Waikato Museum is temporarily closing for much-needed environmental upgrades

Protecting taonga, improving waterproofing and increasing accessibility are at the heart of upcoming work at Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato.

The museum will close from Monday 22 July for significant works to resolve existing issues and prevent future problems. The work has long been planned as part of Hamilton City Council’s renewal program and will ensure the Waikato Museum meets industry standards for the safe care, storage and display of objects, taonga and works of art.

The Exscite interactive discovery center remains open.

The four-and-a-half-month program will provide improved climate control by adding an airlock to the museum’s main entrance and updating the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system throughout the building.

In addition to electrical upgrades, there will also be improvements to accessibility and amenities, such as upgrading public bathrooms and flooring.

Outside, the Waikato Museum forecourt will be upgraded to improve visitor experience and accessibility, while also improving connections to and visibility of the museum from Victoria Street.

“This long-awaited program will ensure the Waikato Museum meets standards and extend its useful life as a community facility for Hamiltonians and for the tens of thousands of visitors who come here every year,” said Museum and Arts Director Liz Cotton.

“Waikato Museum is open every day except December 25. Because this work would be quite disruptive for museum visitors, the most efficient approach is to temporarily close our doors and continue as usual.”

The phased project to replace the museum’s roof, which started in October 2023, will also be completed during the closure. Lightweight and robust durable steel is used to replace the original ceramic tiles, which are more than 30 years old. The new roof will make the building watertight, reduce maintenance costs and ensure that the Waikato Museum can continue to maintain a stable and dry environment for the collections it contains.

“As home to more than 30,000 collectibles in the region, Te Whare Taonga o Waikato is a unique space and we are ensuring it can remain a taonga for generations to come. We are already looking forward to December and sharing the renovated museum, including new and updated exhibitions, with our manuhiri (visitors),” said Cotton.

Although its origins date back to 1941, the Waikato Museum opened in 1987 in its current building on Grantham Street. The purpose-built facility was designed by architect Ivan Mercep of Auckland architectural firm JASMad (now called Jasmax), who subsequently designed the museum. of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

During the work, Exscite will remain open and the museum’s two classrooms on the ground floor will continue to be used to deliver educational programs and public events. The public-facing Visitor Experience team staff will either continue to work on-site at Exscite or be temporarily deployed to assist with Hamilton City Council’s other museum projects and facilities.

The entire museum will be open to the public again from Friday, December 6, 2024. Details about the exhibition programs for summer 2024/2025 will be announced in the coming months.

Keep in mind that

For te reo Maaori, Waikato Museum uses double vowels (uu) instead of vowels with a macron (ū) to represent a long vowel sound. This spelling approach is favored by tangata Whenua in Hamilton Kirikiriroa and Waikato iwi for te reo Maaori words.