South Australian Museum

Sitting proudly on North Terrace in the heart of Adelaide’s cultural precinct, the South Australian Museum is one of the city’s best places to explore natural history, Aboriginal cultures, fossils, wildlife and the story of South Australia.

Across five floors, you can move from giant prehistoric animals and South Australian wildlife to ancient cultures, minerals, meteorites and one of the world’s most significant collections of Australian Aboriginal cultural material. The Museum holds more than four million specimens and cultural items, so there is far more here than you could discover in a single visit.

What To Experience

Explore Aboriginal Cultures

Discover one of the world’s most significant collections of Australian Aboriginal cultural material.

Meet Australia’s Megafauna

See fossils and displays of the giant creatures that once roamed Australia.

Journey Through Five Floors

Discover everything from Ancient Egypt and minerals to giant squid, meteorites and polar exploration.

FAQs

  • Yes. Adelaide's free city tram zone makes travelling around the CBD easy. Guests can use the tram stops along King William Street near Toms Court Hotel and travel towards the northern CBD before continuing to North Terrace. The closest tram stop to the South Australian Museum itself is Art Gallery, directly outside the Museum on North Terrace.

  • If you are looking for accommodation near the South Australian Museum, Toms Court Hotel offers a central Adelaide CBD base at 338 King William Street. The hotel is within walking distance of the Museum and provides easy access to North Terrace, Rundle Mall, Adelaide Central Market and other major city attractions.

  • Yes. The South Australian Museum is one of Adelaide's most popular family attractions, with displays covering animals, fossils, dinosaurs and megafauna, biodiversity, cultures and natural history. General admission is also free, making it particularly easy to include in a family day in the Adelaide CBD.

  • Yes. The Museum's main North Terrace entrance has automatic doors and ramp access, and lifts provide access to all levels. Wheelchairs can also be booked for use within the Museum. Some larger mobility devices may have limitations in parts of the Egyptian Gallery.

  • Yes. Toms Court Hotel offers luggage storage during reception hours, which is useful if you arrive before the hotel's 2pm check-in or want to explore the South Australian Museum and Adelaide CBD after checking out.

  • Yes. Toms Court Hotel offers secure undercover parking for $25 per day, subject to availability, at Sydney Place a few hundred metres from the hotel. This means guests travelling to Adelaide by car can leave their vehicle near the hotel and explore the CBD on foot or by public transport.