Te Papa will begin charging an entry fee for international visitors from September.
Entry to the museum will remain free for New Zealanders.
Te Papa chief executive Courtney Johnston said charging an entry fee was necessary to fund the rising energy, insurance and staffing costs for the museum.
She said it was only partly funded by the government and needed to earn an additional $30 million per year.
"Te Papa is free for all New Zealanders - and it will stay that way," she said.
"Charging international visitors will help fund the incredible experience for everyone who walks through our doors.
"This is a considered and necessary decision to ensure that Te Papa can continue delivering a world-class experience in the face of rising costs."
A Matariki exhibition at Te Papa in 2022. Photo: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The entry fee will be $35 and will apply from 17 September to international visitors aged 16 years and older.
With nearly 600,000 international visitors in the 2023/2024 financial year, Te Papa is expected to earn an additional $5-$10 million per year from the move. That figure takes into account free entry for under 16s and group discounts, along with some visitors slipping through the cracks.
The remaining money needed will come from commercial activities - cafes, retail stores and car parking - and donations.
Johnston said visitors would self-identify their nationality.
"You'll walk into Te Papa and we'll say, 'Kia ora, how are you? Where have you come from today?' And if you say, 'Oh, I've come from Johnsonville', then we'll say, 'Great, head up the stairs, head into the museum, have a wonderful visit'.
"And if you say, 'Oh, I'm from France' or 'I'm from Germany', we'll say, 'Awesome, head up the stairs, you'll see the ticket desk right there, that's where you can buy your ticket'."
Johnston told Morning Report Te Papa did not ask the government for the money to cover its shortfall.
"This is all just part of doing our bit to keep being awesome for New Zealanders, providing the services that we do. Our government funding has remained steady and this is a new way for us to keep topping up that amount that we need to maintain the collections and keep the building open and exciting," she said.
"The thing we know about our international visitors is they love Te Papa, their satisfaction ratings are sky high and a lot of them walk in the door and they say to us straight away: 'Hey, where do I go and buy my ticket?'
"It will take a little bit of bedding in, but we really do know that our international visitors, they see the value of Te Papa, they spend hours here, they think it's fantastic, and we think they'll be really happy to support us."
Johnston said $35 was a good price.
