The Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery (NMAG) open to the public from 9am-3pm most days, is located in Waigani, Port Moresby next to the National Parliament. It serves as the custodian of the country's cultural, historical, and natural heritage, housing more than 600,000 items including artefacts, artworks, cultural objects, war relics, botanical and zoological specimens from across PNG's provinces.

History

The origins of NMAG can be traced back to 1889 when the British governor Sir William MacGregor initiated a collecting program aimed at preserving natural history and cultural objects. In the 1950s the establishment of an Antiquities Ordinance in 1953 and a board of trustees in 1954. The Papua New Guinea Public Museum and Art Gallery was formally established by ordinance in 1956.

The construction of the dedicated museum building started in 1975, funded in part by the Australian government, and opened to the public in 1977, coinciding with PNG’s independence era. A significant refurbishment took place in 2017 to mark the 40th anniversary, enhancing access and incorporating new technologies, with gallery spaces renamed to reflect different identities.

In September 2025 the museum opened the new Aviation Heritage Centre Hangar featuring a new display of WW2 aircraft and an historic car collection.

Main Collection

The art and culture collection has over 30,000 objects. The Tumbuna Masterpieces Gallery displays some of our national treasures such as massive garamut drums and carved poles from the Sepik River region. The gallery also has an important collection of contemporary artworks including Timothy Akis and Mathias Kauage as well as recent acquisitions.