‘A Window on SAHMRI’ is an annual open day giving a unique look inside the ‘cheesegrater’ building on North Terrace.
If you have ever wondered what happens inside Adelaide’s ‘cheesegrater’ building, SAHMRI’s open day is a chance to see and learn about cutting edge research with hands-on activities.
Review by Claire Davill
SAHMRI is South Australia’s independent not-for-profit health and medical research institute. Currently, SAHMRI opens its doors to the public once a year for an open day, usually in August. We can highly recommend this as a fabulous day out with kids, as it gives them the chance to see what working as a researcher is all about. Displays and hands-on activities are suitable for kids, and there’s usually a scavenger hunt activity sheet to complete as well.
This is also a chance to see what the amazing building looks like from the inside – did you know there are more than 15,000 windows, each with their own “hood”, that make up the building and give it the appearance that has earned the nickname the ‘cheesegrater’?
From the huge and bright foyer, to the super-fast glass lifts, views out to the sea and over the river and central winding staircase, you’ll get to see what researchers see every day when they come to work.
There are tours of the building where you’ll see into the laboratories to learn about the amazing equipment and how research impacts on patient treatment for people from all across Australia.
Hands-on activities focus on current research projects, with explanation of how randomised trials work, how researchers design their studies and the impact their research is having on society. When we visited, we got to test our grip strength, guess which common foods contain the most salt, see how sugar affects our teeth, look through lenses to see how different vision disorders affect your sight, and play with dry ice.
All the researchers are keen to explain their findings and great at engaging with kids, and explaining science in kid-friendly terms. There’s a real encouragement for kids to consider pursuing a research-based career.
The open day is free, but you may need to book to secure a place in the regular tours (also free). There is a cafe in the foyer with snacks and drinks.
The 2024 Open Day has already passed (with over 800 visitors throughout the day!), so keep an eye on the SAHMRI website to register for next year’s open day.
Location:
SAHMRI is located on North Terrace, next-door the the Royal Adelaide Hospital. It is readily accessible by public transport and there are public car parks along North Terrace and near Hindley Street within a short walk.
You can follow SAHMRI on Facebook and Instagram.
For more information and all enquiries please visit the SAHMRI website
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.
Image Source: Play & Go Adelaide
SUBSCRIBE
Follow Play & Go on Facebook and Instagram
Want to get all the latest events and activities straight to your inbox?
Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter below to keep up to date with our latest posts and find out all the best events & activities for Adelaide families. Newsletters are only sent once a week, and you may sometimes get a special offer exclusively for our subscribers only!
