Museums & Collections
Delve into South Australia's museums
South Australia's flagship museums are easily found on leafy North Terrace in the heart of Adelaide.
At the South Australian Museum, explore the life and science of explorer Sir Douglas Mawson. You can see his sled, tools, boots, camel-hair sleeping bag and a model of his Antarctic hut. Find the opalised skeleton of a six-metre-long plesiosaur and other stunning opal fossils in the Fossil Gallery. Wander through six floors of exhibits revealing fascinating stories. See the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, the largest Aboriginal cultural exhibition in the world, with more than 3000 items on display.
There's an exhibition devoted to ancient Egypt, rare fossils of the Flinders Ranges and more. You can even see one of Adelaide astronaut Andy Thomas's space suits. See 40,000 year old megafauna fossils in the Origin Energy Fossil Gallery, as well as 120 million year old opalised fossils and Ediacaran fossils, such as the 550 million year old chordate, possibly the oldest ever found.
See the Bradman Collection, a tribute to Australia's cricketing icon, Sir Donald Bradman. There are 52 scrapbooks documenting Sir Donald's career from 1925 to 1948, plus more than 140 items including trophies, bats, clothing and oral recordings. It's within the State Library of South Australia.
Learn the stories of the many immigrants who helped to shape South Australia at the Migration Museum. And in nearby Prospect, see the RM Williams Outback Heritage Museum for an insight into his life and successes. "Do time" at the old Adelaide Gaol historic site. Take a tour - you can even sleep there overnight on the ghost tour.
Just 20 minutes from the city centre, visit Port Adelaide - it's an amazing hub of museums all within walking distance of each other, including the South Australian Maritime Museum and National Railway Museum. Read on below for more insights into museums and collections throughout South Australia.More Museums
- Port Adelaide
- Port Adelaide is the historic maritime heart of South Australia and it's here that you'll find the South Australian Maritime Museum. Read More
- Regional Museums
- Don't miss these South Australian museums. You can ride restored tramcars, clamber over old warships, go underground and much more. Read More
