Art galleries of Adelaide

With so many great galleries in Adelaide, it’s hard to know where to start. Don’t worry, we’ve put together a guide to help you make the most of your time. As you explore the city and North Adelaide, you'll find a rich collection of commemorative monuments, sculptures and installations which sit in perfect harmony among contemporary artworks, which you can see on an interactive map. The map shows where you can find and learn more about these unique works which help add to the vibrancy and identity of the city.

North Terrace

Adelaide's ‘Cultural Boulevard’ of North Terrace is home to our largest cultural institutions. The Art Gallery of South Australia, founded in 1881, has a collection of over 38,000 works of art. Don’t rush, they’ve got an excellent café on site, so you can take your time! General entry is free, however they also host major travelling exhibitions from time to time and an entry fee may apply to these. 

A few doors down is the Royal South Australian Society of Arts, the oldest art society in Australia. You'll find regular exhibitions of members works as well as national and international artists. 

Just around the corner on King William Street, the Adelaide Festival Theatre hosts an array of exhibitions relating to performing art in their foyer.

At the opposite end of North Terrace near the Samstag Museum is the SASA Gallery, where you'll see exhibitions from their art and design students. Who knows, you may see the next Monet in the making!

West End

The western side of the city and the Riverbank precinct is home to eclectic range of galleries. Just west of Morphett Street, nestled amongst UniSA and TAFE Campuses, you will find the Samstag Museum of Art, ACE Open, Nexus Arts and the Adelaide College of the Arts - Light Square Gallery, which all feature contemporary art. Just a short stroll away on Lights Square is the APY Gallery, home to continually changing indigenous art exhibitions. 

Don’t miss visiting the renowned JamFactory, where you may be able to see glass blowing artists in action.

East End

Urban Cow Studio is an Adelaide creative icon that showcases up and coming local talent and new design. Further south, on Angas Street, you’ll find The Mill, an eclectic collaborative workspace and gallery where you can watch artists in action. A little further south on Sturt Street you’ll find Indigenu Gallery featuring Aboriginal artwork and promoting Aboriginal culture.

City Central

Scattered throughout the central business district are artist run independent and private galleries such as, FELTspace, Floating Goose Studios, southwest contemporary and the long standing Hill Smith Gallery.

The Adelaide Town Hall First Floor Gallery and Mankurri-api Kuu (Reconciliation Room) hosts a dedicated program of exhibitions created by the City of Adelaide's Emerging Curator that is evocative and unique to the Adelaide Town Hall.

The City Library also hosts a rolling exhibition program featuring local artists. 

North Adelaide

Just across the river in beautiful North Adelaide, Carclew features an exhibition program curated by and featuring work of young people aged 26 and under.

If you’re into classical art, The David Roche Foundation showcases an exceptional collection of antiques, paintings and objets d’art accumulated over his lifetime. A small entry fee into exhibitions apply and you’ll need to pre-book if you wish to have a guided tour of Fermoy House.