Musée de Tahiti et des Îles
Photo: Own work — CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Located in Puna’auia, Tahiti, the Musée de Tahiti et des Îles offers exhibitions on Polynesian culture, natural history, and fine arts, set in a three-hectare park with an ethnobotanical garden.
Planning your visit
The Musée de Tahiti et des Îles sits on the coast at Puna'auia in three hectares of grounds with an ethnobotanical garden, and its collections cover Polynesian culture across the five archipelagos of French Polynesia — the Society, Tuamotu, Gambier, Austral and Marquesas islands.
The material culture is the substance: tapa cloth beaten from bark, tattooing implements and the practice they served, adzes, fishhooks, canoes and navigation, and the wooden and stone ti'i figures of pre-Christian religion, much of which was destroyed by missionaries in the nineteenth century.
The navigation material is the most remarkable. Polynesians settled the largest ocean on earth using stars, swells and bird behaviour, reaching Hawaii, Easter Island and New Zealand centuries before European deep-water sailing — a feat European scholarship long refused to credit.
The museum reopened after extended renovation. Allow ninety minutes. Bookable options include guided tours. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Musée de Tahiti et des Îles?
Musée de Tahiti et des Îles is in Puna'auia, French Polynesia. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Musée de Tahiti et des Îles?
Allow ninety minutes. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Musée de Tahiti et des Îles in advance?
Guided tours run to a fixed schedule and small group sizes, so they are usually booked ahead.