Welcome to the South Australian Museum

Step inside and discover five floors of endless wonder. From the first signs of early complex life to the most comprehensive collection of Australian Aboriginal cultural material in the world. There’s something for everyone to uncover at the South Australian Museum.

South Australia’s Museum

The South Australian Museum has been committed to making Australia’s natural and cultural heritage accessible, engaging and fun for over 165 years.

It is a place where families can learn and grow together. Today the Museum is one of the most visited museums in Australia and holds collections of national and international significance. It is a leader in remote and regional community engagement, and in Australian Aboriginal heritage and scientific research.

Museum collections

The South Australian Museum houses over four million specimens and material cultural items. These specimens and items provide irreplaceable records with which we are constantly building and modifying our knowledge and understanding of the natural and cultural world.

They are a vital part of Australia’s national heritage and play an integral role in the international scientific and anthropological communities' endeavour to document our world.

Life-changing research, right here at the Museum.

Most visitors to the Museum’s galleries and exhibitions on North Terrace, in the heart of Adelaide’s cultural precinct, will be totally unaware of the dedicated team of scientists and anthropologists who conduct natural history and cultural research, publishing their discoveries in peer-reviewed national and international journals, book chapters and scholarly books. 

Main Image: A rare leucistic green turtle hatchling and it's reflection underneath the surface as it stops to take a breath. Photo taken in the Conflict Islands, Papua New Guinea. Image by Jake Wilton, New South Wales.