About the South Australian Museum
The South Australian Museum offers visitors five floors of exhibits that reveal many fascinating stories. Exhibitions and displays reflect the museum’s extensive collections, including the Australian Aboriginal and Pacific Cultures collections. The Ancient Egyptian Room has been a favourite destination for generations of museum visitors, and the Giant Squid is always a winner with children and adults alike.
We enjoy an international reputation for the size and representation of our collections, as well as the breadth and quality of our scientific research.
Permanent galleries in the museum include:
- Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, Ground Floor & Level 1
- World Mammals Gallery, Ground Floor
- Pacific Cultures Gallery, Level 1 North
- South Australian Biodiversity Gallery, Level 2
- Mawson Gallery, Level 3
- Minerals Gallery, Level 3
- Megafauna Gallery, Level 3
- Fossils Gallery, Level 3
- Opalised Fossils Gallery, Level 3
- Ancient Egyptian Room, Level 3
South Australia’s unique fossil history is reflected in the Fossils Gallery on Level 3. Visitors can view 40,000 year old megafauna fossils, the wonder and beauty of 120 million year old opalised fossils and Ediacaran fossils, such as the 550 million year old chordate, possibly the oldest ever found. The chordate is a fossil from the branch of the tree of life that led to animals with backbones, including humans.
The giant squid is also a favourite, spanning four floors in an old elevator shaft in the south-east wing of the building.
There are two special exhibition spaces, one in the North Foyer and the other in the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery (AACG). They are used for temporary and travelling exhibitions and museum events.
The Discovery Centre is open on Level 1 East and staff are available for identification and assistance with learning.
In the Footsteps of Time
Interpretation of the SA Museum Logo
While the mind creates and the hand crafts, the human foot is responsible for our movements through time and place. It is evidence of our having been there, where we worked, played, fought, discovered, developed and co-existed with other life forms.
The South Australian Museum is a recorder of the history of life on earth. It walks in the footsteps of time. Our fascination with this image has extended from Neolithic man to Robinson Crusoe to Neil Armstrong.
Our logo is comprised of three elements:
- The heel is out of focus representing discovery but not answers.
- At the instep is the golden spiral, which is at the centre of many answers to the universe.
- At the toes, the image is defined representing the clarity that comes with research.
This logo was created by IKD Design Solutions in 1996.
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