Auckland War Memorial Museum has lost more than $450,000 in revenue since its closure earlier this month after the detection of asbestos.

The tourist hotspot was forced to close from May 10 after asbestos dust was detected in the old museum building and the Grand Foyer. More asbestos was later identified in “additional areas of the building”.

It is set to reopen in stages from Tuesday, June 3, after working with WorkSafe New Zealand and Auckland Council, and receiving clearance from a licensed asbestos assessor.

“It has been a challenging few weeks, and we’re excited to now be able to partially reopen the museum,” chief executive David Reeves said. “We look forward to welcoming our community back into the building.

“We have undertaken a stringent cleaning and testing protocol and been given complete reassurance that we can reopen these spaces safely.

“We want our visitors to feel the same confidence when they walk in the door. We wouldn’t open unless it was absolutely safe to do so.”

But the 24-day closure has come with a significant cost. By the time the museum reopens, it will have lost about $456,000 in potential revenue.

“Like many cultural institutions, we rely on a combination of funding – from Auckland Council in our case – along with donations, grants, and self-generated revenue. Any closure affects our ability to generate this revenue,” the museum said.

It was too early to quantify the full impact of the closure, but an average impact on revenue streams such as ticket sales, parking fees, shop sales, tours, visitor donations, and venue hire for this time of year was estimated at $19,000 a day.

The museum is set to partially reopen on June 3 after a 24-day closure. Photo / Auckland War Memorial Museum

“A silver lining is that we are currently in a quieter period, it is not peak tourism season, and we are in between ticketed exhibitions.”

Reeves said the partial reopening would begin to mitigate the impact on self-generated revenue.

Sections of the north side of the building – including Te Marae Ātea Māori Court, Pacific Galleries and the Grand Foyer – will remain closed as asbestos remediation work continues.

“Air monitoring tests will be ongoing throughout the museum to reassure staff and visitors that reopened spaces remain safe for occupation.

“A revised fire evacuation procedure, approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand, enables this staged reopening.”

Exposure to asbestos fibres can pose significant health risks, leading to several serious lung diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

It was revealed last month that asbestos was first detected in the museum in December, when it was found on the roof in a space not publicly accessible.

In March, more asbestos was found during investigative work in the original 1929 part of the building in preparation for the renewal of Te Marae Ātea Māori Court and Pacific galleries.

Static asbestos dust and debris were located in the void area above Te Marae Ātea Māori Court, and on a ledge below perimeter vents.

Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson earlier called for urgency from Fire and Emergency as the museum haemorrhaged tens of thousands of dollars in lost ticket sales during the closure.

“This is a real problem for the museum. They average about 2600 visitors a day,” she said.

“Some of those are obviously Aucklanders who don’t pay, but our visitors to the city who love going to museums [do] ... They’ve lost probably $8000 a day for admissions - over four days, of course, that’s $32,000.”

Simpson said the lost revenue was “getting a bit scary”, and urged Fire and Emergency to prioritise a solution.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.