Museums
Historical Port Adelaide is home to several unique museums.
We’re preserving our maritime, aviation and railway past and honouring our ancestry at our unique Port Adelaide museums.
Experience the wealth of great museums we have in our neighbourhood; bring along your partner, friends, or family and get lost in the City of PAE’s fascinating past.
Museums in the Port - Special Offer
Simply pick up a 'Museums in the Port' flyer at your first stop, get it stamped, and present it when you visit the next and subsequent museums, where you’ll get 25% off*.
- The participating museums, are:
*South Australian Maritime Museum
*South Australian Aviation Museum
*National Railway Museum
*Clipper Ship City of Adelaide
The best part? You don't have to rush; explore these treasures at your own pace. This offer is valid for two months from your first visit, giving you ample time to savour the stories, history, and innovations waiting for you. All museums are open seven days a week (closed on Christmas Day), so you have the flexibility to choose the perfect day for your visit.
*Please note that this offer is not applicable on special event days or in conjunction with any other discount at any of the four museums.
SA Maritime Museum
Come and see the oldest nautical collection in the country, started way back in 1872.
Climb aboard the ketch Active II, lie down in the cramped sleeping quarters endured by sailors of yesteryear, or research your ancestors on the passenger databases which date back to 1836. Explore interactive exhibits over three floors of an 1850s bond store.
Nautical instruments, bathing costumes, shipwreck artefacts, paintings, model ships, photographs and more, including the largest collection of ships’ figureheads in the southern hemisphere.
You can also take a cruise along the Port River on the SA Maritime Museum historic vessel Archie Badenoch. Archie was operated by the South Australian Police as the number 1 Water Police Launch until 1978. The Archie's Port River Cruise will take approximately 1 hour with stops along the way at many of the historical areas and points of interest along the Port River.
126 Lipson Street, Port Adelaide
Ph 08 8207 6255
Open 7 days a week 10am–5pm
(Closed Christmas Day)
The South Australian Maritime Museum is now CASHLESS.
SA Aviation Museum
This is your opportunity to not just look at, but also sit inside some of Australia’s finest heritage aircraft.
The South Australian Aviation Museum (SAAM) displays aircraft and aircraft engines of relevance to the State of South Australia and aviation Nationally.
The flight simulator, Pilot Tester, air traffic control station, engines, propellers, gun turret, and Woomera rocket display are all sure to entertain and educate.
Special exhibits cover the history of aviation in South Australia dating back to 1910, the Australian Women Pilots’ Association and more.
Did you know the museum’s major acquisition in 2022 included a F/A-18 Hornet?
66 Lipson Street, Port Adelaide
Ph 08 8240 1230
Open 7 days a week 10.30am–4.30pm
(Closed Christmas Day)
National Railway Museum
Take a journey into railway history at Australia’s largest undercover railway museum.
Step up into the cabs of giant steam engines, walk through elegant carriages and enjoy free train rides. There are plenty of interactive and educational displays, including the iconic Tea and Sugar train that ploughed its way across the Nullarbor for decades.
You’ll find over 100 exhibits; so much more than just trains including a signal cabin, locomotive number and name plates, a ticket printing press, even a coffin trolley!
Make sure you check out the railway books, DVDs and souvenirs at the Break of Gauge shop.
The National Railway Museum also runs the Semaphore to Fort Glanville Tourist Railway, a delightful seaside train ride operated by the National Railway Museum.
Enjoy a magical 30-minute 4km return journey behind a steam engine travelling along the sand dunes from Semaphore Jetty to Point Malcolm and return.The Semaphore Train operates Sundays and public holidays from October to April and daily during school holidays within these months.
76 Lipson Street, Port Adelaide
Ph 08 8341 1690
Open 7 days a week 10am–5pm
(Closed Christmas Day and open from 12 noon Anzac Day)
City of Adelaide Clipper Ship
Discover the remarkable history of the world's oldest clipper ship, the City of Adelaide.
Launched in Sunderland, England, on May 7, 1864, this historic vessel was built by William Pile, Hay and Co. to facilitate transportation of passengers and goods between Britain and Australia. Over its operational years from 1864 to 1887, the ship completed 23 annual return voyages from London and Plymouth to Adelaide, South Australia, contributing significantly to the immigration to Australia, with an estimated 250,000 Australians able to trace their ancestry to its voyages.
With its distinctive composite construction, blending an iron frame with a timber hull, the City of Adelaide epitomised the pinnacle of sailing ship design in its era. It stands today as one of only two surviving composite clipper ships.
Visitors have the opportunity for a unique exploration of this historic vessel through daily guided tours, suitable for all ages, including families. These tours offer insights into the social history of both passengers and crew, enriching the understanding of maritime travel during the late 19th century.
Dock 2, Honey Street, Port Adelaide
Ph 08 8337 5645
Open 7 days a week 10am to 3pm daily, including public holidays.
Please note that the last entry into the ship is at 2:30pm, and access is via stairs.
Port Adelaide Historical Society Museum
Preserving the Past for the Future
The Port’s local community museum is located a few minutes from the centre of Port Adelaide and contains historic collections of Port Adelaide, Semaphore, LeFevre Peninsula and environs, including the maritime collection of Keith Leleu, which was commenced in 1962 to address the loss of all things maritime.
It houses a wide collection of artefacts, published materials, books, photographs and models; arranged to interest all who love Port Adelaide and ships
South Australia’s first port was declared as Port Adelaide in 1837 and the ensuing years have seen changes in position and fluctuating fortunes. Port Adelaide grew from the construction of Commercial Road across the tidal flats to join the “Road to the Port” at Alberton which connected to the McLaren Wharf (named after the manager of the South Australian Company) and what was the deeper water which would become Port Adelaide’s Inner Harbor.
The Port Adelaide Historical Society Museum presents the history of Port Adelaide using modern audio visual presentations of historic images of Port Adelaide’s past.
https://portadelaide.org/port-adelaide-museum/
95 Fletcher Road, Peterhead
Ph 0417 202 066
Open Sunday 2pm–4pm
Group bookings at other time can be made by contacting David on 0417 2020 66
Please note this museum is not included in the Museums in the Port special offer.