Te Papa Extends Gallipoli: The Scale Of Our War Exhibition To 2032

Te Papa will extend the exhibition Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War until April 2032.

Created by Te Papa working closely with Wētā Workshop, the exhibition set a global benchmark for immersive museum experiences when it opened on 18 April 2015.

There have been more than 4.8 million visits to the exhibition since opening. Entry is free.

Originally intended to be in place for only four years, it has been extended twice before. With this latest extension Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War will have been on show for 17 years by the time it closes in 2032.

“The success of Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War has been more than we could ever have imagined and we want to offer that experience for as long as we possibly can,” says Te Papa Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive Courtney Johnston.

“The exhibition was always intended to show the harsh realities and highlight the human cost of war.”

“It fosters empathy and we can see how our visitors connect the human experience of Gallipoli to the conflicts being fought today,” said Ms Johnston.

Te Papa Kaihautū | Māori Co-Leader Dr Arapata Hakiwai says the visitor response is profound.

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"Many of our visitors come in family groups, and some come back time and time again to remember and honour their tīpuna,” says Te Papa Kaihautū | Māori Co-Leader Dr Arapata Hakiwai.

“We host people from all over the world in the exhibition, and it resonates deeply wherever they are from,” Dr Hakiwai says.

Wētā Workshop co-founder Sir Richard Taylor was intimately involved in every aspect of the exhibition’s inception and creation, describing it as one of the most seminal moments in his career.

“We wanted to share a deep respect to the memories of the men and women who served and sacrificed so much – on a scale that they deserved," says Richard Taylor.

“We are incredibly thankful knowing that the exhibition is being extended, so that future visitors to Te Papa will continue to gain a deeper understanding of this critical moment in New Zealand’s history, and so that young kiwis who served in this campaign are never forgotten,” Richard Taylor says.

Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War features the stories of eight New Zealanders on a monumental scale. The ultra-realistic figures of seven servicemen and a nurse are frozen in a moment in time, at 2.4 times life size.

The exhibition includes treasured items returned from the battlefield along with 3-D maps and projections, miniatures, models, dioramas, and interactive experiences. The words of the nurse soldiers themselves, from letters and diaries, provide a very personal insight into the experience of war.

To mark the extension of Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War, Te Papa is partnering with Türkiye specialist, Innovative Travel to offer a unique travel prize valued at NZD $15,000. Visitors to the exhibition between 1st May and 30th November 2025, will be able to enter the draw for an eleven-day trip to Türkiye for two people, including accommodation, cash contribution of $5,000 towards flights, a guided tour of the Gallipoli historic site or the option to attend the Gallipoli commemorations including the dawn service on Anzac Day 2026. The competition is open to visitors from New Zealand and Australia only.

Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War will be closed from Monday 21 July – Friday 12 Sept 2025 for essential maintenance and upgrades necessary to extend the life of the exhibition.

A brand-new guided tour experience will launch to coincide with the re-opening and extension of the exhibition. The tour will be available to pre-book online from Monday 4th August and will depart twice daily.

Te Papa acknowledges the generous support of our sponsors and contributors for this exhibition: Lottery Grants Board, Wellington City Council, WW100, HP, Panasonic, NZSO, Innovative Travel, Singapore Airlines and Blue Star.

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