Increased public interest sees Adelaide Botanic Gardens extend its opening hours

Mounting public interest has seen the Adelaide Botanic Garden extend its opening hours allowing visitors more time to enjoy the garden’s landscapes and curated events.

The SA Government’s investment in lighting infrastructure and the extension of hours into the evening aims to deliver more night-time activation of Adelaide Botanic Garden – and an expected flow on to reinvigorating Adelaide’s East End.

Throughout the summer months, the Adelaide Botanic Garden will remain open until 7pm from Monday to Wednesday and 9pm on Thursday to Sunday, with hours scaling back during the autumn and winter months to align with daylight hours.

These changes compliment the recent extension of opening hours at Wittunga Botanic Garden in Blackwood, which now opens at 8.30am every day of the year and closes at 7pm during daylight savings and 5pm in non-daylight savings.

South Australian Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs advised “we are so lucky to have magnificent botanic gardens on our doorstep and I am delighted that the people of South Australia, and visitors to our state, will have more time to reap the wellbeing benefits they offer.

“Opening earlier and closing later will give visitors more opportunity to enjoy the amenity that the gardens have to offer and provide opportunities for extra events.

“As part of the 2020-21 State Budget, the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium has secured more than $9 million over the next three years to deliver infrastructure projects at Adelaide Botanic Garden and Botanic Park.”

Presiding member of the Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, Judy Potter, said the extended hours will have far-reaching benefits to the community and added “Spending time in nature is a wonderful way to reduce stress levels, improve concentration and help us to feel better – particularly in these complex times.

“Creating more opportunities for increased access to nature is invaluable and something we can all use to help maintain our wellbeing.”

The extended opening hours are being trialled over a two-year period, at which time the Board will evaluate success and consider implementation on an ongoing basis.

Mount Lofty Botanic Garden visitors will enjoy longer opening hours from October in a two-year trial. The popular Adelaide Hills garden will open at 8.30am every day and close at 5pm on weekdays.

On weekends it will close at 6.30pm from October - May, and 5pm from June - September to align with daylight hours.

Image courtesy of Botanic Gardens of South Australia