Collection Caretakers

Deep in the heart of this building are Waikato Museum's collection stores. They are home to over 30,000 taonga, and their wellbeing is one of our core responsibilities.

In this exhibition you can explore the different types of threats to the collection, and we'll show you how we mitigate those risks. This is a battle against time, and understanding the needs of different materials is a detailed skill. We aim to minimise damage as much as possible, because preservation is always better than repair. Observing tikanga Maaori is particularly important when caring for taonga, and through our expertise and network of advisors, we provide every item with appropriate care. This understanding feeds into our processes and wider museum best practice.

Learn from our expertise, get hands-on in the exhibition, and become a Collection Caretaker for your own taonga at home.