Adelaide Botanic Garden
Nothing beats the simplicity of getting back to nature. Just on the fringe of the city you can discover a peaceful section of Adelaide hidden away from the busy streets.
Stunning feature gardens, manicured lawns and the oldest avenue of Moreton Bay fig trees in Australia are just some of the delights of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. Located at the corner of East and North Terrace, not far from the Adelaide Zoo, it’s the perfect spot to go for a walk, let the kids play and explore, stop for a bite to eat and enjoy a family picnic.
Completely free to enter, the grounds here are paradise on a clear day, perfect for family celebrations, a gathering of friends and ideal for kids of all ages.
What to see and do at the Adelaide Botanic Garden
Be it an hour or two or the whole day, there is so much to see and do at the Adelaide Botanic Garden. It’s so easy to just walk through the gates, find a spot to throw down a picnic blanket and not do much at all.
Children will love to run along the fields of green grass, follow a dirt path and marvel up at the enormous trees.
Older children may like to join one of the free guided tours (daily at 10.30am), but generally we head to the Botanic Garden to explore, spend time together as a family and just enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Adelaide Botanic Garden Glass Houses
You will find three architecturally significant glass houses within the Adelaide Botanic Garden grounds – the Palm house, the Bicentennial Conservatory and the Amazon Waterlily Pavilion. Each glass house was built for a specific purpose and represents a leading design for its time.
Food Options
There are a couple of options for eating out – The Adelaide Botanic Garden Restaurant is a fine dining experience and perfect for special occasions. Just behind the restaurant is the Simpson Kiosk where you can have a casual meal overlooking the lake or grab an ice cream and coffee. You’ll also find the toilets here.
Café Fibonacci is located at the Schomburgk Pavillion where you’ll also find the Visitor Information Centre.
You’ll see ducks, pigeons and swans as you meander around and it’s important when you visit the gardens that you do not allow children to feed the wildlife.
Feature Gardens
Feature gardens include the Classground, the International Rose Garden and National Rose Trial Garden, the Eremophilia Garden, the Cactus and Succulent Garden, and cycad and palm displays. The wide paths throughout the garden are pram and wheelchair friendly making it easy to walk from one area to the next.
Adelaide Botanic Garden Bicentennial Conservatory
The Bicentennial Conservatory was built in 1988 in celebration of Australia’s Bicentenary. Designed by South Australian architect, Guy Maron, the building is curvilinear in shape and is the largest single span conservatory in the southern hemisphere. Inside you will discover a thriving display of lowland rainforest plants from northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the nearby Pacific Islands.
The Conservatory has a ground level walkway that winds across the forest floor and an upper walkway offering a view into the canopy of trees and palms above. Both walkways are accessible with prams and have full wheelchair access.
First Creek Wetland
The First Creek Wetland is also a wonderful new area which is educational and fun to explore at the Adelaide Botanic Garden. Read our Play & Go review of First Creek Wetland. Also just across Plane Tree Drive there is the beautiful Botanic Park, with huge trees that are perfect for climbing and exploring amongst.
Little Sprouts Kitchen Garden
Tailored for children aged three to six, the Little Sprouts Kitchen Garden includes an early years visiting program to connect children with food, nature and the environment.
Adelaide Botanic Garden Visitor Map
To download a pdf version of the Adelaide Botanic Garden Visitor Map via the Visitor Information page, click here.
Adelaide Botanic Garden Opening Times:
- Weekdays | 7.15 am
- Weekends & Public Holidays | 9am
Adelaide Botanic Garden Closing Times:
- December – January | 7pm
- February – March | 6.30pm
- April | 6pm
- May | 5.30pm
- June – July | 5pm
- August | 5.30pm
- September | 6pm
- October – November | 6.30pm
To get to the Adelaide Botanic Garden there are bus stops along North Terrace and Hackney Road. Limited ticketed car parking is available along Plane Tree Drive and Hackney Road.
Entry to the garden is free.
For more information and all enquiries please visit the the Botanic Gardens SA website.
What: Adelaide Botanic Garden
When: All Year
Where: North Terrace, Adelaide (or enter off Plane Tree Drive)
Who: Everyone
Image Source: all photos by Play & Go 2013
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
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