Adelaide Botanic Garden
Stroll, jog or find yourself a grassy patch to read a book in the splendid, city-fringe Adelaide Botanic Garden. Highlights here include a unique prefabricated palm house (1877), the Museum of Economic Botany (check out its stencilled ceiling), and the 1988 Bicentennial Conservatory, which recreates a tropical rainforest environment. Free 1?-hour guided walks depart from the kiosk at .
Adelaide Town Hall
The imposing 1863-66 Adelaide Town Hall, located between Flinders and Pirie Sts, was designed by Edmund Wright and built in 16th-century Renaissance style with the faces of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert carved into the facade. The main post office, diagonally opposite, commenced in 1867 and altered in 1891, is also a Wright building. For tours of the Town Hall at on Monday, book at Adelaide City Council.
Adelaide Zoo
Around 1400 exotic and native mammals, birds, reptiles and fish reside at the 8-hectare Adelaide Zoo. The major attraction is the Southeast Asian rainforest exhibit. You can take a water cruise to the zoo from Elder Park, in front of the Festival Centre, on Pop-eye.
Art Gallery of South Australia
This superb gallery represents all the big names in Australian art, has an impressive international art collection (including Rodin sculptures) and hosts temporary exhibitions. You could easily return here over a couple of days but if you're short on time peruse the Colonial State collections and Australia Federation Landscapes in the Elder Wing. Indulge your tastebuds at the top-notch restaurant, with a menu inspired by the current exhibition.
Australian Museum of Childhood
The Australian Museum of Childhood is an overflowing toy box with toys from the 1890s through to Mouse Trap and today's faves. The best part? You can actually play with them.
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Ayers Historic House
Ayers Historic House (1845) is the elegant residence of early South Australian premier Sir Henry Ayers, after whom Ayers Rock (Uluru) in the Northern Territory (NT) was named, now features period furnishings and costume displays. It takes about an hour to have a good poke around.
Bradman Collection
Cricket fans can pour over the personal items of cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman at the Bradman Collection. Simple timelines set out the story of the genius cricketer clearly and succinctly, and fans will fairly wet themselves over this collection of memorabilia donated by 'the Don' himself before he died. The exhibition is housed in the magnificent, historic 1861 South Australian Institute building, part of the State Library of SA precinct.
Haigh's Chocolates Visitors Centre
If you're craving chocolate, you need settle only for the best at the iconic Haigh's Chocolates Visitors Centre. Dedicated to fine chocolate production, Haigh's takes you through the lifecycle of chocolate. Mouth-watering samples are included and bookings for the tour are essential.
Holy Trinity Church
Adelaidians love to put the rather patronising moniker of 'the city of churches' into perspective by pointing out that pubs and clubs far outnumber churches. However, among the most impressive churches are the 1838 Holy Trinity Church, the first Anglican church in the state and the oldest surviving church in Adelaide; the 1869-76 St Peter's Cathedral; and the 1856 St Francis Xavier Cathedral.
Jam Factory Craft & Design Centre
The Jam Factory Craft & Design Centre exhibits quality contemporary local arts and crafts and includes a glass-blowing studio; the Experimental Art Foundation, which has a focus on innovation; and the Greenaway Art Gallery.
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Maritime Museum
You could easily spend a day wandering around the gentrified warehouses and sprawling museums of Port Adelaide. The Maritime Museum features several vintage ships including the Nelcebee , the third-oldest ship on Lloyd's shipping register. There's also a computer register of early migrants.
Migration Museum
This fascinating and unmissable museum tells the stories of the migrants who came from all over the world to make South Australia their home. There's information on over 100 nationalities in their database, along with poignant personal stories displayed to full effect.
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum has a huge collection of railway memorabilia. Check out the famous 'tea and sugar' train, and climb into the cabs of huge steam trains.
Old Adelaide Gaol
Built in 1878 and decommissioned in 1988, the Old Adelaide Gaol displays a range of homemade escape devices. Guided tours are available at , noon and Sunday. Spooky ghost tours are run by appointment.
Rodney Fox Shark Exhibit
Shark victim turned shark advocate Rodney Fox promotes understanding of this much-maligned creature and its position in the delicate ocean ecosystem at Rodney Fox Shark Exhibit at the Whale Centre. This is just a fraction of the collection that was housed at the old Glenelg museum - the majority of the pieces will be touring the country in an 'on-the-road' exhibition coming soon. Shark expeditions can also be arranged.
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South Australian Aviation Museum
The South Australian Aviation Museum reopened in 2006 in new premises and has a fascinating collection of old birds including a gleaming Spitfire. The museum's Douglas C-47B Dakota (A65-114), the centerpiece of the collection, is accessible to the public.
South Australian Museum
This museum, with its huge whale skeleton in the front window, is one of Adelaide's landmarks. The enthralling exhibits showcase Australia's natural history and include a gallery devoted to Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson (with expedition footage). The absorbing Aboriginal Cultures Gallery displays artefacts of the region's Ngarrindjeri people.
St Francis Xavier Cathedral
St Francis Xavier Cathedral (1856) is counted as one of the most impressive churches in Adelaide, along with the Holy Trinity Church (1838), the first Anglican church in the state; and St Peter's Cathedral (1869-76).
State Library of South Australia
The newspaper reading room in the State Library has publications from around the world - these come by surface mail, so don't expect yesterday's (or even last week's) editions.
Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
Visit Tandanya Indigenous Cultural Institute to learn about the local Kaurna people. It has fun interactive displays on living with the land, and offers free didgeridoo shows on weekdays and Torres Strait Islander dances on weekends. It also contains galleries, a cafe, and art and crafts.
Read more about Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
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