Events and Activities

Children's Workshop

Matariki is a time for songs, dance and storytelling! Join us to make your own paper karetao puppet to tell stories and put on shows.

Ever witnessed the first flight of a butterfly? Be there for that special moment and help release the young butterflies to take flight in the Tropical Forest. Join us every morning to learn about the amazing transformation butterflies go through before they can take flight!

Led by a Museum Communicator

Monday: The three bears of Otago Museum
Tuesday: The Fin whale skeleton
Wednesday: Tuatara: Ancient reptile
Thursday: Plesiosaur – New Zealand's largest fossil
Friday: The Egyptian Mummy - a piece of Egyptian history
Saturday: Southern whaling - a lost industry
Sunday: Te Paranihi: A waka of three parts

Discovery Club Term Two

From solid gold to oxygen gas, discover matter as we conduct some amazing experiments to uncover how the universe came to be! Each week travel across the universe to focus on all kinds of elements, from the most common to the rarest on Earth.

Check out the session schedule here

Special Exhibition Talk

Led by a Museum Communicator.

Join a knowledgeable Communicator as they share the stories behind The Moriori of Rekohu, T'chakat henu – People of the Land, which celebrates the revival of Moriori culture and identity.

Performance

Join renowned Kāi Tahu performers Katrina and Louise Potiki Bryant to celebrate Puaka Matariki with a special aerial performance in the Museum Atrium. With the Southern stars as a backdrop, seven female dancers will recreate the Matariki constellation in a beautiful representation of sharing our bounty and knowledge.

Discovery World Science Show

Check out the coolest show in town as Discovery World gets ice cold! From freaky frost to sensational snow, be part of some icy experiments as we chill out this winter and discover some slippery science! 

Discovery World Science Show

From raining fish to walking on fire, let your mind boggle as we discover the science behind some unbelievable goings-on! Be prepared to discover how to slow time and experiment with the strangest shape in science.

Investigation Station

Did you know that humans and giraffes have the same number of bones in their necks? Discover some freaky facts about your super skeleton and have a go at putting together real moa bones to make a moa's leg!

Theme Day

It's World Butterfly Day and the Museum is all a-flutter! Join us in the Tropical Forest to witness butterflies taking their first flight. Take part in the Tropical Forest trail, have your face painted, and decorate your own butterfly cookie to resemble a rare tropical butterfly beauty! Don't let this World Butterfly Day fly by you!

Find more details here 

NHNZ Film Screening

Dive deep into some of the planet’s most hostile waters with the second of this two-part screening and follow the men and women who risk their lives in one of the world's most dangerous jobs – diving for abalone. For these brave few, there is a killing to be made, but can the divers make it out alive?

Planetarium Experience

Discover legends based on the southern stars Puaka Matariki and their importance to Kāi Tahu, as we go stargazing in full daylight in the Otago Museum's very own planetarium – Starlab!

2013 Regional Competition

RoboCup Junior is a national competition that excites and extends students' interest in robotics! Teams can enter in the Robot Theatre, Rescue or Soccer categories and compete against schools from throughout Otago. 

The 2013 Regional Competition takes place at the Otago Museum on Saturday 6 July, so get your teams designing, building and programming their robo-champions!

Click here to register your team. Entries close Friday 21 June.

School Holiday Blockbuster

From a tasty treat to currency you could eat, chocolate has been treasured for centuries! Join us to discover the origins of chocolate, explore the evolution of currency and become a royal by making your face on a deliciously decadent chocolate coin.