2009 Celebrate 80 Magnificent Years in the Domain

Auckland Museum's 80th Birthday!

Auckland Museum’s iconic building has turned 80, and we’d love you to help us celebrate. We’re calling on New Zealanders to send through their images and memories of the building as part of a celebration that will culminate in the unveiling of exciting new lighting for the exterior of the building, and a fantastic Welcome Lounge inside the Grand Foyer.

Built in 1929 to mark the end of the First World War, the Museum watched our young men and women leave to serve in World War 2.  It has gazed on the Auckland wharf strikes and occupation of Bastion Point, the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and victory at the Rugby World Cup. Within its marbled corridors the stories, exhibitions and galleries have changed to reflect the world outside. One thing has remained constant however, the Museum’s unique place in the hearts and minds of not just Aucklanders, but all New Zealanders.

Over the last 80 years countless people have visited the Museum, taken photos and left with cherished memories. We all have a special Museum memory; the first time we visited, our favourite object or a relative’s name in the Hall of Memories. And now we’d like to hear from you.

Everyone is invited send us their stories of the Museum. They can be handwritten, printed, emailed or uploaded on our site. Auckland Museum would also love to see your images, be they polaroid, film or digital.

The new lighting, unveiled on the evening of Friday 30 October, uses the latest in programmable and low-energy LED lights, which have been installed around the neoclassical columns and exterior of the building.

The Welcome Lounge, open to the public from Saturday 31 October, features a bag check service, baby changing facilities, bathrooms, comfortable seating, what’s on information and ticket desks.

So join with us as we celebrate our last 80 years, and look forward to an exciting future.

Wonderful Ways to Celebrate

	Stunning Lighting Illuminates Auckland Icon To celebrate the Museum's 80 birthday, around 400 LED fixtures have been installed to set the historic location aglow like a jewel in the night. The entire structure is elegantly illuminated with colours that change throughout the night and can be viewed from surrounding areas. More »
	Timeline — View images from Auckland Museum's past It's 1929 and the new Auckland War Memorial Museum Building has opened. Subscriptions raised by Aucklanders enables the construction of a new building for Auckland Museum, built in remembrance of those who died during World War 1.  View images from Auckland Museum's 80 year history in the timeline photo gallery. More »
	Share Your Memories of Auckland Museum Auckland Museum’s iconic building has turned 80, and we’re looking for your cherished memories and photos and to help us celebrate. We all have a special Museum memory; a first visit, favourite object or learning something new. And now we’re calling on you to send in your images and stories. How to submit your stories and photos More »
	Night at Auckland Museum To celebrate the 80th birthday of our building, we are hosting an extra special Night at Auckland Museum.  For slightly older kids (8-12 years) and their families, come armed with a torch and your imagination to explore the Museum at night. The galleries will be alive with Wonderland-inspired characters. Meet flower fairies, an intrepid orchid hunter, and characters straight out of Lewis Carroll's books. Then be amongst the first to witness the launch of our stunning new lighting project. More »
	Artefact \ Artefiction Adults can also celebrate the birthday with us at a special fundraising event called Artefact/Artefiction. Support Auckland Museum's vital curatorial research, compete for fabulous prizes, enjoy cocktails and a sumptuous meal, question the curators and play an intriguing guessing game to determine fact from fiction of rarely seen objects from the Museum's vaults. More »

Eighty Years of Memories

Auckland Museum is a memorial for our fallen. Opened in 1929 through the generous subscriptions of a battle-scarred population, it is a touchstone of remembrance and reflection; the emotional hub for this city during Anzac Day. More than that it a repository for our shared memories; those troubling, bizarre and brilliant moments in our short but vibrant history. It is a place where we can interact with and explore what makes us unique. Significantly, the museum houses the world’s largest collection of Taonga Maori. These living taonga embody a mauri, or life force, that connect us with our past, present and future.

As it turns 80, the Museum celebrates much more than the construction of a magnificent building. It celebrates Auckland. Discover the history of the Auckland Museum here.

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