South Australian Museum

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South Australian Museum Inspiring wonder and curiosity about life on Earth. It is a place where families can learn and grow together.
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The South Australian Museum has been committed to making Australia’s natural and cultural heritage accessible, engaging and fun for over 165 years. Today the Museum is one of the most visited museums in Australia and holds collections of national and international significance.

Come in to see our new 'Pacific Cultures in Motion' pop-up display of Vanuatu musical treasures in our North Foyer.See t...
16/10/2026

Come in to see our new 'Pacific Cultures in Motion' pop-up display of Vanuatu musical treasures in our North Foyer.

See the striking 2.8m high tamtam (slit drum), otherwise known as ‘atingting’, from Ambrym in central Vanuatu and a number of musical objects such as traditional musical balls, a bamboo flute and dance rattles.

Inspired by a collaboration between Adelaide-based Ni-Vanuatu performer Edgell Junior Edgell and Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara man Elisha Umuhuri from Patch Theatre, the display will feature a video showcasing these incredible performers as they create their musical collaboration in the studio and share their thoughts on the cultural importance of music.

The Pasifika pop-up display is the first in a series of community-informed activations, as part of the conservation and cultural care program currently underway at the Museum.

With some of the world’s strictest biosecurity, a small human population and being surrounded by the ocean, introduced s...
14/10/2026

With some of the world’s strictest biosecurity, a small human population and being surrounded by the ocean, introduced species should be less of an issue.

But Australia is one of the top three nations affected by feral species, with 3,000 introduced species sufficiently out of control to be considered invasive.

So why are determined efforts and natural advantages often unable to stem Australia’s feral tide?

Professor Mike Lee, Senior Researcher Palaeontology at the South Australian Museum, writes about Australia's island biogeography and how isolated environments have given way for super invaders like cats and rabbits to run rampant and fill in ecological niches that our native species struggle to contend with.

Read the full story 👉 https://bit.ly/4jmqafJ

Our 'It’s In Our Nature' q***r trail has been a favourite since it was launched, so we’re lifting it off the page and tu...
13/10/2026

Our 'It’s In Our Nature' q***r trail has been a favourite since it was launched, so we’re lifting it off the page and turning it into a guided tour as part of this year's Feast Festival 🌈

📅 Tuesday 3 and Saturday 7 November
⏰ 11am and 1pm sessions
📍 South Australian Museum, North Tce
🎟️ $15 general admission | $13 concession

Led by LGBTQIA+ staff and allies, you’ll hear stories of love, desire and identity found in our world-class collections.

A little behind-the-scenes magic is happening in the Museum Shop this week! 🛠️ You may notice some noise in our foyer ar...
12/10/2026

A little behind-the-scenes magic is happening in the Museum Shop this week! 🛠️

You may notice some noise in our foyer area as we give the space a refresh. The Shop will reopen on Thursday 15 October, and we can't wait to welcome you back and show off its fresh new look.

Thanks in advance for your patience!

Happy Squid Day! 🦑Come visit the Museum this weekend to say hi to the giant squid and check out the final days of the sp...
09/10/2026

Happy Squid Day! 🦑

Come visit the Museum this weekend to say hi to the giant squid and check out the final days of the special school holiday activities.

You can head up to Level 2 for the Aussie Doco Discovery Trail and stop by the Nature Origami stations in the Museum foyer.

The Museum is open daily, 10am to 5pm. See you soon! 👋

On the Terrace by Chamber Music Adelaide returns to the South Australian Museum a free mini-festival pop-up series of co...
08/10/2026

On the Terrace by Chamber Music Adelaide returns to the South Australian Museum a free mini-festival pop-up series of concerts for all ages!

📅 Sunday 1 November
⏰ 11am to 4pm
📍 South Australian Museum, North Tce

Experience a day of vibrant music set among the Museum's Australian Polar Collections and Front Lawns, celebrating classical, contemporary and world music traditions.

Deep beneath the deserts of western and central Australia lies a hidden world of water and isolated aquifers, providing ...
07/10/2026

Deep beneath the deserts of western and central Australia lies a hidden world of water and isolated aquifers, providing refuge for a bizarre assortment of animal life for millions of years.

Amongst them are countless species of subterranean water beetles, each of which evolved in isolation deep within their hidden ‘island’, adapting to live in complete darkness underground.

“The aquifers are essentially like the Galapagos Islands, except for cave animals,” said Professor Steve Cooper, Principal Researcher in Evolutionary Biology at the South Australian Museum.

Read the full story 👉 https://bit.ly/4rNpT7R

05/10/2026

Frogs can appreciate art too 🐸🖼️

The green tree frogs in our Discovery Centre received some new decor with shots from the 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition.

As you can see, they were ribbited 💚

Australian Geographic

01/10/2026

Take a look behind the scenes as collections in our Pacific Cultures Gallery are carefully prepared for their temporary move to our new state-of-the-art collection storage facility.

Over the past two months, conservation specialists from the South Australian Museum and ArtLab have been working meticulously to assess, document and pack these significant cultural objects. This includes creating custom housing and protective materials to ensure each object is safely preserved and easily accessible as part of our ongoing collection care program and restoration work.

Caring for and sharing Pacific cultures remains an important part of our work. We're also excited to be collaborating with members of the Vanuatu community on a special Pasifika cultural pop-up at the Museum, coming very soon…

As Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC's tenure as Governor of South Australia draws to a close, we would l...
01/10/2026

As Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC's tenure as Governor of South Australia draws to a close, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to Her Excellency and Mr Rod Bunten for their support of the South Australian Museum over the past five years.

Throughout her term, Her Excellency has been a strong advocate for research, science and education in our state. We have been proud to share with her many of the Museum's achievements, from world-leading research, major international exhibitions to National Science Week events and a wide range of community initiatives.

We are deeply grateful for Her Excellency's interest and support of our work, and for the encouragement she and Mr Bunten have provided to our staff, researchers, honoraries and volunteers.

We wish Her Excellency and Mr Bunten every success in the years ahead, and hope they still pop by to see what’s new in our galleries.

Address

North Terrace
Adelaide, SA
5000

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

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