Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum has been closed to the public this weekend after asbestos was found inside the building. The museum shut its doors as a safety measure to allow for cleaning and updates to emergency plans.
The asbestos was discovered during recent checks in the Māori Court and Pacific Galleries, two important cultural areas of the museum. Tests confirmed the dust contained asbestos, a harmful material once used in older buildings. Soon after, more tests found asbestos in the grand foyer, which is a main exit route in case of an emergency.
Because of this, the museum decided to close completely while new evacuation plans are made. Fire safety experts are helping with the updates to ensure visitor safety when the museum reopens.
The museum is working closely with trained asbestos professionals. They are doing daily checks and following strict safety rules. Although asbestos was commonly used in buildings from the 1920s and 1950s, it must now be carefully removed when found.
Despite some past weather-related closures, the museum was still one of New Zealand’s busiest, welcoming nearly 890,000 visitors last year. While the museum is closed, security and maintenance staff will continue to keep the site safe.
The museum has not yet said when it will reopen.
