on interesting indigenous items.
    If you like historical history and in town this will be something you should consider taking in. So much going on lots to read about and a few items will open your eyes or make you look twice On my visit the side of the building was under going an upgrade this will only improve what is already there so enjoy. So much to take in.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 17 August 2024
  • 5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A gem to explore
    Wonderful art gallery right in the heart of downtown Auckland. Free entry, Modern 4 story building, very tasteful display of artwork, marvellous hallways with geometrical lines and shapes. Home to Maori history, whale poaching tragedy as displayed in real photographs. On a more bright side, a European section to see the work of giants like Dali, Rodin, Matisse, Picasso and others. One can easily get lost 4-5 hours inside admiring the countless pieces of art. Highly recommended.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 September 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,915 reviews
Excellent
1,074
Very good
624
Average
160
Poor
40
Terrible
17

3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
The gallery is ridiculously overpriced for what you see. International visitors are charged $20NZ to enter the gallery, whereas residents of the country go in free. I saw this in the museum up near the Winter Gardens too. Why is it that places like the National Gallery in London or Natural History Museum in London would be free entry to those from any country, but a simple gallery in Auckland would charge $20 for entry!? I am visiting Auckland Zoo for a total of $19NZ tomorrow... please explain how you think you can charge more than admission to a zoo!?... Very rich of those in charge to go down this path. It is not a gallery I will be recommending to any INTERNATIONAL friends.
Written 13 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Oystein F
Gardonne, France
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019
As a former museum professional I have visited many art museums around the world. After a trip to New Zealand I must admit that Auckland Art Gallery ranks amongst the top dozen. The architecture is outstanding and once inside you can immense yourself into not only fascinating Maori art but most aspects of world art. A stiff price for foreign visitors should not scare you, it is worth it! And the fact that local people are encouraged to learn more about their own culture should be taken as a plus, not as discrimination. I spent a couple of days in Auckland, saw several museums but this was the one I went back to several times.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We have become members of this Art Gallery and visit regularly as the exhibits are interesting and change every few months. The building itself is amazing - a wonderful combination of the historic original building and modern architecture - and blends seamlessly into the environment. The hands on, interactive area (for kids?) is an intriguing spot for adults too. On our most recent visit there were colourful magnetic geometric shapes for creating patterns on the walls. There is a lovely cafe providing a variety of drinks and edibles. A visit to this Art Gallery is highly recommended.
Written 8 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rosie
Exeter, UK
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
My husband and I have grown a love for galleries since we left the UK to travel 10 months ago.
Unfortunately, this one didn't live up to our expectations. It all just seemed a little dull..
Some of the exhibitions are great, others are ok. I guess it depends what you like.
For the pricey entrance fee, I felt let down by the confusing signage and weird lay out of the place. It was hard work.
Written 13 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pedro
Auckland, New Zealand
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
The while family had a great time yesterday, we explored different areas depending on age & interests and there was plenty for everyone.
The Denmark Design exhibition was a highlight and the kids had a great time creating colourful shapes and collages in the Todd Creative Learning Centre. There is now a $20 entry for international visitors but that is still cheap compared to many galleries of the same quality.
Written 16 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
I visited the Museum looking for a place near the hotel after a 15 hour flight from Houston. I enjoyed looking at the contemporary art as well as portraits of the Maori chiefs (exceptional). Had lunch at the cafe outdoors where I could relax and watch people (with a glass of NZ white wine). Good way to get my visit started and unwind from a long plane flight.
Written 26 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael K
London, UK
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
The original building, dating from 1887, was expensively revamped in 2013, and has received architectural awards. It fits well into the neighbouring park, and respects Māori spiritual and cultural sensibilities. One of the highlights is the collection of works by Gottfried Lindauer, the first rooms you see. As the Māori population was declining, he was concerned that images and memories of them would be forgotten, so he set about, in the late 19th century, creating a documentary record of them. The paintings show many Māori leaders, men and women, and are accompanied by helpful historical notes. The rest of the collection is rotated regularly, and as well as works by NZ artists, also contains some big names, such as Joshua Reynolds and Pablo Picasso. There are also a number of statues and carvings. Unusually, one room is devoted to work featuring the naked male body. There are helpful “right on” interpretive pieces by each work. The top floor modern art exhibitions will not be to everyone’s taste. Admission to the gallery is free. You can pay to see one of their special exhibitions – currently Frida Kahlo. This was a great first stop for us in a visit to NZ. Not a huge gallery, so it doesn't take all day to visit.
Convenient lunch in gallery restaurant.
Written 26 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TeamIan
Tauranga, New Zealand
3.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2020
This gallery has a strange mix of modern and classical art - mostly painting, or multimedia (as opposed to sculpture), that left me feeling uninspired. The modern art seemed to be of a very poor quality - almost as if it were a joke on the artists' part. On the classical side of things they had an interesting display based around the theme of love, longing, and loss. There was also a feature on Colin McCahon, which was probably the better part of what the gallery had to offer.
Written 2 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AllanJGJ
Wellington, New Zealand
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
Excellent variety of exhibitions at the moment. Frieda Kahlo might be a little expensive for some, but the Robin White is free and is excllent. We'd seen this previously in Wellington and it's brilliant, both the 'kiwiana' pieces and the works related to her stay in the South Pacific. Also fascinating is the collection of portraits where the captions are almost reverse-engineered to suggest they are hom-erotic or that the artists were gay (some were by their own writings). Fascinating. And as always you can admire some excellent exhibition spaces. Always a good stop if you're plaing tourist in Auckland.
Written 10 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Solo
Paper vaccine pass wouldn't scan so treated like a criminal by staff who nearly didn't let me in. Then treated like a five year old when told to 'line up like you're in school'. Confusing layout of the exhibition and staff had no clue about anything and were generally unhelpful. Shambolic visitor experience and no Mary Quant souvenirs in the gift shop.
Written 12 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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