national motor museum

A really nice museum for the boys to reminisce and spend a few hours. Easy to find and lots of parking. Nice gift shop and just a shame the cafe area is a bit sparse.

Great place to visit to see all things to do with vintage and classic cars and motorbikes. Leave yourself a few hours to look at everything. BBQs are available.

A lot of work has obviously been put into the museum with such a well laid out and extensive collection of cars, trucks and motor bikes. I only had a couple of hours and didn't have time to read and appreciate everything that was there, but it was great to see so many fine examples of motor history on display to be enjoyed, not tucked away in garages collecting dust.

It was a long time since we had visited the museum and our visit was prompted by our guests' interest in motor vehicles. We were very pleasantly surprised by the museum. It is well presented and very large. Even we non-enthusiasts were impressed. The entrance price was reasonable and you can go out for lunch and then return for another view. (Try Pomegranate just outside the gates - really nice!) They also have picnic grounds at the museum.

A huge collection of lovingly preserved cars, trucks and motor bikes of all ages. My partner, who is into all things automotive, was in seventh heaven, me, not quite so much. But I have now seen the truck belonging to the legendary Tom Kruse. The voluntary guides are enthusiastic, knowledgable and happy to take your photo while sitting in the 1928 vintage Dodge. Wear comfortable shoes and plan for at least a half day visit. The collection covers a huge area.

Although it may take a while to drive there, the National Motor Museum is worth the wait. If your a car enthusiast, this will be your heaven for the next 2-3 hours. Some incredibly rare cars are found throughout, from drag cars, one off concepts (mostly Holdens) cars driven by famous drivers and sports and luxury cars from the 1930's. There's also cars that were made in South Australia from the 50's onwards (Mitsubishis, Chryslers, Pontiacs, etc) this is in the main foyer.

This was recommended to us before we went to Adelaide. It is extensive and a nice change from wine tasting in the Adelaide Hills. You will need at least an hour to walk around, loved seeing the cars i remembered from my childhood. It is well set out and i would highly recommend it.

Many thanks for your positive comments, we really appreciate it!

It's so good to know that you love our Museum - three "outstandings" in one review - gotta love that!

Thank you for the excellent review. We often find that people who are not really into cars or motoring have a good experience - they realise the Museum is not just about the vehicles, but about the people, their amazing achievement and the journeys they have made. You could say that for some, the vehicles are the icing on the cake!

The museum has been been updated and increased in size since we were last here. It show cases all sorts of vehicles for around the world as well as specifically Australian icons. If you love old cars or bikes or just history this is a must see. They seemed to have activities for children to do as they go around the museum as well. How long do you need? depends on how fanatical you are about old cars! Climate controlled a nice place to stop on a hot day I imagine.

I only went to this place in Birdwood because my husband had it on his bucket list, but I found I was actually quite interested in wandering around looking at the great old cars, trucks and motorbikes of yesteryears. We even found a little Standard 10 which brought back memories of our courting days! We took photos of a number of Chevs for my brother to drool over when we got back home. The number of vehicles of all ages was amazing, the whole place was spotlessly clean and very well set out. Very easy to while away time here. Also the entrance price was quite reasonable. Well worth a visit.

There's a fair drive out through North Adelaide and beyond into the hills. It gets quite enjoyable once away from city and suburban traffic, although it's not really that bad and nothing like a big city. Birdwood itself doesn't have much to see except for the museum. When we visited the museum, mid-week, we had the place almost all to ourselves. Nice and peaceful and easy to take lots of pictures of the shiny displays. Be sure to take a look at the themed displays, before going to the rows of classic cars. We were surprised to learn so much about the motoring heritage of South Australia going back more than 100 years, including vehicles that were developed and made in Adelaide. Yes, the title of my review means that cars that I knew, even rode in, as I grew up are here on display, now museum pieces. Many of them seem larger than I remember and others only looked slightly familiar as I tried to remember what my parents drove. The motorcycle display is huge, but we decided to leave those for another time. Motor museums are prone to roll back the years unlike ordinary museums. This one's a classic and I really recommend it for a day trip and a time away from the more popular wine tasting in the Adelaide Hills.

Well worth going to the Australian Motor Museum at Birdwood to view plenty of amazing old vehicles. All the automobiles have plaques to read about their history, very informative. Reasonable priced entry and it has a nice souvenir shop.

I am not a petrol head, barely knowing where the engine is in a car, but the story of how we have been conveyed through the years is fascinating just as pure history. You don't have to understand much about cars to enjoy this museum.