A Local’s Guide to North Terrace with Fossils, Virtual Monsters, and Meteorites
- Where is North Terrace?
- Where to Eat
- Parlamento
- Madame Hanoi
- La Boca Bar and Grill Adelaide
- Things to Do
- Smell rare flowers in Adelaide Botanic Gardens
- Visit new dimensions and planets at MOD.
- Live out a fairytale at Palm House
- Blast monsters at Adelaide XR Lounge
- Commemorate war heroes at the National War Memorial
- Check out meteorites and fossils at the South Australian Museum
- Celebrate architecture and literature at the State Library of South Australia
- Sip fine wine at the National Wine Center of Australia
- Play your cards right at SkyCity Adelaide
- Experience the Renaissance at the Art Gallery of South Australia
- Blow away cobwebs at the Adelaide Park Lands
In our book, North Terrace is Adelaide in a microcosm. From museums hiding cosmic wonders to parks where finding your zen is a breeze, this stretch separating the city’s business and residential hubs teems with oddities and attractions.
How do we know? Well, we’ve visited every corner of the area to find its best hotspots, like the interdimensional MOD. and the “time-traveling” Art Gallery of South Australia. You’ll find more of what we dug up below!
Where is North Terrace?
North Terrace, which most people refer to as “Adelaide’s Cultural Boulevard,” runs along the northern edge of the city’s central business district.
It’s 2.1 kilometers long (1.3 miles) and stretches from West Terrace near the Royal Adelaide Hospital, across the city center, and ends at East Terrace.
Where to Eat
Parlamento
From parlamentoadelaide
Address: 140 North Terrace
Contact Details: (08) 8231 3987
Pricing: $$
Parlamento is an Italian bistro that has been running the inner-city resto game for over 30 years. With drool-worthy pasta and mains, it’s not hard to see how they stood the test of time.
Penne Basilico is our usual choice, thanks to its tomato cream salsa, tender chicken morsels, and a sprinkle of roasted capsicum. The addition of basil and sun-dried tomatoes completes it, infusing the main ingredients with herby and sweet undertones.
In terms of secondi, scaloppine ai funghi is our personal pick. Those melt-in-your-mouth veal medallions, accented by a sharp garlic kick and a dreamy marsala-cream sauce, are simply irresistible.
Madame Hanoi
From madamehanoi
Address: SkyCity Adelaide
Contact Details: (08) 8218 4166
Pricing: $$$
The 2-level Madame Hanoi dishes out a slice of Vietnam in a gilded space, complete with a detailed mural that’s almost too pretty to eat under. And if that doesn’t tempt you, the French sweets surely will.
Topping the resto’s menu are small and big plates alike, featuring crowd-pleasers like mini beef pho and Saigon-style chili prawns. Pork and chicken buns are also a hit, and vegans aren’t left out with the tofu option.
For the French delights, the peanut butter parfait takes the cake. The combination of basil yogurt ice cream, white chocolate crumb, and chili peanut brittle is indulgence in its truest form.
La Boca Bar and Grill Adelaide
From labocaadelaide
Address: Stamford Plaza Adelaide
Contact Details: (08) 8461 0860
Pricing: $$
As soon as we stepped into La Boca Bar and Grill, the mouthwatering and smoky scent of fire-kissed meat greeted us. However, it wasn’t our visit’s highlight. That honor goes to their upscale Argentine asador bites.
We opted for The Great Asador Plate, a feast for 2 loaded with slow-cooked pork, beef, and lamb. Elevating the succulent and savory meat was a trio of sauces: chimichurri for that herby zing, mojo with a citrusy twist, and mole for sweet and spicy notes.
The deal was then sealed and sweetened by their chocolate volcano—a decadent eruption of bittersweet chocolate, rich cocoa gelato, and nutty Frangelico cream. A sprinkle of salted hazelnut praline crowns this treat, adding a salty and caramelized finish.
Things to Do
Smell rare flowers in Adelaide Botanic Gardens
From botanicgardenssa
Contact Details: (08) 8222 9311
Beyond the usual orchids and camellias, the Adelaide Botanic Gardens blooms with beauties you won’t find in your backyard. To start, there’s the Amazon Water Lily Garden, where fragrant lilies bloom white at night and turn pink by morning.
The Santos Museum of Economic Botany, the last of its kind on the planet, is also a must-visit spot. Inside, you’ll find a collection of economic plants, including rare, endangered, and culturally significant flora.
Last but not least is the Cactus and Succulent Garden, the go-to location for those who want to see South American and African plants that thrive in the harshest environments. Fleshy and oddly shaped, the vegetation here is sure to catch the eyes.
Visit new dimensions and planets at MOD.
From mod_museum
Address: Bradley Building
Contact Details: (08) 8302 6663
Art and science are in a whole other dimension at MOD., aka the Museum for Discovery. Installations here are a sci-fi lover’s dream, from exhibits that let you run and reconstruct worlds to trippy rooms where you’ll zip through space without moving a foot.
MOD. also hosts rotating exhibits that are just as mind-blowing as the permanent ones. Take BROKEN (Jan to Nov 2024), for instance—a display showing alternate realities where our norms and ways are different.
Live out a fairytale at Palm House
From botanicgardenssa
Address: Adelaide Botanic Gardens
Contact Details: (08) 8222 9311
The Palm House has been boosting Adelaide’s tourist rates since 1877, with its intricate Victorian-era latticework, expansive panels, and hanging glass walls. Simply put, this 19th-century glasshouse is something straight out of a fairy-tale book.
To top it off, this attraction isn’t just for Insta-worthy shots, daydreaming, or nostalgia-invoking; it also hosts endangered fauna from Madagascar. You’ll see these exotic plants inside, adding a pop of green to the soft white hues.
Just keep in mind that the Palm House can turn into a bit of a hotbox during sunnier months. The good news is you can overcome the elements by following our route: pop in during early mornings or late afternoons.
Blast monsters at Adelaide XR Lounge
From zerolatencyadelaide
Address: The District at Skycity
Contact Details: (08) 8221 5154
The Adelaide XR Lounge is our team’s hangout whenever we’re itching for virtual worlds. Their main draw is FreeRoam VR, a technology that allows players to explore an expansive room minus bothersome cables—ensuring full immersion and trip-free fun.
We can’t overlook their thrilling and downright mind-bending games, too. Whether we’re looking to blast zombies in a post-apocalyptic world or solve puzzles in a space station while dodging asteroids, this place knows how to crank up the team’s adrenaline.
But if you just want to kick back without getting chased by the undead, there are thrilling yet non-violent games here. Cook’d Up is our suggestion, a collaborative simulation where you and your fellow players run a virtual kitchen.
Commemorate war heroes at the National War Memorial
From fennysantoso15
You can’t explore North Terrace without visiting the towering, 14-meter National War Memorial. Designed by Rayner Hoff, this important monument honors the courage of South Australians who fought in WWI.
Not only is this marble and granite monument steeped in history, but it also boasts stunning artistry that can’t be missed. Each exquisitely crafted feature tells a story, from the majestic winged figure symbolizing duty to the cruciform sword representing sacrifice.
Check out meteorites and fossils at the South Australian Museum
From southaustralianmuseum
Contact Details: (08) 8207 7500
If the thought of checking out two Martian meteorites at the South Australian Museum doesn’t get your heart racing, then what will? Their collection of over 150 celestial rock stars from Australia and beyond is simply out of this world.
As if that’s not enough, the museum presents its trove of prehistoric gems, like late Triassic plant fossils and early Cretaceous vertebrate fossils. There are also sub-fossils of extinct Australian mammals like the short-tailed hopping mouse and the lesser stick-nest rat!
Celebrate architecture and literature at the State Library of South Australia
From statelibrarysa
Contact Details: (08) 7424 6300
As a team that loves architecture and literature, we’ll always be grateful for the existence of the State Library of South Australia—specifically Its Mortlock Wing. This section flaunts a Victorian-style grand facade, vaulted ceiling, and intricate interior detailing.
The book collection is nothing short of massive, too. On our last visit, we browsed through a plethora of shelves brimming with fiction, non-fiction, reference materials, and even rare history and genealogy texts.
Best of all, membership is free, so if you plan to return, registering is a smart move. Members get perks like access to online resources, heritage texts such as rare maps and newspapers, and even onsite computers.
Sip fine wine at the National Wine Center of Australia
From nationalwinecentre
Address: Sunken Garden, Corner of Hackney Rd &, Botanic Rd
Contact Details: (08) 8313 3355
Can you really tick North Terrace off your list without sampling premium vino at the National Wine Center of Australia? We don’t think so, especially since their wine-tasting experience rivals those found in the countryside.
If you think we’re capping, give their Tasting Room a shot. With more than 120 wines from Australia’s finest wine regions, you’re guaranteed to sip on something indulgent, whether you’re into Shiraz and Merlot or prefer Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
On top of that, the wine center frequently throws social events shining a spotlight on a particular region and its best varieties. We’re actually gearing up for the Riverland wine event on August 30, 2024, so swing by if you want to chat about all things vino!
Play your cards right at SkyCity Adelaide
From skycityadl
Contact Details: (08) 8212 2811
SkyCity Adelaide’s stylish casino ranks among the top spots in Australia when it comes to games like baccarat, blackjack, poker, and roulette.
The gaming hub also offers popular gaming machines with the highest jackpots in South Australia. For instance, titles like Thunder Drum and Outgrow Link have grand prizes ranging from $10,000 to $25,000.
Additionally, electronic table games (eTGs) are available for those who prefer a modern and faster-paced take on casino favorites, like roulette and Lucky Wheel. The added bonus? Bet limits start at just $1 for eTGs.
Experience the Renaissance at the Art Gallery of South Australia
From agsa.adelaide
Contact Details: (08) 8207 7000
The Art Gallery of South Australia took us on a time-traveling escapade with Reimagining the Renaissance, an exhibit that had our history and art buffs spellbound by its detailed, humanistic, and light-dark works.
Covering 4 galleries, the exhibit has paintings, sculptures, and decorative art centered on Northern and English Renaissance art. To better understand the masterpieces’ significance and modern impact, non-robotic and expert guides also led the way.
If you want to experience what we did, set aside 100 bucks for a group tour fee, allowing for up to 15 participants. Reimagining Renaissance runs until April 13, 2025, so you have plenty of time to gather funds!
Blow away cobwebs at the Adelaide Park Lands
From adel_park_lands
Address: 5006 North Terrace
Contact Details: (08) 8203 7203
The 7.6-square-kilometer Adelaide Park Lands is an expansive network of 29 interlinked parks and green spaces that run alongside North Terrace. It’s essentially the destination to hit if you’re looking to enjoy urban outdoors, Adelaide-style.
One of its greatest draws is that no matter where you wander, there’s a play zone for the kiddos, like Princess Elizabeth Playground and Bush Magic Playspace. Almost every park is dog-friendly, too.
Furthermore, the Adelaide Park Lands is a picnicking haven, with shaded and BBQ areas that won’t cost a dime. And if you want to mix in some cardio, you’ll find courts and trails amid the lush greenery.
