The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year is an annual competition which calls on photographers from around the world to celebrate the fauna, flora and natural formations of the Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and the New Guinea bioregion. The 2026 exhibition features 100 stunning finalist images from ten categories: Animal Behaviour, Animals in Nature, Botanical, Landscape, Macro, Threatened Species, Monochrome, Our Impact, Portfolio, and Junior.
The exhibition is located on the ground floor of the South Australian Museum and runs from 29 August 2026 – 14 February 2027.
The exhibition is open every day from 10am – 5pm, including public holidays and weekends, except for Christmas Day, 25 December, when the Museum is closed.
The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year is a ticketed exhibition. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Museum on the day of your visit. The point of sale may change throughout the run to accommodate busy periods and other events at the Museum. You can find out where to buy tickets by asking at the Information Desk on the ground floor.
Ticket sales at the Museum are card only. The Museum is cashless for exhibition ticket sales.
Tickets purchased at the Museum are $16 adults, $14 concession, seniors and students. Free entry for South Australian Museum members and children aged 12 years and under.
There is a $2.00 discount for tickets purchased online. You can buy tickets online here.
The Museum is a member of the Companion Card scheme and offer complimentary admission to Companion Card holders to all ticketed events and exhibitions.
The rest of the Museum remains free to visit and does not require a ticket.
The entrance to exhibition space is located on the western side on the foyer, near the red staircase. Entry is through automatic sliding doors. Tickets will be scanned by staff before you go in.
There is a gentle incline at the entrance to the exhibition, immediately after entering through the doors. The rest of the exhibition has flat, carpeted flooring.
Tickets are single entry, if you need to briefly exit, see staff for a pass out that allows for re-entry.
Once inside the exhibition, you are free to explore and move about in any direction. Many visitors move around in a clockwise direction, but this is not compulsory. There are some corners which may require you to double back, and these may be tighter for some larger power chairs to navigate.
Visitors can vote for their favourite work by scanning the QR codes inside the exhibition and completing the survey. Voting is optional. You can ask staff for assistance if required.
There will not always be staff inside the exhibition space. If you need assistance, you can speak to staff at the Information Desk. If you need to leave the exhibition to ask staff for assistance, you will be able to go back in.
Morning, weekends, and school holidays are usually the busiest times for visiting the exhibition. Late afternoons, especially on weekdays, are often quieter. Please note that tickets cannot be purchased at the door after 4:30pm, but once inside you are welcome to stay until Museum closes at 5:00pm.
You can listen recordings of the artists statements along with a short description of each photograph by scanning the photograph through the Museum’s digital platform.
Follow these steps to access the recordings:
1. Open the Museum’s digital platform by visiting samuseum.pladia.io or scanning displayed QR codes
2. Select ‘image search’
3. Point your device at the photograph you are interested in and press the camera icon to scan
4. Press the orange ‘open’ button on the pop-up
5. Select the ‘play audio’ button to listen to the recording
6. To select a new artwork, press the search icon at the bottom of the screen and then press the orange image search button to get back to the scanning screen
If you have any questions, you can ask staff to assist.
Ten of the photographs in the exhibition are accompanied by tactile panels which represent the photographs in textured relief to support visitors who are blind or have low vision. These panels are located on plinths under the corresponding photograph and have a braille label stating the name of the photograph and the artist.
There is a soundtrack playing throughout the exhibition space. This features ambient sounds from nature with occasional bird and animal calls.
The exhibition is brightly lit and does not include any flashing, strobing or other lighting effects.
There is seating available throughout the exhibition. The seating is a combination of large ottomans and individual chairs with backs and arms. The walkers available for
loan at the front desk can also be used as seats.
Some of the images feature deceased, sick, and injured wildlife and may be distressing to some visitors.
There are several public transport options when travelling to the Museum.
Train: The Museum is a 10-minute walk from the Adelaide Railway Station, which is also on North Terrace.
Tram: The closest tram stop is Art Gallery, which is out the front of the Museum on North Terrace on the Botanic/Entertainment Centre line. You can also walk from Rudle Mall or North Terrace on the Glenelg line.
Bus: There are a number of bus stops on North Terrace and King William Street as well as other nearby locations in the city.
Check Adelaide Metro for the most up to date timetables and information.
There is one accessible car park at the rear of the Museum, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Entry to the car park is through the boom gate on Morgan Thomas Lane, off Kintore Avenue. Please ensure your valid disability parking permit is displayed.
If the park is already in use, visitors can be dropped off at the Museum’s rear door.
Alternative accessible parking is also available at:
- Wilson Parking, North Terrace (opposite the Museum)
- U-Park, Gawler Place
- Paid ticketed street parking on Kintore Ave
All galleries in the Museum are accessible for most wheelchairs and mobility devices. Due to space restrictions, some larger power chairs may not be able to navigate all turns within the Egyptian Gallery.
Wheelchairs and walkers are available for loan to use in the Museum. To access this service, ask staff on arrival. Photo ID will be required to borrow a walker or wheelchair. These devices are loaned on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Museum will have our sensory backpack available for free loan during the event. To borrow a backpack, you can sign one out using the sign out sheet in the foyer, and then sign it back in when you are finished. There will be Museum staff available to help with this. Each backpack contains a pair of ear defenders, a soft toy, a fidget toy, and some communication cards.
We also have some sets of adjustable ear defenders which will fit bigger heads. These are located at our information stations for free loan.
There are a limited number of backpacks and ear defenders, so we might run out. They will be loaned out on a first-come first-served basis.
You are welcome to bring your own sensory aids to make your experience more comfortable.
Accredited assistance dogs are welcome at the Museum. Information about the criteria for accredited animals can be found at the Dog and Cat Management Board.
No food is allowed in the exhibition space. Food can only be consumed in the foyer on the ground floor. Water may be consumed anywhere in the Museum, including the exhibition. Breastfeeding and bottle-feeding of babies is welcome everywhere in the Museum. The Museum Café is open daily from 10:00am and closes at 4:00pm.
Toilets are located on the ground floor at the eastern end of the World Mammals Gallery.
There are two accessible toilets and male and female bathrooms.
The accessible toilets do not include adult changing facilities or hoists.
The bathrooms have hand dryers built into the taps. The taps work by motion sensor and activate when you put your hands under the spout. The hand dryers are activated by moving your hands to the side. These can be very loud, especially when multiple dryers are being used at once. People who are sensitive to sounds may prefer to use the accessible bathrooms, where there is only one hand dryer, which is mounted on the wall.
There is a Parents Room on level 1 near the southern lift. It includes a microwave, seating, a toilet and baby change facilities.
If you have any other questions, please contact us at contact@samuseum.sa.gov.au
