Your Museum

Auckland Museum Institute Member

Be part of Auckland Museum Institute's special relationship with Auckland Museum as you continue your lifelong learning journey. Find out more about AMI and become a Member here.

 

Auckland Museum Institute (AMI) Member benefits

​For $95 per year (or $85 for students and seniors) or $250 for three-years, you’ll receive all the following core benefits, plus more. You can add up to three Friends & Whānau passes for $25 each, per year.

Unlimited free entry to all paid exhibitions
Exclusive exhibition previews and events
Museum discounts and partner offers
Invitations to regular curatorial talks or tours
Option to add Friends and Whānau passes
Monthly email newsletters
In addition, you'll enjoy

In addition, you'll enjoy

  • Invitations to Hochsetter and Lucy Cranwell lectures
  • Invitations to special Institute events including Museum Medals Gala Evening
  • Annual Director’s presentation and Museum update

  • Exclusive AMI email newsletter (quarterly)

  • Discounts on films at Rialto Cinemas Newmarket

  • Discounted or free parking at selected Membership events

  • Priority booking and/or discounts for selected Museum events

1 Year $95

$85 for students and seniors
Students with a valid Student ID or seniors with a Gold Card or other proof of age are eligible for concession pricing for this Membership type, for our 1 year option. Note - you may be asked to provide ID for proof of eligibility when visiting the Museum.

Buy for yourself
or buy as a gift

 

3 Years $250

Get the best value with a Three-Year Membership
We don't offer concession pricing for our Three-Year Auckland Museum Institute Membership option, given it's already the most cost-effective option for this type of Membership.

Buy for yourself
or buy as a gift

 

If you'd like to purchase ten Memberships or more, please email us at [email protected] and our Membership team will be happy to assist you. 

Welcome to the Auckland Museum Institute
ABOUT AMI

Welcome to the Auckland Museum Institute

Established in 1867, the Auckland Museum Institute, an independent voluntary run organisation and the Auckland Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi, is a facilitator of lifelong learning and knowledge sharing, engaging their member audiences through premium lecture programmes and events, in support of Auckland Museum and its endeavours. For more than 150 years, the Auckland Museum Institute (or AMI) has played a unique role in the governance of Auckland Museum by appointing four members to the Museum Trust Board.

More about AMI

A journey of discovery
ABOUT AMI

A journey of discovery

Your AMI Membership provides you with a chance to experience and understand the Museum’s taonga in a way shared only by a few. For just $95 per year (or $85 for students and seniors) or $250 for three-years, you’ll receive exclusive exhibition previews and invites to after hours events, such the Museum Medals. You’ll also have access to the Museum’s curatorial team and Director through annual talks and tours.

See upcoming events

Sharks exhibition at Auckland Museum
FREE UNLIMITED ENTRY FOR MEMBERS

Sharks

ON NOW UNTIL MON 1 JUNE 2026

Created by the Australian Museum, Sharks invites you to explore the fascinating, and often misunderstood, world of sharks. Come face-to-face with life-sized scientifically accurate shark models, including one of the most famous and feared species of shark, the Great White Shark. Learn through artefacts and tactile displays; be immersed in a digital oceanaroum; and see the world in a 360-degree view through the eyes of a Hammerhead Shark. 

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a quarter of the world's sharks are threatened with extinction. Sharks presents the very latest information on conservation, sharks’ impact on oceans, and efforts to protect sharks.

Museum Members get to visit international exhibitions like Sharks as many times as they like, for free. 

Sharks is produced and toured by the Australian Museum and proudly supported by Earth Sciences New Zealand.

Find out more

Upcoming special exhibitions

 

© Bence Máté, Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

SAT 27 JUN - SUN 23 AUG

Now in its sixty-first year and on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, Wildlife Photographer of the Year features some of the most exceptional nature photography taken today from across the globe.

The exhibition shines a light on powerful and fascinating images that capture hidden animal behaviour, spectacular species and the breathtaking diversity of the natural world. Using photography's unique emotive power to engage and inspire audiences, the images share stories and species from around the world, encouraging a future of advocating for the planet.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.

© Mike Bink, Naturalis Biodiversity Centre

March of the Triceratops

FROM SEPT 2026 - APR 2027

March of the Triceratops brings to life one of the world’s most iconic dinosaurs, revealing how these extraordinary creatures lived, moved, and survived millions of years ago.

The exhibition features the only known Triceratops herd ever discovered, with a rare group of five recently excavated fossils. Alongside the fossils are life-size Triceratops models and animatronics, created using the latest scientific research, as well as hands-on interactives and animated experiences that offer fascinating insight into a prehistoric world.

Explore how fossils are formed, learn what palaeontologists do, and use augmented reality to step into the Triceratops’ natural environment and imagine a landscape shaped by dinosaurs.

March of the Triceratops is a collaboration between Naturalis Biodiversity Center and MuseumsPartner, both based in Europe.

© Paul Zanre. Ming: The Golden Empire

Ming: The Golden Empire

FROM JUN 2027 - OCT 2027

Discover the brilliance of the Ming dynasty in Ming: The Golden Empire. This stunning exhibition explores revolutionary social change, artistic achievement, and cultural richness through treasures from Nanjing Museum that rarely leave China. From imperial luxuries to everyday objects, journey through China’s Great Ming era which spanned 1368-1644, all brought to life with striking visuals, films, and interactive displays.

Ming: The Golden Empire is produced by Nomad Exhibitions in association with Nanjing Museum.

Upcoming Members' Events

If you become a Auckland Museum Institute Member, you will have access to an array of exclusive Members-only events such exhibition previews, events and after hours functions. Auckland Museum Institute Members also receive a 10% discount on all general Auckland Museum events.

AMI MEMBERS' EVENTS

Add up to three Friends & Whānau passes to your Membership

Add up to three Friends & Whānau passes to your Membership

BRING FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO ANY OF OUR EXHIBITIONS, MEMBERS' EVENTS OR PREVIEWS

Add up to three Friends & Whānau passes for $25 each when you sign up online or purchase at the Museum, for our Museum Member or Auckland Museum Institute Membership types. Tautoko Members automatically receive three Friends & Whānau passes included with their Membership. Friends & Whānau passes are valid in conjunction with your annual Membership, and they are loaded onto your Membership card; separate cards are not issued.

PASS BENEFITS INCLUDE:

  • Free General Admission
  • Unlimited free entry to all exhibitions
  • Exclusive exhibition previews and after hours events
  • Access to regular talks or behind the scenes tours

 

The pass does not provide friends and family with access to discounts and they do not receive Member emails and updates. Your friends and family must accompany you to be able to share in your privilege. The passes aren't specific to any one person, and can be used for the duration of your Membership. 

Your Membership Welcome

Your Membership Welcome

Your new Membership pack will be mailed to you or you can pick it up next time you visit the Museum. Along with your distinctive Membership card, there is a small thank you gift from us inside.

Please contact us with any Membership enquiries. 

If your Membership enquiry needs immediate attention, please contact our Membership team on +64 9 306 7923 during office hours or email [email protected]. 

Make a donation when you become an Auckland Museum Institute Member

Make a donation when you become an Auckland Museum Institute Member

The Auckland Museum Institute is the Auckland Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi and has a long history of partnership with the Museum.

As a registered charity, the Institute accepts donations and bequests from Members, using the funds to support both the Institute’s own events and also Museum initiatives. Your generous support will assist us in our Mission to support the Museum, promote knowledge-sharing and celebrate creativity.

FIND OUT MORE

Want to know more?

Visit our Membership FAQs page, for all the answers to your questions.

READ FAQS

Want to know more?

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira and the Auckland Museum Institute (AMI) whilst being statutory partners; are independent legal entities. View the Auckland Museum Institute privacy statement and terms and conditions.

View other options

Tautoko Member $500

Tautoko Member $500
Museum Member from $60

Museum Member from $60
Mini Member $50

Mini Member $50