Sight guide · Adelaide · Australia
Visiting South Australian Maritime Museum
Australia's oldest maritime museum occupies a stone bond store in Port Adelaide, with full-size ships to climb aboard, migrant stories and a lighthouse.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Yu Chu Chin, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
South Australian Maritime Museum is a museum in Port Adelaide, Adelaide. Allow 2 hours; it is low cost. Booking ahead is not usually needed.
Key facts
- Type
- Museum
- Area
- Port Adelaide
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Not usually needed
- Good for
- kids, history and rainy day
- Best months
- June–August
About South Australian Maritime Museum
Australia's oldest maritime museum occupies a stone bond store in Port Adelaide, with full-size ships to climb aboard, migrant stories and a lighthouse. The National Railway Museum and the Aviation Museum are a short walk away.
Tip: Combine it with a Port River dolphin cruise and lunch in the old pubs on Lipson Street.
Plan your visit
- Time needed: 2 hours.
- Cost: Low cost.
- Book ahead: not usually needed; buy on arrival.
- Where: Port Adelaide, maritime heritage district with museums, street art and dolphins.
Best time to visit South Australian Maritime Museum
South Australian Maritime Museum is indoors, which makes it a good plan for the wettest months:
- July: 15°C (59°F) highs, about 12 rainy days, quiet crowds.
- August: 16°C (61°F) highs, about 12 rainy days, quiet crowds.
- June: 16°C (61°F) highs, about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds.
When to visit Adelaide has the full month-by-month picture.
Fit it into your trip
South Australian Maritime Museum is not on our short itineraries, so plan it as an extra once you have seen Adelaide Central Market and Art Gallery of South Australia.
- No. 12 of the 16 sights in our Adelaide things-to-do list.
- Day 5 of the 5-day plan.
- One of the picks in adelaide on a rainy day.
- A family favourite in Adelaide with kids.
If you like South Australian Maritime Museum
- South Australian Museum — North Terrace, 2 hours
- Haigh's Chocolates Visitor Centre — Parkside, 45 minutes
Staying near South Australian Maritime Museum
Stay in Port Adelaide ($$) to walk here: maritime heritage district with museums, street art and dolphins. All areas to stay in Adelaide.
Questions travellers ask
+How long do you need at South Australian Maritime Museum?
Plan 2 hours.
+Is South Australian Maritime Museum free?
No, it is low cost. Tickets are usually available on the day.
+When is the best time to visit South Australian Maritime Museum?
June–August, the wettest months, when an indoor sight is most welcome. Combine it with a Port River dolphin cruise and lunch in the old pubs on Lipson Street.
+Do I need to book South Australian Maritime Museum in advance?
Usually not: you can decide on the day.
+Is South Australian Maritime Museum good for kids?
Yes, it is one of our family picks in Adelaide. Adelaide is relaxed and manageable with children: flat streets, free museums, a beach at the end of the tram line and wildlife parks within 20 minutes.