National Motor Museum | Birdwood | Review

The National Motor Museum at Birdwood is a state treasure and a not to miss activity for car lovers and families alike!

Review by Angelica-Hazel Toutounji

Located in the picturesque town of Birdwood, in the northern Adelaide Hills lies the iconic National Motor Museum. This museum is housed in the historic old mill and features over 300 vintage and classic vehicles. Whilst you would expect to see an incredible collection of cars, this museum also boasts an impressive range of motorcycles, recreational/4WDs, caravans, light delivery vehicles and non motoring memorabilia.

Walking into the museum you are instantly impressed by the big red Lego car taking prime position in the front foyer. Lego car aside, the museum feels like the perfect blend of old meets new. There are displays and exhibits to catch the attention of young and old alike, and so much history to be discovered for those that enjoy taking their time to read the plaques, try out the activities and immerse themselves fully.

If visiting with young kids, the school holidays provide even more bang for your buck with a range of activities for families to enjoy. We visited on a Saturday, were greeted by the friendly staff and had the additional options of visiting an animation table or doing a discovery trail.

We chose the trail and found ourselves on a fun journey of discovery that took us all over the museum searching for Lego treasures and hidden letters revealing a secret word linked to a competition.  This quest was enjoyed by everyone as it encouraged us to explore fully, find specific cars and involve the kids in the process.

After completing the trail, we made our way to the animation table where we were given a choice of cars to colour in. Once our artwork was complete we gave the drawing to the lovely staff members and they scanned it and animated it to race across the screen. This was a fun activity to end with as the colouring in was calming, creative and the animation added an extra element of excitement.

One other school holiday activity on offer is the scalextric racing on their large Scalextric slot car track. Sadly, on the day we visited this wasn’t available and we were a little disappointed as it looked like a lot of fun. To make sure you don’t miss out on the experiences it is recommended to check their website for dates and session times and time your visit accordingly.

One notable area of the museum for families is the Game Engine: Digital Legends exhibition. This exhibit explores the relationship between the history of motoring and video games in a fun playful way. There is a giant joystick where you can play one of the first motor-influenced video games, Night Driver. Nostalgia and joy hit my husband hard when he stumbled upon Wipeout 2097 – the game from 1996. He had fun playing it again and reminiscing on childhood memories.

Something else that excited my daughters was the toy car collection that also featured a small section of barbie cars and motorhomes. We also loved the old fashioned car that you could climb into and take photos in.

We spent nearly an entire day exploring the museum and were so shocked when we looked at the time. Not only is the museum itself a hidden gem, there are so many incredible attractions close by that you could easily take a whole day to enjoy the area fully.

This was our first visit but it wont be our last and we will absolutely be recommending the museum to family and friends. In fact if you are in search of an activity for a multigenerational family, you can’t look past the National Motor Museum!

What we like about it

• the sheer volume of cars, the interactive elements filtered throughout and the school holiday activities 

Things to consider

• The drive to get to Birdwood is beautiful but there are also lots of winding roads, so a heads up for those who get car sick!

Coffee and food options nearby

• Right across the street is a cafe called The Fold that is very popular

Location:

9 Shannon St, Birdwood

For opening hours, admission fees and all other enquiries please visit the Motor History SA website, or follow their Facebook and Instagram pages for event updates.

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.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go.

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