The South Australian Museum with kids

The South Australian Museum sits on North Terrace in the heart of Adelaide's cultural precinct. For many local families it's a rite of passage: the first trip to see enormous skeletons, glittering minerals and objects from cultures around the world. It's equally good for visitors to Adelaide looking for an easy, central outing with children.

This guide helps you plan a visit, from timing and getting there to keeping different ages engaged. Details come from the museum's own visitor information, which can change, so check its website before you go.

Opening hours

The museum says it's open every day from 10am to 5pm, including weekends and public holidays, except Christmas Day and Good Friday. On Anzac Day (25 April) it opens at noon.

Other facilities have their own hours, according to the museum:

• Museum Café: 10am to 4pm daily.
• Coffee caravan: from 8am, Monday to Friday.
• Museum Shop: 10am to 4.45pm daily.
• Discovery Centre: 10.30am to 2.30pm on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

If the Discovery Centre is a priority, plan your visit for one of its open days.

Getting there

The museum is on North Terrace, next to the Art Gallery of South Australia and close to the State Library. North Terrace is inside Adelaide Metro's city free tram zone, which covers the area between the South Terrace stop, the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Festival Plaza and the Botanic Gardens, so a tram ride within the city costs nothing. Free city connector buses also run through the city. Adelaide Railway Station is a short walk away.

Coming from further afield? Adelaide Metro says children under 5 travel free with a parent or carer. On weekends, SA school holidays and public holidays, two children under 15 can travel free with an adult using an adult Daytrip. See getting around with kids.

Accessibility

The museum says it's fully wheelchair accessible, with a lift to all levels so every exhibit can be reached. A wheelchair can be booked with security staff for use inside. That also makes the museum easy to navigate with a pram.

Planning your visit

The museum has five floors, and trying to see everything in one go is a recipe for tired children and frazzled adults. A better approach:

1. Pick two or three areas that match your children's interests, such as animals, minerals or cultures from around the world, and treat everything else as a bonus.
2. Arrive early. Mornings are often calmer, and children are fresher.
3. Plan a break at the café or outside on North Terrace.
4. Check what's on. Temporary exhibitions and school holiday programs change regularly, and some may be ticketed.
5. Leave while it's still fun. You can always come back.

Tips by age

Under 5s

Young children love big, bold things: skeletons, taxidermy animals and sparkly rocks. Keep the visit short, follow their interest and don't worry about reading the labels. Point, name and count. A lift to every floor makes moving around with a pram straightforward.

5 to 12

This is the golden age for museums. Give children a mission: find the biggest animal, the oldest object, something from another country or something that's still a mystery. Let them choose the next room. Older children may enjoy sketching an object or taking photos (follow any signs about photography). The Discovery Centre, when open, can be a highlight for curious minds.

Teens

Teenagers often prefer to explore at their own pace. Agree on a meeting point and time, and let them roam. Connect the visit to something they're studying or interested in, from evolution and geology to history and First Nations cultures.

Respectful visiting

The museum holds collections of great cultural significance, including Aboriginal cultural material. Encourage children to look carefully, read signs about cultural protocols and treat displays with respect. The museum says entry is subject to its conditions of entry, which help keep the experience safe and enjoyable for everyone.

Combine it with something else

The museum works well as part of a bigger day:

• Art Gallery of South Australia next door, with free general entry and charges for some exhibitions. See the art gallery with kids.
• Adelaide Botanic Garden, a short walk east along North Terrace, free to enter during the day. See the Botanic Garden with kids.
• A tram ride around the free city zone.

On a wet day, our rainy day ideas guide suggests how to string these together.

Food and drink

The museum café is an option for lunch or a snack. If you'd rather bring your own food, the Botanic Garden and Park Lands nearby are good picnic spots in fine weather.

A suggested half-day

• 10am: arrive at opening and head to your first-choice floor.
• 11am: second area, or the Discovery Centre if it's open.
• 11.45am: snack break.
• 12.15pm: one more favourite, a browse in the shop, or a walk next door to the gallery.
• 1pm: lunch and a run-around in the Botanic Garden.

Our day out finder can suggest how to fit the museum into a day that suits the weather and your children's ages.

Making the visit stick

Children remember museum visits better when they connect what they see to something else. Try:

• Before you go: look at the museum's website together and choose what to see.
• During the visit: take a photo of one favourite object each, or sketch it.
• Afterwards: borrow a library book about one of the topics, or tell someone at home about the best thing you saw.

Repeat visits are valuable too. Seeing a favourite object again, and noticing new things around it, builds confidence and curiosity.

Visiting with a group

The museum says it currently can't offer group or guided tours or accommodate external tour groups, but front-of-house staff will recommend self-guided options. If you're bringing a birthday group or several families, keep groups small, agree on meeting points and assign an adult to each group of children.

Quiet times

If your child finds crowds or noise overwhelming, try visiting soon after opening or later in the afternoon, and avoid the busiest school holiday days. Bring headphones if they help, and plan a quiet break outside on North Terrace or in the Botanic Garden.

Before you go

Check the museum's website for opening hours, temporary exhibitions, the Discovery Centre's days and any changes. Entry is subject to the museum's conditions of entry.

Museum questions to ask children

Open questions help children think and talk about what they see:

• What do you think this was used for?
• How old do you think it is?
• Where do you think it came from?
• What would you ask the person who made it?
• If you could take one thing home, what would it be, and why?

There are no wrong answers. The aim is curiosity, not a quiz.

Key points

• The museum is open daily 10am to 5pm, except Christmas Day and Good Friday, and from noon on Anzac Day.
• The Discovery Centre opens Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 10.30am to 2.30pm.
• The museum is fully wheelchair accessible, with lifts to all levels.
• North Terrace is in the free city tram zone.
• Choose a few areas, plan breaks and leave while it's still fun.