Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla

Right next to Adelaide Botanic Garden is the glorious Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla, a 34-hectare, green oasis a short walk from the Adelaide CBD.

Adelaide Botanic Garden purchased the land for the park in 1866. From 1890 onwards, lively public debate was to be had at Speaker's Corner on a Sunday. This gave Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla a reputation as Adelaide's version of Hyde Park, the celebrated locale for free speech in London.

Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla is adjacent to Adelaide Botanic Garden, separated by a stately avenue of plane trees planted in 1874, and on the northern side by the River Torrens and Adelaide Zoo.

Many a lazy afternoon has been wiled away, staring up into the canopy of the century-old Moreton Bay Fig trees, with their huge trunks and gnarled buttress roots.

Not just a popular venue for picnics, Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla is also an outstanding venue for major events including WOMADelaide and Moonlight Cinema.

Find out how we care for the park before and after events.

Guided walks

Free guided tours, taking in the history and significant plantings of the Park, take place every Monday at 2pm (except Christmas Day and Good Friday), departing from the Friends' Gate, Plane Tree Drive (in front of North Lodge).

For more information or to organise special interest or private walks visit the Friends of the Botanic Gardens website.

Please note all guided walks are cancelled on days forecast to reach 36 degrees or more.

Getting here

Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla is directly north of Adelaide Botanic Garden, and south of Adelaide Zoo.

It can be accessed any time either from Hackney Road or from Frome Road, or by walking through Adelaide Botanic Garden when it is open.

Botanic Park can be accessed by bus and tram. Please check Adelaide Metro for public transport services into the city centre.

Parking

Ticketed car parking is available on Plane Tree Drive and in front of the Goodman Building and State Herbarium (in front of the Rose Garden, closest to the Hackney Gate).

Both car parks are accessed from Hackney Road.

We have transitioned to new Next Generation parking machines which are both cashless and paperless.

These machines use ‘pay-by-plate’ technology and will only accept credit or debit card payments.

You simply input your registration plate into the machine when prompted, select the time you would like to park for, tap, and go – it’s that simple.

Cash payments are no longer accepted at all Adelaide Botanic Garden ticketed car parking machines.

All funds collected from ticketed parking are used to support conservation, education and horticulture at the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium.

Bus layover zones and loading zones are available in zone 4 for drop off. For longer parking, please contact reception.

Parking fees apply from 8am - 10pm on Monday - Saturday.

There is free parking on Sundays and public holidays.

Accessible parking spaces are available within all 4-hour parking zones and are free of charge for people displaying a disability parking permit. For visits longer than 4 hours, permit holders are welcome to park in 10-hour bays, and can pay half the ticketed price for the duration of the stay.

Find out more about parking at Adelaide Botanic Garden and Botanic Park.

See the car parking map for more information on where to park and zones.

Grey-Headed Flying-Foxes (bats)

Grey-headed flying-foxes have made Botanic Park home since 2010 and they play a vital role in the ecosystem.

They are protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972because they are vulnerable to extinction.

Heat waves cause stress to bats and their pups, and can cause them to fall to the ground. Visitors to Botanic Park are asked not to handle any bats, including the Grey-headed flying-foxes.

If you come across a bat that appears to be dead, injured or in distress, please contact Fauna Rescue’s 24-hour bat phone: 08 8486 1139.

Bat Rescue SA can also be contacted for assistance on 0475 132 093.

Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium staff help reduce heat stress by cooling the roosting area with sprinklers. We may also put exclusion zones in place to protect both the flying foxes and our human visitors. Please use any detours in place to help reduce additional stress to these vulnerable animals.

Find out more about the Grey-headed flying foxes from Green Adelaide.

Debunk 4 myths about Adelaide's Grey headed flying foxes here.