Palm House

Imported piece by piece from Bremen in 1875 and then assembled in Adelaide, this greenhouse is considered the only surviving example of this German model of suspended-glass-wall greenhouse, a feat of engineering for its time. Closed in 1986 because of corrosion in its glazing bars, it underwent major federally funded restoration in the 1990s, followed by a new round of work in 2018 to address rising damp. It now houses a collection of rare and endangered plants from Madagascar, which in fact thrive in the warm, dry atmosphere that protects the historic structure. In 2024, a glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly, "Glacier Ice and Lapis Chandelier", was permanently installed there thanks to a philanthropic gift. The Palm House remains one of the architectural jewels of the Adelaide Botanic Garden, alongside the already-listed Bicentennial Conservatory.