Last updated: April 2024
One of the best things to do in the afternoon is to go to a museum that has been very beautifully organized and just wander through the various exhibits.
Whatever it is that sparks your curiosity – whether it is art, music, history, or culture – Singapore is home to a wide variety of museums, each of which is stocked with outstanding permanent collections, one-of-a-kind exhibitions, and unusual treasures.
This means that no matter what you're looking for, you'll find something in the city-state that will astound and amaze you.
Here is a guide to the greatest galleries and museums in Singapore, including everything from the must-visit institutions that are required to cross off your checklist to the fascinating art venues that are less well-known.
Check out the various fascinating collections listed below if you're looking for something different from your typical museum. These museums are grouped together in such a way that you might create your own personal museum-hopping route.
Why do people love Singapore museums?
People go to museums for a wide variety of different reasons. Others wish to enjoy the art and history of the place they are visiting, while still others are interested in gaining knowledge about the history of the place they are visiting.
The best way to broaden one's thinking, make new friends, and gain insight into how our forefathers lived is by visiting a museum.
What are the benefits of visiting Singapore museums?
Artifacts of significant cultural, aesthetic, historical, or scientific significance are preserved and shown at museums.
There are a lot of advantages to going to these institutions, and seeing these exhibits is just one of them. These exhibits provide instructive and visual excursions.
To put it more simply, museums play an important role in the education, inspiration, and connection of communities.
List of Museums in Singapore to Visit
1. The National Museum of Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore - Museums in Singapore
Singapore's National Museum is the city's largest cultural institution. In 1887, along Stamford Road, it initially opened its doors as the Raffles Library and Museum.
Today, it holds the distinction of being the city's oldest museum for over one century old.
It was formerly known as the Singapore History Museum, and it is made up of two main collections: the Singapore Living Galleries, which tends to focus on 4 categories: photography, film, food, and fashion; and the Singapore History Gallery, which shows the history of Singapore from the beginnings in the 13th century to the present day.
Both of these galleries are located on the same floor.
Cutting-edge galleries may be found within the walls of this magnificent Neo-Palladian architecture from the 19th century.
These galleries chronicle the story of Singapore's evolution via the use of immersive and interactive displays.
Visit the Singapore History Gallery for an entertaining introduction to the history of the city-state, beginning as early as the 13th century even before the advent of the British.
The gallery covers the period of time from the 13th century to the arrival of the British.
Address: 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897
Opening Hours: Daily 10 am to 7 pm.
Last admission: 6.15 pm (Glass Rotunda)/6.30 pm (All other galleries)
Singapore Citizens and PR (please present Pink or Blue NRIC for scanning) and Children 6 years and below (any nationality) enjoy free admission to all galleries.
| Ticket Type | Fee for Permanent Galleries(All Level 1 & 2 Galleries and Glass Rotunda) | Special Exhibition | All Galleries(Permanent &Special Exhibition) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Adult | $15.00 | $18 | $26 |
| Promo Price for Adult | $12.15 | - | - |
| Senior (60 years and above)/ Student/ Special Access | $10.00 | $14 | $19 |
| Promo Price for Senior (60 years and above)/ Student | $8.75 | - | - |
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2. The National Gallery Singapore
The National Gallery Singapore - Museums in Singapore
It is one of the world's greatest public collections because it contains over 8,000 contemporary works of art from Southeast Asia.
The National Gallery of Singapore's mission is to inspire a society that is both creative and welcoming via the creation of dialogues between both the art of Singapore, Southeast Asia, and the rest of the globe.
It has a significant emphasis on art from the 19th century up until the present day and collaborates with a large number of renowned museums located all over the world, including the Tate Britain as well as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea.
This venue specializes in emphasizing the main works of pioneering Singaporean artists such as Cheong Soo Pieng, Georgette Chen, and Liu Kang.
These painters are noted for being the originators of the Nanyang art style, which has its roots in traditional Chinese elements but is influenced by Western forms of oil painting.
The museum is housed in two important historical structures which are the previous City Hall and Supreme Court, a large preservation space that is an architectural marvel in its own right. Both of these buildings now house the museum.
Address: 1 St Andrew’s Rd, Singapore 178957
| Ticket Type | Standard | Special Promo | Singapore Citizens and PR |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Admission+ Free Guided Tours | $20 | $11.00 | FREE |
| Concession for Children aged 7–12/ Seniors aged 60 and above | $15 | $8.30 | - |
| Special Exhibition | $25 | $15 | |
| All Access PassGeneral Admission + Special Exhibition | $30 | - |
3. Asian Civilisations Museum
Asian Civilisations Museum - Museums in Singapore
The Asian Civilisations Museum has been the only museum in Asia to have a pan-Asian focus, and it showcases Asian antiquities as well as ornamental art from the 19th century.
The ACM features a remarkable collection of artifacts that provide light on the multicultural heritage of Singapore.
Over 1,000 artifacts from civilizations across the world are on display in the museum's 11 galleries. Thematically arranged to highlight how thoughts and artistic traditions flow between cultures, these exhibits are organized into 11 galleries.
Find out how the many different cultures that are represented within the city-state today are all connected to the other cultures that are found all over the continent.
At the mouth of the Singapore River, the museum is a natural setting for a museum dedicated to global trade.
Address: 1 Empress Pl, Singapore 179555
Opening Hours: Daily 10 am to 7 pm, Fridays 10 am to 9 pm
Last admission: Admission to all galleries ends 30 minutes before closing time.
| Ticket Type | Standard | Singapore Citizens and PR |
|---|---|---|
| Admission to all galleries and special exhibitions | $8 | FREE |
| Concession for Students/ Seniors aged 60 and above/ Special Access | $4 | - |
4. ArtScience Museum
ArtScience Museum - Museums in Singapore
Where art, science, culture, and technology converge; an emblematic cultural landmark and a jewel of modern architecture set among the skyscrapers of Singapore.
The world-famous architect Moshe Safdie was responsible for designing the ArtScience museum, which features a structure resembling a lotus flower, and has collaborated with institutions such as the Science Gallery International in Dublin, the British Museum in London, as well as the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
In collaboration with a wide variety of organizations, ranging from Dreamworks Animation to the Smithsonian Institute, the ArtScience Museum presents exhibitions that have garnered praise on a global scale and examine the intersection of technology and culture.
Over the course of its existence, it has hosted a number of noteworthy exhibitions, some of which include Andy Warhol's and Salvador Dali's works, as well as Marvel Studios: Ten Years of Heroes.
The Japanese collective team lab was responsible for the creation of their permanent display, which is titled FutureWorld: The Junction of Art and Science. It is an interactive multimedia spectacle that has proven to be quite popular with people of the Instagram age.
The ArtScience Museum is located in a prominent location near to the Helix Bridge and looks out over Marina Bay. Its architectural design is reminiscent of a white lotus flower that has only unfolded half of its petals.
Address: 6 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018974
Opening Hours: Daily 10 am - 7 pm
Last Admission at 6 pm
| Ticket Type | Standard | Promo | Singapore Citizens and PR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent Exhibition (FUTURE WORLD: Where Art Meets Science) | |||
| Admission | $21 | $17.90 | $18 |
| Concession for Children aged 2–12/ Seniors aged 65 and above/ Special Access | $16 | $13.90 | $14 |
| Special Exhibition (Radical Curiosity 22 Jan – 10 Jul/ Attack on Titan 19 Feb – 3 Jul) | |||
| Admission for each exhibition | $21 | $18.00 | $18 |
| Concession for Children aged 2–12/ Seniors aged 65 and above/ Special Access | $16 | $14.00 | $14 |
| (FUTURE WORLD: Where Art Meets Science + Radical Curiosity + Attack on Titan) | |||
| Admission | $50 | - | $43 |
| Concession for Children aged 2–12/ Seniors aged 65 and above/ Special Access | $38 | - | $34 |
| Special Exhibition (Hope from Chaos: Pandemic Reflections) 12 Feb – 7 Aug | |||
| Admission | $6 | - | $6 |
| Concession for Children aged 2–12/ Seniors aged 65 and above/ Special Access | $6 | - | $6 |
| VR Gallery (We Live in an Ocean of Air) | |||
| Admission | $19 | - | $16 |
| Concession for Children aged 2–12/ Seniors aged 65 and above/ Special Access | $14 | - | $12 |
5. Vintage Camera Museum
Vintage Camera Museum - Museums in Singapore
The Vintage Camera Museum in Singapore is the very first and only gallery in Singapore to showcase a collection of more than one thousand vintage cameras.
This museum caters to both amateur and professional photographers alike.
Learn about the origins of today's photography technology, including old-fashioned spy cameras, pistol cameras, and the first drone cameras, which were tied to pigeons.
A no-touching restriction does not apply here, so visitors can grab up and try the ancient cameras.
Address: No. 8c & 8D Jalan Kledek, Singapore 199263
Opening hours: Daily 10.30 am to 7.30 pm
Nearest MRT: Bugis MRT
| Ticket Type | Standard |
|---|---|
| Adult | $20 |
| Senior citizens and children below 12 | $15 |
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6. Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum - Museums in Singapore
The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in Singapore is home to an extensive collection of plant life and wildlife from all over the Southeast Asian region.
Some of the specimens in this collection date all the way back to the late 1800s.
As of recently, it is renowned for the presence of the "Prince," "Apollonia," and "Twinky" skeletons of the diplodocid sauropod dinosaur, as well as "Jubilee," the dismembered sperm whale that washed ashore on Singapore beach in 2015.
The rock-like front of the building is decorated with plants that are normally found on Singapore's coastal cliffs. The facade functions as a living museum and is covered in these plants.
Address: 2 Conservatory Drive, Singapore 117377
By Bus: Bus 96, 151
| Ticket Type | Standard | Singapore Citizens and PR | Promo Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admission to all galleries and special exhibitions | $21 | $16 | Get it here |
| Concession for Students/ Seniors aged 60 and above/ Children aged 3 -12/ NSF/ Special Access | $13 | $9 | Get it here |
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7. Singapore Art Museum
Singapore Art Museum - Museums in Singapore
On Bras Basah Road, you'll find the Singapore Art Museum, which features an ever-changing collection of modern art from Southeast Asia and the local region.
St. Joseph's Institution, Singapore's first Catholic school, operated on these grounds and in these buildings back when they were in pristine condition.
The neighboring extension building known as 8Q at SAM on Queen Street was formerly a Catholic high school. It has now undergone a comprehensive modernization project to bring it into the 21st century and has been outfitted with the necessary technology for cinema screenings.
Check your schedule to see if you will be in the area for the Singapore Biennale, which features some of the most innovative and cutting-edge modern and contemporary art and installations from all throughout the region.
Address: 71 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189555 (Currently in renovation)
39 Keppel Rd, #01-02 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
Opening hours: Daily 10.00 am to 7.00 pm (Last entry at 6:30 pm)
Nearest Mrt: Bras Basah MRT
| Ticket Type | Standard | Singapore Citizens and PR |
|---|---|---|
| Admission | $10 | Free |
| Concession for Overseas Students/ Seniors aged 60 and above | $5 | Free |
8. Museum of Ice Cream Singapore – Best for ice cream lovers
Museum of Ice Cream Singapore - Museum Singapore
The Museum of Ice Cream in Singapore features interactive exhibits and installations related to ice cream and other sweet treats. The museum was founded in 2016 by Maryellis Bunn and Manish Vora in the United States, and has since expanded abroad.
The Museum of Ice Cream features a variety of exhibits and installations that are designed to be fun and interactive. Some of the most popular exhibits include a sprinkle pool, a bouncy castle, and a giant ice cream scoop slide. Visitors can also sample ice cream and other sweet treats throughout the museum.
We absolutely recommend the free flow ice cream!
In addition to its exhibits and installations, the Museum of Ice Cream also hosts special events and collaborations with local artists and businesses. The museum has become a popular destination for families, couples, and anyone with a sweet tooth.
While the Museum of Ice Cream is a fun and unique experience, it's important to note that tickets can sell out quickly, so it's important to plan ahead and purchase tickets in advance if you are interested in visiting.
| Ticket Type | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Admission for Weekday | $36 | $46 |
| Admission for Kids Aged 2 & Below | Free | Free |
| Admission for weekend, eve of PH, PH & School Holidays | $42 | $52 |
| The Edible Slime (Daytime admission) | $54 | - |
Address: 100 Loewen Road, Dempsey, Singapore 248837
Opening hours: Mon - Wed 10.00 am to 6.00 pm (Closed on Tuesdays); Thurs - Sun 10.00 am to 9.00 pm
Nearest Mrt: Napier MRT (1 Bus stop away)
Singapore Museums
The best way to broaden one's thinking, make new friends, and gain insight into how our forefathers lived is by visiting a museum.
There are many distinct kinds of museums all around the world. Each presents an opportunity to acquire further knowledge about the world and our place in it, as well as our history.
When going to a museum in Singapore, make sure to always bring a hand sanitizer with you and wear a mask before entering to protect yourself from the virus that has been spreading up till now. Be sure to observe the rules and regulations of the museums at all times.
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