Taking a Trip to the Sculptureum, Auckland

Last updated on 26 March 2025

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For my birthday in 2025, my friend planned a secret outing. But like most ‘secrets’ that she tries to plan, I can usually figure out about 80% of the plan without her saying much at all. 🤣 This time around, I figured out 100% of the plan, but I was super excited because we were heading to Matakana to check out the Sculptureum, Auckland. You know, that place with the giant pink snail?

If the snail reference is lost on you, never fear; we’ll get to that.

I love a sculpture trail. We’ve done a few in our time living in Auckland, so this is one I’ve always wanted to go to. And spoilers: it was well worth it!

What is Sculptureum, Auckland?

Sculptureum, just north of Auckland in Matakana, is a sculpture and art park, featuring huge sculptures outside in their gardens, and then galleries of paintings and smaller sculptures and art pieces inside.

When you hear the word “art,” do you picture a stuffy gallery filled with old oil paintings in fancy frames? Or maybe a place where art just sits, collecting dust? Maybe that vase that your grandma has that you’re terrified still to this day that you’ll knock over and smash?

Well, Sculptureum is the complete opposite. It is this huge celebration, basically, of art in all its wild, unexpected, and fascinating forms. The creativity of the pieces at Sculpturem are not your average, as you can see in some of the photographs I took as we wandered around.

The different spots around Sculptureum

The Garden of Creative Diversity

This is the big garden outside when you first arrive. After showing your tickets in the main art shop/reception, they’ll probably suggest you head outside first and walk around the Garden of Creative Diversity, as they call it on the website. These are the really big sculptures, hidden in leafy gardens, with paths winding all through them.

There are also some live animals in there, too! I especially loved the giant rabbits, and also the turtles!

The Galleries

Then we made our way back inside and wandered through the Galleries. These are where you can see things like international glass art, a giant rhino, various paintings and mini sculptures.

The Palm Garden

Then back outside to The Palm Garden, we went, where there are more sculptures, just on a slightly smaller scale. ‘Slightly smaller’ is still big, though, and there we found the giant pink snails! These are definitely some of the more popular chaps in the garden, and you’ll often see them being used in adverts for Sculptureum. They did not disappoint.

I also really enjoyed the colourful meerkats! There were a lot of fun, colourful pieces.

The Dale Chihuly Room

If you’re a lover of glass, then the final spot on the sculpture trail is the Dale Chihuly Room. Dale Chihuly is a glass-blowing artist, and you can see a 2-metre-high glass sculpture of his in the final room. There is also a huge Dale Chihuly piece hanging from the ceiling at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, which is where I saw his work first.

Some FAQs about Sculpturem, Auckland

Where is the Sculptureum?

Sculpturem is just north of Auckland, just five minutes from Matakana. It’s super easy to get to if you’re coming from Auckland – just straight up the motorway, follow the signs for Matakana and then it’s not far from there.

How much does it cost?

For an adult to visit Sculpturem, it’s $42 ($49.50 if you’re visiting from overseas), and kids range from $4 through to $19, age depending. You can find a full list of ticket prices here.

Can you get food and drink there?

Yes! There is the Rothko Restaurant on the grounds, open for Lunch and Dinner, where you can grab something to eat and drink. In the summer months, there is a food truck set up, serving up poke bowls and fries from Wednesday to Sunday. If that’s not your jam, Matakana village isn’t far away so you can pick something up there, too.

Sculpturem is definitely worth visiting if you’re in Auckland and want to make a day trip out of it. Or just the morning! After checking out the sculpture trail we headed into Matakana to grab some lunch before heading back to Auckland. It’s a very cool spot, and if you haven’t been, then I highly recommend!

Have you been to Sculpturem, Auckland? What did you think?