Adelaide Museums and Galleries To Explore

For a small city Adelaide has serious cultural clout.

Adelaide punches above its weight with an array of museums and galleries from cutting-edge space innovation to spooky cells. Along North Terrace is the perfect place to kickstart a day of arts experiences before continuing toward the West End for more museums.

Here’s a guide to a few of the must-visit Adelaide art galleries and museums to visit during your stay in the city of churches.

1. Art Gallery of South Australia

Just a 10-minute walk from the Botanic Gardens on North Terrace, the Art Gallery of South Australia showcases an exciting range of rotating visual arts exhibitions.

the front facade of the Art Gallery of South Australia — Pop into the Art Gallery of South Australia. (Image: Leo Hiraga)

Tarnanthi Festival of Indigenous Arts is a highlight in AGSA’s cultural calendar. AGSA is home to one of Australia’s largest collections comprising 47,000 works of art spanning 2000 years.

a look inside the Art Gallery of South Australia — AGSA features over 47,000 works of art. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

The immersive site-specific commission by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota weaves a spellbinding web for visitors so don’t miss a visit to the Melrose Wing. Join the Tuesday lunchtime talks where experts delve deeper into the current exhibitions. Time a visit on the first Friday of the month when AGSA opens late and you can welcome the weekend with live music and the local arts crowd.

people flock outside the light-filled Art Gallery of South Australia during the Tarnanthi Festival of Indigenous Arts — Tarnanthi Festival of Indigenous Arts is one of AGSA’s main drawcards. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Address: North Terrace, Adelaide

2. MOD Museum of Discovery

Further down North Terrace on Adelaide’s cultural corridor is MOD Museum of Discovery , a future-focused space at the intersection of science, art and innovation.

guests looking at an interactive future exhibition at MOD Museum of Discovery — MOD Museum of Discovery takes on a futuristic approach.

Ideal for older children 12+ and curious adults, MOD features interactive exhibitions on big topics from climate crisis to democracy inviting visitors to engage their imagination and critical thinking.

people exploring a planetarium inside the MOD Museum of Discovery — Play with your imagination at MOD Museum of Discovery.

Address: Kaurna Country, University of South Australia, North Tce adjacent to the Morphett St Bridge, Adelaide

3. Australian Space Discovery Centre

The small but mighty Australia Space Discovery Centre is found in Lot 14, Adelaide’s technology and innovation district next to the Botanic Gardens and Art Gallery of South Australia.

Talks from astronauts and space scientists will spark visitors’ curiosity, showing how much we rely on space in our day-to-day lives. Drive a Mars Rover simulator or track space junk with hands-on exhibits that combine technology and play. Visitors can also sneak a peek into the first publicly viewable Mission Control Centre in Australia.

Address: Lot Fourteen Ground floor, McEwin Building Cnr Frome Road and, North Terrace, Adelaide

4. Adelaide Gaol

For lovers of dark histories, the Adelaide Gaol built in 1881 is the perfect window into South Australia’s criminal past. An easy walk from Bonython Park tram stop, visitors can choose a self-guided experience or a tour.

the front facade of Adelaide Gaol — Adelaide Gaol is one of the country’s oldest prisons with the most horrifying history.

Are you brave enough for a night-time paranormal investigation? Or maybe an Escape Cell adventure, with three levels of difficulty on offer.

between the walls of the hanging tower at Adelaide Gaol — Glimpse into South Australia’s criminal past.

The new Mugshots exhibition will bring the ghosts to life with a moving insight into inmates’ lives.

the exterior of Adelaide Gaol — Explore the iconic Adelaide Gaol on a self-guided tour.

Address: 18 Gaol Rd, Adelaide

5. JamFactory

This contemporary art and design space has two galleries showcasing a revolving selection of artists from silversmiths to furniture makers.

ceramics on display at Jam Factory, Adelaide — JamFactory showcases high-quality ceramics in different patterns and designs.

Go during the week to see artists at work, including their impressive glassblowing or peruse the gift shop for exquisite designer objects. If you want to stretch your own creative muscles why not enrol in a workshop.

pottery making at Jam Factory, Adelaide — Get your hands dirty at the pottery wheel.

Opposite the Jamfactory is Nexus Art Gallery a multi-cultural visual arts and music space that is well worth exploring too.

a gallery inside JamFactory, Adelaide — This contemporary museum has two galleries worth exploring.

Address: 19 Morphett St, Adelaide

6. ILA | Immersive Light and Art

Immersive Light Adelaide , or ILA, fuses creativity and technology to create immersive experiences in gallery exhibitions that rotate throughout the year. Downstairs in the Lab, you might catch a live musician or late-night DJ, making ILA a truly multi-art form space.

The Aurora restaurant next door offers seasonal sharing plates in an elegant setting or for something more casual, drinks and snacks are available in the Lab Garden.

Address: 63 Light Square, Adelaide

Museums in Port Adelaide

Whether you’re curious about boats, trains or planes, Port Adelaide has something for everyone, with a range of museums within easy walking distance. A 30-minute train ride from the CBD makes Port Adelaide an accessible and inspiring day trip.

South Australia’s rich seafaring history is celebrated at the Maritime Museum situated in an 1850s bond store while the Railway Museum has over 100 exhibits and a ride-on train for kids, and big kids at heart. Aviation enthusiasts will love seeing a Spitfire up close while listening to passionate tour guides at the SA Aviation Museum. Discounts are available if you visit more than one museum within a month.

Maritime Museum

National Railway Museum

South Australian Aviation Museum

a statue of a seafarer in Maritime Museum, Adelaide — The Maritime Museum has historic seafarer collections. (Image: City of Port Adelaide Enfield)

Discover Adelaide accommodation for every budget.

Just over an hour from Melbourne, spectacular walking and hiking trails encompass ancient landscapes, forested ridgelines and volcanic peaks.

Just a short drive from the city, the urban sprawl gives way to rolling hills, mineral springs, and lush forests that will have you feeling like you’re in the bucolic countryside of France. Encompassing Daylesford , the Macedon Ranges, Castlemaine and the Central Goldfields, this pocket of Victoria is a region where nature, art, and wellness intertwine. Heritage towns hum with creativity, good food and wine, and welcoming locals. While Daylesford hikes, and those nearby, offer the chance to take a pause and reconnect with nature.

1. Hanging Rock Summit Walk

Etched into folklore, few places in Australia carry as much mystique as Hanging Rock. Rising dramatically from the plains near Woodend, this volcanic mamelon offers a beautiful nature walk. The walk begins at a gentle pace, weaving through shaded woodland before it gets a little steeper as the path starts to climb and twist to the summit. From here, you’ll have views that stretch across the Macedon Ranges. The walk is roughly 1.8 kilometres return, but the real reward lies in standing among the weathered boulders, feeling the age and energy of the earth beneath your feet.

2. Macedon Ranges Walking Trail

Macedon Ranges Walking Trail camel's hump lookout — Walk to Camel’s Hump. (Image: Clair Derwort)

The Macedon Ranges Walking Trail traverses around 19 kilometres of forest and mountain landscapes. The full trail is a six-hour circuit, with most of the walk being a grade three; however, you don’t have to tackle it all at once. There are shorter walks that will take you through the tall mountain ash forests, to tranquil picnic areas, and sweeping views from Camels Hump and the Memorial Cross. The best times of year to head out are autumn, when the mountain turns into a tapestry of crimson and gold, and spring, when wildflowers brighten the trail.

3. Mount Alexander Traverse

Towering above the goldfields near Castlemaine, Mount Alexander is a granite giant that offers some great bushwalking trails. The Mount Alexander Traverse winds along the mountain’s rocky spine through dry eucalypt forest that opens up in sections to reveal beautiful panoramas across Loddon Valley and all the way to the distant Grampians. Once a site of ancient volcanic activity (and later a gathering place for the Dja Dja Wurrung people), the mountain’s granite tors are now quiet and create a beautiful, serene atmosphere for a moment of reflection while walking.

4. Murmuring Walk

Murmuring Walk daylesford hikes — Circle the picturesque Sanatorium Lake.

Located an easy drive from Daylesford, Murmuring Walk offers something a little different. Circling Sanatorium Lake, this free audio-guided walk aims to immerse you in the rhythms of Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country by blending the sounds of nature with a multi-layered soundtrack. There are two routes to explore while you listen: a shorter loop around the lake itself and a longer circuit that extends deeper into the woodland.

5. La Gerche Forest Walk

Located in Creswick, the La Gerche Forest Walk honours the legacy of John La Gerche, a 19th-century forester who championed the regeneration of the then gold-rush-ravaged land. Today, over 100 years later, his replanting efforts have grown into a living cathedral of towering pines, oaks, and native gums. As you meander along the 2.2-kilometre circuit, you’ll find interpretive panels along the way that help tell the story of La Gerche’s vision, so you can learn as you wander.

6. Sailors Falls Loop

Just outside Daylesford, Sailors Falls tumbles through a fern-lined gorge, fed by mineral springs. Thought to be named after the sailors who jumped ship to seek gold in the area during the 1850s gold rush, the loop walk begins at the car park and descends through a cool, shaded gully to the base of the falls. From here, you’ll make the climb back via the mineral springs. It’s a short but enchanting walk – about 1.5 kilometres in total, so make a day of it by packing a picnic to sit by the springs; you’ll feel worlds away from the city.

7. Paddys Ranges Loop Walk

Further north, the Paddys Ranges State Park loop reveals a different side of Victoria’s Heartland – dry forest, golden light and hints of a gold-rush past. This protected reserve is a stronghold of box-ironbark woodland, providing vital refuge for endangered species. In spring, the forest floor is awash with the colour of over 230 species of wildflowers, so a springtime walk is a must-do. As you walk the 4.5-kilometre loop trail, keep an eye out for remnants of old mine shafts and rusted relics from the prospectors who once sought their fortunes here.

8. Mount Franklin Summit Walk

An extinct volcano turned picnic ground, Mount Franklin (known as Lalgambook to the Dja Dja Wurrung people) is one of the region’s quiet marvels. The summit walk follows a narrow, winding path through native forest to the crater’s rim, where you’ll get glimpses of farmland and forest below. It’s a moderate climb – just over an hour return, so it can easily be done if you’re camping in the surrounding reserve for a weekend nature retreat.

The trails of Victoria’s Heartland offer a chance to reconnect with the landscape, local history and yourself. Start planning your next adventure at daylesfordmacedonlife.com.au.

A guide to the must-visit Adelaide art galleries and museums