The best museums and galleries in Adelaide in 2026 are the Art Gallery of South Australia and the South Australian Museum, side by side on North Terrace; the Migration Museum; Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute; and the National Wine Centre of Australia at the edge of the Botanic Garden. Most are free.
Adelaide's cultural institutions line North Terrace, a grand boulevard where the Art Gallery, the SA Museum, the State Library and the university sit next to each other, with the Botanic Garden at the eastern end. You can walk the whole strip in a day, and most entry is free. For more, see our Adelaide attractions guide.
One of Australia's great art museums, free to enter.
The Art Gallery of South Australia holds a major collection of Australian, Aboriginal and international art, including one of the country's finest collections of colonial Australian painting, in a grand building on North Terrace.
It hosts the Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art.
Good to know: Combine with the SA Museum next door.
North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
World-class Aboriginal cultures gallery and natural history.
The South Australian Museum is renowned for its Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, alongside natural history halls covering Australian megafauna, opals, Antarctic exploration and Pacific cultures.
Entry is free, and it is a short walk from the CBD.
Good to know: Give the Aboriginal Cultures Gallery plenty of time.
North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
The stories of the people who made South Australia.
The Migration Museum, in a former destitute asylum behind North Terrace, tells the stories of the many people who migrated to South Australia, as well as the Aboriginal people who were already here.
It is small, thoughtful and free.
Good to know: It is a two-minute walk behind the State Library.
82 Kintore Ave, Adelaide SA 5000
Australia's oldest Aboriginal-owned and -managed multi-arts centre.
Tandanya, on Grenfell Street, is Australia's oldest Aboriginal-owned and -managed multi-arts centre, with exhibitions of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, performances and a shop.
It is a respectful place to learn about the Kaurna people, on whose land Adelaide stands.
Good to know: Check its programme for performances and events.
253 Grenfell St, Adelaide SA 5000
An interactive exhibition and tasting room for Australian wine.
The National Wine Centre, at the edge of the Botanic Garden, has a free interactive exhibition on how wine is made and on Australia's wine regions, plus a tasting area with wines from across the country.
It is a good introduction before a trip to the Barossa or McLaren Vale.
Good to know: Try a tasting flight before heading out to the wine regions.
Cnr Hackney Rd & Botanic Rd, Adelaide SA 5000
Yes, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the SA Museum and the Migration Museum are free to enter; some special exhibitions charge.
North Terrace is Adelaide's cultural boulevard, lined with the Art Gallery, the SA Museum, the State Library, the University of Adelaide and, at its eastern end, the Botanic Garden.
Its Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, one of the most significant collections of Aboriginal cultural material in the world, and its natural history and Pacific collections.
Yes, for wine lovers: it has an interactive exhibition on Australian wine and a tasting area where you can sample wines from across the country.
The SA Museum's Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery and Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute on Grenfell Street.