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Photograph: Unsplash/Jason RostArtScience Museum

The best museums to visit in Singapore

From the essential museums to tick off your list to cool art spaces you never knew existed, here's the essential guide to Singapore's art galleries

Cheryl Sekkappan
Edited by
Cheryl Sekkappan
Written by
Time Out Singapore editors
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Singapore's culture scene is wildly underrated, more so than most would think. This is especially since it's home to some of the best museums and galleries in the region. This October, get out of your comfort zone and fill your free time getting reacquainted with Singapore's art and culture scene. Head to a museum to learn more about the untold stories and history that have shaped our identity. The best part? It makes for a great activity for two. 

If you're not sure where to start, we've curated the essential museums you can go to. But for something more than the usual arts-focused spaces, scroll on down for our round-up of a broad spectrum of other funky collections: toys, vintage cameras, optical illusions and more. 

RECOMMENDED: The best reading spots in Singapore and the best things to do in Singapore in groups of two 

Museums you can't miss

  • Art
  • City Hall

Formerly the Supreme Court and City Hall, this behemoth of an art museum – it’s the largest of its kind in Singapore – focuses on Southeast Asian art from the 19th century up until today. And with several kid-friendly exhibits and installations, the little ones have lots to check out, too. Round off the day by having a cocktail at the museum's rooftop bar Smoke & Mirrors, which overlooks the Singapore skyline. 

National Museum of Singapore
  • Things to do
  • City Hall

Previously known as the Singapore History Museum, the National Museum of Singapore is the largest local museum. It comprises two main galleries: the Singapore History Gallery, which traces the history of Singapore from its beginnings in the 14th century to the present day, and the Singapore Living Galleries, which focus on four themes: food, fashion, film and photography. Check out the museum's permanent exhibition, Story of the Forest, and experience the treasured collection of the National Museum brought to life through a spectacular digital presentation.

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  • Art
  • Marina Bay

Fusing art and science, the 21 gallery spaces here have hosted some of the most famous exhibitions in the world. We're talking about those that feature the sets, costumes and props from blockbuster films such as Titanic and the Harry Potter franchise. Its permanent exhibition, Future World, is a mind-bender: designed by Japanese arts collective teamLab, the show takes visitors on an interactive journey of lights, digital art and magic. 

  • Things to do
  • City Hall

The Asian Civilisations Museum is the first in the region to represent an integrated perspective of pan-Asian cultures and civilisations. It boasts 11 galleries showcasing more than 1,300 artefacts from the civilisations of China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia. Don't miss #SGFASHIONNOW, the museum's first display of contemporary Singapore fashion in the context of Asia's cultural heritage. 

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  • Museums
  • Natural history
  • Kent Ridge

Singapore is home to Southeast Asia’s first-ever natural history museum. Spread over two floors, 15 zones and 2,500 sq m, the exhibition gallery showcases over 2,000 specimens of Southeast Asian plants and animals. But the highlight – for us, at least – is the chance to get up close and personal with three 150 million-year-old dinosaur fossils. Jurassic Park, anyone?

  • Art
  • Harbourfront

When Singapore Art Museum first opened in 1996, it was the first art museum in Singapore. Housed in a former Catholic boys' school, it exhibited intimate, Southeast Asian contemporary art shows in its small, unusual and hidden gallery spaces. Now at a new location in Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore Art Museum continues to be a prime stop for 20th-century Asian visual art, often drawn from the museum's own collection of Southeast Asian 'pioneer' art. 

Marvel at contemporary art

STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery
  • Art
  • Chinatown

Established in 2002, the gallery promotes artistic experimentation in the mediums of print and paper, and boasts contemporary artworks in collaboration with various international curators, collectors and gallerists. Don't miss On Time, which presents new works by four Singaporean artists Adeline Kueh, Jason Lim, Ian Woo and Zul Mahmod. 

Red Dot Design Museum Singapore
  • Museums
  • Art and design
  • Marina Bay

An offshoot of the famous red dot museum in Germany, the largest exhibition of contemporary design in the world, this local version is located along the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade. It displays the lates in product and communicated design made by winners of the prestigious red dot product design awards. 

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NUS Museum
  • Art
  • Kent Ridge

This Asian art museum has over 7,000 artefacts and artworks divided across four collections. The Lee Kong Chian Collection consists of a wide representation of Chinese materials from ancient to contemporary art; the South and Southeast Asian Collection holds a range of works from Indian classical sculptures to modern pieces; and the Ng Eng Teng Collection is a donation from the late Singapore sculptor and Cultural Medallion recipient of over 1,000 artworks. A fourth collection, the Straits Chinese Collection, is located at NUS Baba House.

Dive into Singapore's history

Fort Siloso
  • Things to do
  • Sentosa

The main story of Japan’s victory is punchily told, alongside displays on resistance hero Lim Bo Seng and Force 136, and on the experience during the Japanese occupation. The ‘Surrender Chambers’, contains exact waxwork replicas of the main players, and is surprisingly effective at reconstructing the British surrender to the Japanese, and vice versa. But the main attraction is the sprawling structure of the fort itself. Wandering around the gun emplacements and underground complexes at your own pace give a material sense of a place lived in and fought for that is just as striking (if not more so) than any number of theatricals. You can also learn how restored gun battery Fort Siloso played a vital role in Singapore’s defence in World War ll. Climb through tunnels and examine original guns, cannons, film clips and photographs from days past. 

  • Things to do
  • City Hall

How did Singapore, the impregnable fortress and all that jazz, fall to the Japanese in 1942 even though we had twice the number of soldiers? Find out at The Battlebox Tour: A Story of Strategy and Surrender. The hour-long tour takes you into the namesake underground command centre, where the decision to surrender was made and re-tells the story of how Malaya and Singapore succumbed to the Empire of Japan in just 70 days. Guides also explain the roles that the bunker played during the war while showing you around replica and genuine rooms used by the military of the era. 

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Changi Chapel and Museum
  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Changi 

Even though the museum is housed in a purpose-built venue, and the chapel is a reconstruction (the original was shipped to Australia after the war), this is the most iconic of the WWII sites in Singapore. The main interest lies in the stories of industry and ingenuity within POW camps here. 

The chapel, located in the courtyard of the museum, encourages quiet reflection. It also houses copies of the kitschy but affecting Changi murals, recreated by the original artist, Stanley Warren, after a widely publicised international effort to find him. 

  • Things to do
  • City Hall

Curating philatelic materials of Singapore from the 1830s to the present day, the Singapore Philatelic Museum also boasts an extensive collection of stamps from member countries of the Universal Postal Union. It’s also a working post office: where better to fire off a few postcards of your own? 

The Singapore Philatelic Museum will be closed from March 18 and is expected to re-open in 2021 as a dedicated children's museum. 

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  • Things to do
  • City Hall

Housed in the country’s oldest fire station – a striking red-striped, red-bricked colonial building – this gallery showcases Singapore’s civil-defence developments from the nineteenth century to the present. In addition to antique fire engines and interactive stations where you can experience what firefighters have to go through in an operation, visitors can ascend the hose tower, which was Singapore’s highest viewpoint in the 1920s.

Learn about Singapore's tapestry of cultures

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum
  • Things to do
  • Chinatown

Scan through various displays of rare artefacts detailing the history of Buddhism and the different traditions practised in Asian countries at the Buddhist Cultural Museum. On the same floor, located at the rear of the hall, you’ll find the Sacred Buddha Relics Chamber. This houses what are regarded as the Brains, Blood, Muscle and Flesh Relics of Buddha. Another must-see is the 15-foot Maitreya Buddha that sits on the ground floor of the main hall. 

  • Museums
  • Rochor

With a glowing glass façade inspired by stepwells commonly found in South Asia, the Indian Heritage Centre has a wealth of artefacts that are dotted around five galleries. They document and explore the history and culture of Indians, particularly in relation to Singapore, all the way from the 1st century to the present day.

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Malay Heritage Centre
  • Things to do
  • Rochor

Located at the historic Istana Kampong Gelam, this museum traces the history of the Malay community from the days of the earliest settlers and the sea faring might of the Bugis villagers to the golden years of the Malay entertainment industry. Featuring six sub-galleries, exhibits include the history of Kampong Gelam and contributions made by various Malay pioneers.

  • Things to do
  • City Hall

‘Peranakan’ describes both a rich culture and a unique ethnic group that arose from the meeting of Chinese and Malay peoples. This ten-gallery exhibition venue houses documents and artefacts of Peranakan culture, brought to life by interactive and multimedia displays spread over three floors.

The Peranakan Museum will be closed from Apr 1 and will re-open in mid-2021.

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  • Museums
  • Geylang

The newly-upgraded Eurasian Heritage Gallery gives an insight into the lives of the Eurasian community in Singapore. Located in the Eurasian Community House in the heart of Katong, the gallery showcases the community's most prominent personalities, the history of Eurasians in Singapore, and its culture – which includes weddings, traditional outfits, and cuisine, among others. 

  • Attractions
  • Community centres
  • Raffles Place

Co-curated by NHB and the Kreta Ayer Community Club (CC), the 100sqm Kreta Ayer Heritage Gallery serves as a platform to showcase the rich history of the Kreta Ayer and Chinatown areas. It features a new interactive heritage gallery led by students from Anderson Secondary School and Gan Eng Seng School. The gallery displays objects, photographs and personal effects contributed by intangible cultural heritage practitioners and former residences. Admission to the gallery is free. 

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  • Museums
  • Specialist interest
  • Rochor

Growing up in mainland China, Mr Bian Hui Bin was exposed to Chinese opera from a young age. He has harboured a deep love for the artform ever since, so when he came to Singapore, he wanted to introduce the different types of Chinese opera to locals and foreigners alike. Tucked away on the second floor of a Kampong Glam shophouse, the museum showcases the styles, costumes and props employed by the various types of Chinese opera in Singapore.

Educate the little ones

  • Museums
  • City Hall

Singapore's first museum dedicated to kids aged 12 and below takes over the former Singapore Philatelic Museum building, transforming two floors of galleries into interactive and educational play areas. Four permanent galleries on the first floor of Children's Museum Singapore (CMSG) take kids on a journey through time, exploring Singapore's past, present and future through National Collection artefacts, creative storytelling, and engaging sets and games. On the second floor, CMSG has three special exhibitions that will be refreshed every year, providing ever-evolving entertainment for young children and families. 

Singapore Science Centre
  • Things to do
  • Jurong East

An institute built for the cultivation of everything scientific (yeah, science!), this kid-friendly institution features regular exhibitions that promote the physical, life, applied, technology and industry sciences. The centre also lays claim to Singapore’s only domed cinema, the Omni-Theatre, which is equipped with state-of-the-art IMAX technology.

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Singapore Discovery Centre
  • Things to do
  • Jurong West

The Singapore story is vividly brought to life in this centre’s five galleries of interactive and multi-sensory exhibits. Highlights include the Visionarium, the world’s first and largest interactive design studio with a 360-degree wrap-around screen, and the iWERKS Theatre, a flat-screen theatre that projects conventional and 3D giant screen movies. 

  • Things to do
  • Sentosa

Go on a voyage with well-known seafarers like Marco Polo and Sang Nila Utama to learn about the Maritime Silk Route. Sink into its rich trade history with 15 thematic galleries. Be wowed by the life-sized Jewel of Muscat – a ship built like a 9th century Arabian Dhow. Have a go at tying classic mariners' knots at the Learning To Navigate chamber – a brand new interactive section modelled after a ship’s lower deck. Don't miss the typhoon theatre's 4D show of a ship navigating a tumultuous storm. 

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  • Things to do
  • City Hall

This private museum is considered to be the largest collection of its kind in Southeast Asia, showcasing a collection of over 50,000 pieces of vintage toys. With rare or one-of-a-kind pieces sourced from more than 40 countries – some of which date back to the mid-19th century – it’s easy to get caught up in the past in this five-storey temple to toys.

The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum
  • Museums
  • Yishun

Recently relocated to Yishun from the Chinese Garden is The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum – that’s right, live. It’s a sanctuary for more than 200 turtles and tortoises of over 60 species, including a host of rare reptiles. Be wowed by the weird and wondrous mata-mata, fearsome alligator snapping turtles, and one 60-year-old Asian pond turtle. There’s even a double-headed, six-legged amphibian that the museum owners claimed to have found in their courtyard and nursed back to health.  Kids can head to the petting corner, where they’ll get up-close and personal with some of the gentler critters. Look out for the tiny terrapins and soft shell tortoises roaming freely through the park – you can give them a pat on the shell or feed them. 

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  • Things to do
  • Sentosa

Aside from the usual army of international superstars, visitors can take selfies with some of our local heroes and celebs, including Jack Neo and Gurmit Singh, at the A-List Party section. Another feature to look out for is the indoor boat ride, Spirit of Singapore, which is unique to the Singapore outpost. It features some of our native plants, models of sightseeing attractions, and glimpses into local culture, such as a re-enactment of a traditional Chinese opera.

Trick Eye Museum
  • Things to do
  • Sentosa

Originating from Korea, the Trick Eye Museum at Resorts World Sentosa Singapore houses six zones with different themes such as ‘Safari’ and ‘Circus’. Each features three-dimensional paintings and optical illusion masterpieces that make for crazy photo ops.

Museums you never knew you needed

  • Things to do
  • Rochor

Boasting a repository of over 1000 vintage cameras, the museum is the first gallery in Singapore that's dedicated to a collection of the analog instrument – in fact, the building itself resembles a massive Rollei camera. On display are everything from novel old-school spy cameras – think James Bond – to pistol cameras. Besides equipment, the museum also showcases retro photographs, interesting nuggets on photography and an authentic replica of the first ever picture taken on a camera.

  • Things to do
  • Tanjong Pagar

Be enchanted by tinkling musical boxes in a museum dedicated to these delightful trinkets. Through the museum's doors lies centuries worth of history. Here, you can learn about the popularity of musical boxes throughout the years, how they first came to Singapore, and how Singapore played a pivotal role in bringing musical boxes to Southeast Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries. 

Most of the musical boxes here are antiques that are centuries old, each telling a unique story of the craftsmanship of yesteryears. The museum aims to upkeep the preservation of these artefacts, and its collections hail mainly from Switzerland, Germany and the US.

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Sports Museum
  • Things to do
  • Kallang

Follow the history and development of various sports in Singapore from colonial times to the years of independence. In the Traditional & Indigenous Sports Gallery, you can learn all about local games such as Chinese hopscotch, chapteh and five stones, while the country’s top sportsmen and women are honoured in the Our Heroes Gallery.

  • Things to do
  • Paya Lebar

This museum, which traces the development of the Republic of Singapore Air Force from its early days as the Royal Air Force in 1927 to the present day, has nine indoor galleries which feature air force artefacts and dioramas with audio-visual effects. The outdoor gallery showcases fighter planes such as the A4-C Skyhawk, the SF 260 Marchetti and the Hunter Hawker.

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  • Things to do
  • City Hall

Head to the second floor of The Cathay and you’ll find more movie magic at The Cathay Gallery. This hidden gem is a time capsule of movie memorabilia wallpapered with vintage film posters of the most iconic flicks in cinematic history, such as the animated classic The Jungle Book and The Sound of Music.

A walk through The Cathay Gallery will take you through the storied history of the Loke family, who were pioneers of the film industry in Singapore and founders of the Cathay Organisation. While you’re there, be sure to check out the black-and-white trailer for the Cathay-produced horror flick from 1957, Pontianak.

  • Museums
  • Serangoon

Most people consider ants to be pests. But for others, the tiny creatures serve as an uncanny source of inspiration. Zat Low has transformed his love for the insect into a two-storey museum filled with exhibitions, interactive displays, and works of art. Over at The Singapore Ant Museum, explore an unseen world of ants and gain a better understanding of the creature through 50 different native species, and some 25 intricately designed formicarium, or ant farms.

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