South Australian Aviation Museum
Get closer to historic aircraft, rockets and aviation history
Stand beneath historic fighter jets, climb into selected cockpits and explore two undercover hangars filled with real aircraft, authentic Woomera rockets, interactive displays and aviation stories.
Opening hours
10am to 4pm daily
Closed Christmas Day
Location
16 Bedford Street
Port Adelaide
Entry fees
For ticket prices and visitor information, please see our Visit SAAM page. ->
The South Australian Aviation Museum (SAAM)
The South Australian Aviation Museum (SAAM) is Adelaide’s aviation and aircraft museum, in the heart of Port Adelaide. Two hangars, dozens of historic aircraft, jet fighters and the Woomera rockets, all under cover and open every day of the year.
What you will see at our Port Adelaide
aircraft museum
Visitor favourite
The big jets: F-111 and F/A-18
The kind of machines you usually only ever see roaring overhead, here on the ground and close enough to stand beneath.
A favourite with older visitors
The Spitfire and historic aircraft
The legendary fighter and a hangar full of historic aircraft, some the only examples of their type on display in Australia.
Rare
Rockets in the Desert
Original rockets from the Woomera Test Range, in our care since 1996. We are lucky to hold some of the few authentic examples anywhere.
Kids love this
Aircraft you can climb into
Settle into a cockpit and pretend, just for a moment, that you are flying. A hit with children, and plenty of grown-ups too.
Hands on
Interactive displays
Buttons to press, video to watch and parts that move, plus a constantly growing story kiosk about the aircraft and the aviators behind them.
Work in progress
Restoration in progress
Watch real conservation work on our Avro Anson, happening right in front of you. More restoration goes on behind the scenes in the workshop.
News and updates
We have launched a new website
We hope the new website makes it easier to browse, learn and find the information you need. Please let us know if anything important is missing. We are excited to make browsing, learning and finding information much easier with a mobile friendly and comprehensive website.
Volunteers welcome
We are always grateful for extra help. If you would like to volunteer your time, please get in touch and we can let you know how you can be involved.
Engine run and open cockpit days at the museum
Once or twice a year we throw open the hangars for our Engine Run and Open Cockpit Day, one of the most popular days on our calendar.
Our working collection of engines is fired up several times across the day with live commentary, cockpits are opened wide, and there is a sausage sizzle with drinks at family-friendly prices, a second-hand book and memorabilia stall, and members on hand to answer anything you can throw at them.
An aviation museum for every visitor
Fun for all the ages
Families
Aircraft children can sit in and pretend to fly, push-cart planes for younger children, and interactive displays to press and explore.
Rare and in depth
Aviation enthusiasts
F-111, F/A-18 and Spitfire, the Rockets in the Desert, live restorations, our working engines, and aviation stories from the people who were there. Ex-service visitors are especially welcome, service personnel and veterans visit at a special price.
Relaxed and accessible
Seniors and community groups
A guided tour at an easy pace, plenty of seating and rest areas, two fully undercover hangars, and accessible facilities. Easy to reach by car or by train.
School visits and educational groups to SAAM
SAAM welcomes school groups of every kind: preschool and daycare groups, special-needs colleges, primary schools and secondary schools.
A visit can support learning across aviation history, transport, engineering, science, technology, Australian history and South Australian heritage. Schools are welcome to build their own learning focus around the visit, with the museum providing a rich setting for observation, discussion and discovery.
Guided educational tours may be available for groups, usually those larger than 10, depending on guide availability. Teachers, carers and school staff remain responsible for student supervision during the visit.
Take your time exploring the aviation museum
There is plenty to discover beyond the headline aircraft. Follow the visitor guide map through two undercover hangars and take your time exploring aircraft, engines, rockets, models, memorabilia and themed displays from South Australian aviation history.
Explore the aircraft, displays and collections
SAAM includes historic aircraft, jet fighters, engines, rockets, models, propellers, communications equipment, aviation memorabilia and themed displays.
Aircraft →
Collections & Displays →
Explore at your own pace
Wander through two undercover hangars and use the guide map to see what is on display, including selected aircraft visitors can climb into.
Take a break along the way
Snacks and drinks on site, with indoor tables and outdoor picnic tables for fine weather. (We just ask that food stays out of the display hangars.)
Visit the gift shop
The gift shop includes models, plus second-hand aviation books when available.
Visitor comfort and access
Seating and rest areas are available throughout the museum, with accessible toilets and step-free access across the floor. Aircraft interiors cannot be reached by wheelchair.
Take a guided tour with our volunteers
Guided tours
SAAM is run entirely by volunteers, and many of them flew, built, or worked on the very aircraft you will see.
Ask a question and you will often get a first-hand story you will not find on any plaque. It is the thing visitors tell us surprised them most.
Guided tours at SAAM
A guided tour goes deeper than a self-guided wander. One of our trained member guides walks your group through both hangars, sharing the history of each aircraft and the kind of personal stories you will not hear anywhere else. Tours run for an hour or two, depending on your group and what they are most interested in.
- Available for small groups or large (with more than one guide for bigger numbers).
- Please book ahead so we can have guides on hand.
Venue hire, functions and events
at the South Australian Aviation Museum
Two massive hangars filled with aviation history, from the first aircraft engine built in South Australia to outer space, just 20 minutes from the city. There are few settings quite like it.
Larger, fully catered
Functions
For conferences, annual meetings, galas, parties, ceremonies and gatherings of any size, we partner with catering company AHG. They manage the whole event, including furniture, lighting and catering.
Smaller, booked with SAM
Events
Smaller gatherings such as club meetings, corporate get-togethers, book launches and professional development days can be booked directly with the museum.
All bookings are subject to approval by the SAAM executive.
Volunteer and support the museum
SAAM is self-funded and kept running by around 170 members who give their time purely for the love of it. There are plenty of ways to be part of it.
01
Volunteer
Every skill is welcome, from restoring aircraft to greeting visitors at the front desk. Hours are flexible, and you will be among like-minded people.
02
Become a member
Join the community that keeps the museum flying.
03
Junior Supporters
For a low fee young aviation fans get a year of free entry, a free cap when they first sign up, and half-price renewals after that. Ask at the front desk.
04
Donate
Give to the museum directly, or to the SAAM Foundation (fully tax deductible).
Frequently asked questions for South Australian Aviation Museum
Is SAAM an aviation museum in Adelaide?
Yes. The South Australian Aviation Museum is an aviation museum in Port Adelaide, around 20 minutes from Adelaide city. Visitors can explore two undercover hangars with historic aircraft, jet fighters, rockets, engines, interactive displays and aviation memorabilia.
What can you see at the South Australian Aviation Museum?
Visitors can see aircraft including the F-111, FA-18, Spitfire, Woomera rockets, engines, restoration work, interactive displays and selected aircraft that visitors can climb into.
How much are tickets to the South Australian Aviation Museum?
What are the opening hours?
We are open every day from 10am to 4pm, except Christmas Day. Last entry is usually 3pm, though our desk staff are happy to be flexible.
Where is the museum and how do I get there?
We are at 16 Bedford Street, Port Adelaide, about 20 minutes from the city, with free on-site parking. By public transport, take the train to Port Dock station, then it is an 8 minute walk along Barlow Street.
Is the museum wheelchair accessible?
Yes. There is step-free access across the hangar floor, plus accessible toilets. Please note the interiors of the aircraft cannot be reached by wheelchair.
Can I bring food and drinks?
Yes. There is a designated area with tables indoors, plus outdoor picnic tables for fine weather, and we just ask that food stays out of the display hangars. Snacks and refreshments are also available on site.
Can children sit in the aircraft?
Yes. Several aircraft are open for children, and grown-ups, to climb into, and there are push-cart planes for younger children. The guide map shows which aircraft you can enter.
Can I take photos?
Yes. Photography and video are welcome throughout the museum.