Muros steal the show at Waikato Museum’s Exscite exhibition

08 Jul 2025

Created as a hands-on school holiday activity for the kids, Waikato Museum’s Exscite exhibition has taken the interest of a wide range of visitors, including inquisitive adults. This interactive, sensory space for tamariki features Muros Rock Panels, the perfect addition to a space where science and the natural world can be explored through touch, texture and play.

In the Gully zone, the Muros Rock Panels are curved and installed with a loose, intuitive approach, letting the material guide the shape of the feature wall. Painted in layered, earthy Resene tones and finished with hand-installed vines, lighting and projected animations, the wall immerses visitors in a forest-like experience.

After priming, the Muros Rock Panels were painted in multiple Resene shades including Resene Kilimanjaro, Resene Scoria, Resene Seaweed, Resene Armadillo, Resene Raptor and Resene Black White, using Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Two unpainted Natural Muros-clad benches, shaped to evoke natural riverside boulders, were designed and built in-house under the direction of Celeste Thomas, Design and Logistics Lead at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery, who described the process as one of experimentation and hands-on creativity. 

“It was the whole exhibition team that made this happen,” says Celeste. “We all worked on it in some way from building the structural wall to the finishing touches. I added some faux moss directly over the top of the painted Muros so it appears to be growing beneath the overhanging plants. I am really happy with how it all came out.”

A projector hidden within the panels brings the space to life with moving eel animations on the carpet below. Muros Rocks Panels offer an unmatched selection for this science and nature exhibition and the shades of Resene Kilimanjaro, Resene Scoria, Resene Seaweed, Resene Armadillo and Resene Raptor bring the walls to life.

This project highlights just how versatile Muros Panels can be. We’ve seen them in homes but now also brought to life in creative ways that spark imagination. Through this exhibition, they’ve helped to build an immersive space where children can learn, explore and connect with nature through hands-on play.

See more about Muros Rock Panels, and if you’d like to visit or see more info about the exhibition visit Waikato Museum online.

images Mark Scowen

Published: 08 Jul 2025