New Zealanders are spoilt for choice for museums and galleries, with more per capita than in the United Kingdom, Canada, France or Sweden, a survey has found.
There are more than 500 museums, galleries and related organisations - about one for every 8000 New Zealanders.
Museums Aotearoa executivedirector Phillipa Tocker said the museum sector consisted of a wide range of organisations that collected, protected, interpreted and provided access to the collections of taonga, archives, creative arts and artefacts distributed across the country.
Ms Tocker said the survey by Museums Aotearoa showed that culture and heritage was "a growing part of our identity and our economy".
"A handful of our museums have been around for more than 100 years, but over a third of our museums and galleries have been established in the past 50 years, with more than one in 10 less than five years old."
They employ more than 3000 staff and 7000 to 10,000 volunteers, she said.
While most of the small museums attracted fewer than 5000 visitors a year, the total number of museum visits was now estimated to be over nine million.
"And although over half of our small museums operate on less than $20,000, the combined operating expenditure for the sector is likely to be over $200 million a year," Ms Tocker said.
"Museums are important to their communities and to the country as a whole."
Tomorrow is the 30th International Museum Day.
Each year a theme selected by the International Council of Museums, is interpreted and promoted locally. Many museums are putting on special events on this year's theme - "Museums and Universal Heritage".
Auckland and Canterbury Museums were offering behind the scenes tours for a first-hand look at little-known treasures and Howick Historical Village would have a "live day" with a Victorian wedding theme.
