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

Alive with Wonder

The Museum has five floors and endless wonders to discover. To comply with current restrictions please ensure you scan the QR code and check-in on arrival. We ask that all adult visitors comply with the current restrictions which mandate the wearing of masks in shared indoor public places. If you forget your mask just ask our front desk staff for one.

Thin Ice VR

Thin Ice VR

Immerse yourself in a 20-minute historical virtual reality experience presented by Tim Jarvis AM.

In 1914, polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton led one of History’s greatest stories of leadership and survival, the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

Over 100 years later we follow in Shackleton's footsteps with Tim Jarvis AM, experiencing the adventure first-hand to see the effect climate change has had on the Antarctic region through immersive VR.

Thin Ice VR puts the audience at the centre of the story, taking viewers to a place that few have ever been before.

Enter alt text*

Celebrating 165 years of the Museum

This year, we are celebrating the Museum’s 165th birthday. It might be of surprise to you to know that this makes us older than the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Natural History Museum in London. But it is not just our age that makes us special

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.

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

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. 

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.