Adelaide Botanic Gardens - Adelaide - Review
We love visiting the Adelaide Botanic Gardens every time we visit family in Adelaide. The gardens feature 50 hectares of magnificently maintained gardens and stunning architecture. It’s always a treat with our little ones to walk around the gardens.
The garden features a variety of gardens and buildings, so make sure you grab a map at either entrance. We walked through the Bicentennial Conservatory which was built in 1989 and is the largest single span glasshouse in the Southern Hemisphere. Home to a number of endangered rainforest plans from subtropical and temperate forests in Eastern Australia and abroad, it is a nice space to walk through and look up and observe.
Photo credit: @busycitykids
The International Rose Garden is a delight stroll among thousands of species of roses. Flowering in Spring and Autumn, the International Rose Garden and National Rose Trial Garden display over 5,000 roses including areas devoted to Australian-bred roses, single roses, heritage roses and pillar roses.
Photo credit: @busycitykids
To no surprise, the kids loved the Little Sprouts Kitchen Garden. This cute kitchen garden was designed as an educational space for children and includes garden beds abundant with seasonal fruit, vegetables & herbs, pots & trays, structures for climbing plants, fruit trees, compost, worms, working bench space and enclosed areas for group discussion and storytelling. It is regularly used by school groups.
Photo credit: @busycitykids
Photo credit: @busycitykids
The First Creek Wetland nearby is a calming spot for visitors. On top of being a sustainable water supply for the garden, the wetlands are beautiful, essential and useful for maintaining a healthy environment for the garden. You might be lucky to see wildlife in the wetlands during your visit. The kids loved the cute water chickens!
Photo credit: @busycitykids
The 1877 built Palm House features a fascinating collection of plants from the ancient island of Madagascar and is one of the last of its kind remaining in the world. A great building to admire.
Photo credit: @busycitykids
Photo credit: @busycitykids
The Amazon Waterlily Pavilion was based on the leaf structure of the Amazon Waterlily and the original 1868-built pond is still the central feature and home of the beautiful and exotic flower.
We also visited the Santos Museum of Economic Botany which was completed in 1881 with a classical Greek-style exterior and features high ceilings, ornate Victorian details and historic cabinet displays. The kids loved looking through the Fruit model showcase, Fungi model showcase, grove and exhibition space.
Photo credit: @busycitykids
Photo credit: @busycitykids
Last but not least, the SA Water Mediterranean Garden is a cute water play area for little ones which shows clever strategies of water wise plants from the five mediterranean zones of the world. The garden highlights how careful plant selection and thoughtful garden designs can be used to create stunning garden displays that use water wisely and well.
Photo credit: @busycitykids
Photo credit: @busycitykids
Do visit the Adelaide Botanic Gardens next time you’re in Adelaide, the whole family will enjoy it!
Our tips:
The Adelaide Botanic Gardens is located on North Terrace in the Adelaide CBD. Entrances are from North Terrace, Plane Tree Drive, Hackney Road and Frome Road.
The Gardens is open 7:15 am weekdays and weekends & public holidays at 9am. Closing times vary each month of the year so check the website.
Entry is Free.
The Gardens is pram and wheelchair friendly.
There is parking at various parts around the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
There are toilets around the Gardens, grab a map at one of the entrances.
Photo credit: @busycitykids
Photos taken in October 2017
For more ideas on what to do with the kids in Adelaide, head to our blog or our Adelaide daily spots lists.