World-class shopping at over 700 stores, farm animals and even a few ghosts make this much more than a typical shopping mall.
When a 550-metre stretch of one of Adelaide’s main streets was closed off to cars in 1976, it created more than just a premier shopping precinct. It fused a century of history with contemporary cosmopolitan entertainment, making Rundle Mall the heart of the city.Some of the best retail stores in Adelaide line this busy pedestrian mall. Australia’s flagship department stores, Myer and David Jones, are joined by many boutique retailers. Rundle Mall offers the range and prices of a suburban shopping centre with all the style and flair that comes with its CBD location.Rundle Mall offers attractions that extend beyond shopping. The mall brings together a series of historic arcades. The Italian-styled Adelaide Arcade is the rumored home of six ghosts, while the Regent Arcade is housed inside the old Regent Theatre building. The area is rich with history the best way to see it is on the Rundle Mall Discovery Trail. Pick up a brochure on this self-guided tour at the Visitor Information Centre in the middle of the mall or download it from the Rundle Mall website.Don’t be startled if you see pigs rummaging through a garbage bin in this urban centre. The Adelaide City Council commissioned Marguerite Derricourt to create these life-sized bronze sculptures in 1999. A competition to name the four pigs christened them as Truffles, Oliver, Augusta and Horatio. The mall is home to other public art displays, including Bert Flugelman’s The Spheres, known by locals as the “Mall’s Balls.” Stick around after the sun goes down to see the Rundle Lantern light up nine stories of the city parking lot in a spectacular light show. After exploring the shops and arcades, rest your feet at one of Rundle Mall’s many open-air dining establishments and enjoy some people-watching. Rundle Mall is a hot spot for street performers, with four or five usually present in the mall at any one time. Rundle Mall is open daily, however, retail hours differ among the vendors and restaurants.
