South Australian Maritime Museum
South Australian Maritime Museum things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Well boy howdy what a merry old time at the maritime museum. An informative, interactive, interesting study of South Australia's maritime history. The Keffer is always a joy to shimmy up and down, spreading out on the bunks and to and fro-ing below deck. Many interesting facts about Aboriginal maritime culture, and the local Port Adelaide history of trade. Learn devastating facts about dolphins and the heinously destructive nature of humans on the environment (we're never free from that knowledge amiright). Top level has some games, and interactive displays for learning about tracking the sun, tides / navigation. Bottom level has cool and creepy displays of the various socio-economic cabins/bunks for those making the trek from Europe to Australia in the 1800s. Good stuff. Great place, a little shabby but overall well kept, informative and fun.
Squiz Hook
00
The museum is housed in a beautiful old heritage building, which made it an ideal location to learn about maritime history. This history focused on the poor working and passenger conditions, as well as the ordeal of migration by ship. Like most maritime museums in Australia, a significant portion of the content relates to migration, both before and after World War II. My mother and family migrated to Australia aboard one of these vessels (although they arrived in Perth, not Adelaide). Therefore, looking at the mockup of the cabins was an intriguing exercise in understanding how their journey must have been. I couldn’t help but imagine how monotonous 45 to 70 days at sea must have been in these cramped cabins. The next exhibit was dedicated to boredom, and it perfectly captured my thoughts.
Carl Halpin
00
In terms of the history of Port Adelaide, this is a great museum. The building is beautiful and the exhibitions inside tell a rich colonising history of the area. The inclusion of some indigenous history was great. The Duchess exhibition was very interesting as we live on the Åland Islands and know Freja Darby, daughter of Pamela & Sven Eriksson. There were many photos we’d never seen before. The windjammer exhibition was interesting, particularly with the Åland Island and Gustav Erikson connection, but the lighting made it very difficult to read the text. I found the flow of exhibitions a little bit all over the place. Worth a visit if you’re interested in maritime history.
Lisa Bolin
00
The collection of items at the Maritime Museum is so interesting and quite extensive. With a full size vessel just inside the entrance, this gives you an idea of the quality of their exhibits. There are also the temporary exhibitions to come and see; these keep your return visits worth it. All this is housed in a beautiful heritage building in the heart of Port Adelaide. Don't forget to take your entry ticket and wander down to the lighthouse, where you can climb to the top and look for the dolphins in the Port River.
strukture design
00
What an amazing historical visit this place brings, catered for the young and old, we were there for a good 3 to 4 hours. My kids were intrigued, altho one did say she went their on a school trip, but going through slowly with my kids, by the end of it. This place was a very good educational visit for my 3x kids and I, staff were friendly. They have an elevator, but we used stairs to go up and down three levels. Highly recommend this place to anyone interested, thank you SA Maritime Museum team.
Syke T
00
I really found it interesting. Honestly, I thought the immigration museum in Adelaide would be more like this. I was so pleased to see it exists in the Maritime Museum. I've been researching our family history recently, and it was so fascinating to see the displays of the sleeping quarters on the immigration ships, and the stories very moving. I had a 3x great grandfather who died at sea on the way out to Australia in the mid 1800's. Good job all involved there. Ty
Jem Thirtysix
00
Nearby Attractions Of South Australian Maritime Museum
National Railway Museum
South Australian Aviation Museum
Adelaide Milling Company Mill
Clipper Ship City of Adelaide
Vasili's Taverna
Port Adelaide Lighthouse
The Port Adelaide Emporium
One and All Sailing Ship
The Mad Barber SA
The Confessional

National Railway Museum
4.7
(699)
Click for details

South Australian Aviation Museum
4.7
(577)
Click for details

Adelaide Milling Company Mill
4.4
(245)
Click for details

Clipper Ship City of Adelaide
4.6
(217)
Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of South Australian Maritime Museum
The Birkenhead Tavern
Low & Slow American BBQ
The Lighthouse Wharf Hotel
Port Admiral Hotel
The Banksia Tree Cafe and Restaurant
Pirate Life Brewing
Pancakes At The Port
Fasta Pasta Port Adelaide
The British Hotel Port Adelaide
McDonald's Port Adelaide

The Birkenhead Tavern
4.4
(1.3K)
Click for details

Low & Slow American BBQ
4.7
(785)
Click for details

The Lighthouse Wharf Hotel
4.4
(731)
Click for details

Port Admiral Hotel
4.3
(570)
Click for details
Basic Info
Address
126 Lipson St, Port Adelaide SA 5015, Australia
Map
Phone
+61 8 8151 3260
Call
Website
maritime.history.sa.gov.au
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.6
(394 reviews)
Ratings & Description
cultural
family friendly
accessibility
Description
The South Australian Maritime Museum is a state government museum, part of the History Trust of South Australia. The Museum opened in 1986 in a collection of historic buildings in the heart of Port Adelaide, South Australia's first heritage precinct.
attractions: National Railway Museum, South Australian Aviation Museum, Adelaide Milling Company Mill, Clipper Ship City of Adelaide, Vasili's Taverna, Port Adelaide Lighthouse, The Port Adelaide Emporium, One and All Sailing Ship, The Mad Barber SA, The Confessional, restaurants: The Birkenhead Tavern, Low & Slow American BBQ, The Lighthouse Wharf Hotel, Port Admiral Hotel, The Banksia Tree Cafe and Restaurant, Pirate Life Brewing, Pancakes At The Port, Fasta Pasta Port Adelaide, The British Hotel Port Adelaide, McDonald's Port Adelaide

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