It’s no secret that here at Kids In Adelaide we love somewhere free. Well, the Adelaide Botanic Garden surely has to be the ultimate FREE spot to enjoy with your kids! It’s a great place to pop in just for an hour or to spend a full day. Plus it’s even better now that the Tram line runs from the Adelaide Train Station straight down to the Botanic Garden gate. So forget about parking, jump onto the Tram & enjoy what the Botanic Garden has to offer!
There are about five different entry gates to the Garden (check out the map here) & all will take you on a meandering path through gardens of different styles, species and purposes. Enter through the Gingko Gate & you will first come across the Garden of Health which features plants used around the world for pharmacy, medicinal & healing purposes. Be sure to lookout for the rainbow lorikeets frolicking in the water fountain! Keep wandering & you will also find gardens dedicated to roses, native plants, wetlands, dahlias & more. Make sure you quite literally take time to stop & smell the roses!
Kids will love running underneath the wisteria arbours, as well as walking beneath the 150 year old fig trees lining Murdoch Avenue, as you enter from the Friends Gate. If it is a particularly hot or wet day, you can take refuge in the Bicentennial Conservatory, Amazon Waterlily Pavilion or the Palm House – all amazing pieces of architecture filled with plants suited to the climate that kids will love to explore. The Conservatory is pram friendly too!
The Little Sprouts Kitchen Garden was developed specifically for kids in mind, as a spot for them to learn about where their food comes from. You’ll find garden beds with seasonal fruit, vegetables & herbs, compost, worms, working bee hotels and a large basket weave dome for storytelling. This area can be booked out for educational sessions & excursions but when not in use, it is free for the kids to wander through. The Adelaide Botanic Gardens also run school holiday sessions, so be sure to check out their website when you are looking for a fun activity during school holidays.
There are so many hidden spots to explore at the Adelaide Botanic Garden. There are three eateries on-site as well, ranging from the outdoor Kiosk (watch for the wandering ducks!), to the casual Cafe Fibonacci, to the fancy Botanic Gardens Restaurant. Our favourite option however, is to pack a picnic, spread out in a shady spot & let the kids have a good run around! Be sure to also visit the Visitor Information Centre to make the most of your experience. If the kids are inspired to recreate a bit of the Botanic Garden in your backyard, you can visit the Diggers Garden Shop on your way out to stock up on seeds, plants & tools before you leave!
We’d love to know what your favourite spot in the Adelaide Botanic Garden is. Let us know!
Adelaide Botanic Gardens
www.botanicgardens.sa.gov.au/visit/adelaide-botanic-garden
Open Daily from 7:15am
(9:00am on weekends/public holidays from April to November)
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/pleɪ/ verb: engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
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