For the latest information about COVID-19 please see here.

Alive with

wonder

The South Australian Museum is now open. To comply with mandatory contact tracing, please ensure you scan the QR code for a COVID SAfe Check-In on arrival.

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Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize exhibition

Art and science collide as artists investigate the natural world around them.

See and buy works from Australia’s only art prize that brings art and science together.

The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize commemorates the birth of the South Australian Museum’s first curator, Frederick George Waterhouse. This biennial prize provides an opportunity for artists to investigate the world around them and present their perspectives on natural science.

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Not another flocking fundraiser!

With your help, the iconic pink pair from the Adelaide Zoo are waiting ever so patiently to re-emerge at the South Australian Museum.

For over 100 years amazing animals like Miss Siam have “retired” to the free zoo at the Museum for generations to enjoy, and to help teach them about sustainability, biodiversity and taxidermy. Now it’s Chile and Greater’s turn. Let’s get those old birds looking beautiful again!

Exterior photo of the heritage component of the museum with a jacaranda tree in front of it

Health and safety

COVID-19: Reopening advice for visitors

The South Australian Museum is now open. To ensure everyone has a comfortable and safe visit, you will notice some changes at the Museum. These include capacity limits throughout the Museum, a reduction in touchscreens, and increased social distancing and hygiene guidance. The South Australian Government has reintroduced mandatory contact tracing for all venues with a COVID-Safe plan, please ensure you scan the QR code for a COVID SAfe Check-In on arrival.

South Australian Museum logo with colourful triangles

Content for Connection

Delve into our online portal, Content for Connection, and explore the wonders of the South Australian Museum.

Come behind the scenes and delve into our exhibitions, collections, research and resources through videos and activities.


Wonder with us here, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

#ContentForConnection

A Museum staff member showing a speciment to a young boy

Discover science and culture

Although our Discovery Centre remains closed, staff are still on deck to answer your questions.

COVID-19 has disrupted the way the Discovery Centre usually operates, but we are still available to answer your questions about natural history and culture - you can contact us on our Facebook page, text us on 0411 659 261, or email discovery@samuseum.sa.gov.au.

We love identifying specimens for you. Send us a photo, approximate dimensions and details about where you found it.

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. 

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 150 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.

The South Australian Museum acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website contains images or names of people who have passed away.