If you are not a history buff, museums might seem like a relic of the past. But museums in Singapore, which have been specially curated to preserve culturally or scientifically significant objects, contain pearls of wisdom for those not interested in history. Some of them even have a regional focus and therefore also serve as must-visit tourist locations.
Check out our list of the 10 best museums in Singapore to stop by for a history lesson.
1. National Museum of Singapore
If you want to learn more about Singapore’s history, there’s no better place to visit than one of its national museums, the National Museum of Singapore (as it is so aptly named). Established in 1849, the National Museum of Singapore is the country’s oldest museum. Its galleries tell the story of Singapore’s development for more than 700 years.
If that sounds interesting to you, a must-visit is the museum’s permanent exhibition, the Singapore History Gallery on Level 1. Here, travel back in time and rediscover Singapore’s past through the tales of those who lived through it. Artefacts on display include military relics from World War II and the Singapore Stone, Singapore’s earliest inscribed artefact.
Entry to the Singapore History Gallery and Story of the Forest only is free for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. Otherwise, an all-access adult admission ticket costs S$5 for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. Seniors, students and children get free entry. If you are a foreigner, an all-access adult admission ticket is priced at S$15.
Get your tickets from FeverUp.
93 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178897
+65 6332 3659
Daily: 10am – 6.30pm
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2. National Gallery Singapore
The National Gallery Singapore is a museum in the Civic District dedicated to art. Home to more than 8,000 artworks from across Southeast Asia from the nineteenth century to the present, it boasts the world’s largest public collection of modern art in Southeast Asia.
The museum also boasts an extensive collection of Singapore art. Visit its inaugural Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore Since the Nineteenth Century exhibition. Drawing on over 300 works such as National Language Class (1959), it explores the influences that have shaped Singapore art, in a chronological sequence from the nineteenth century until today.
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents enjoy free admission to the museum. If you want to bypass the queue and save time during your visit, buy a standard adult fast-track ticket for S$14. A concession ticket for children, senior citizens and students is priced at S$11.
Get your tickets FeverUp – Fast Track FeverUp – International E-Ticket
Singapore 178957
+65 6271 7000
Daily: 10am – 7pm
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3. ArtScience Museum
If you like both art and science, there is no better museum in Singapore to visit than the ArtScience Museum, which as its name suggests, converges the 2 disparate disciplines.
Designed by famous architect Moshe Safdie, the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum has been called “The Welcoming Hand of Singapore”. With 21 gallery spaces spanning nearly 5,000 square metres, the ArtScience Museum has held large-scale art and science exhibitions.
Catch Frida Kahlo: The Life of an Icon, an ongoing immersive biography exhibition that chronicles the life and work of Frida Kahlo—one of the most powerful women artists of the twentieth century—extensively acknowledged for her unyielding and dynamic self-portraits.
An adult admission ticket is priced at S$19. Seniors, children and students fork out S$14.
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You may like the limited-time Frida Kahlo exhibition
+65 6688 8888
Daily: 10am – 7pm
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4. Children’s Museum
Does your little one get bored when you bring him or her to a museum? If so, you might want to consider bringing him to the Children’s Museum, which is dedicated to children.
Travel back in time with its permanent exhibition titled “A Voyage Back in Time” that will be around till 2027. Here, embark on a voyage with Captain and WonderBot to the Singapore of yore. Learn more about our history with a theatre show at The Hidden Chamber. Objects from the Captain’s secret stash come to life and tell stories about where they come from.
Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents enjoy free admission. If you are a foreigner, be prepared to pay S$10.90/child and S$16.35/adult. Kids aged 12 months and below do not require a ticket. Adult visitors can enter only when they are accompanying children.
23-B, Coleman St. Singapore 179807
+65 6337 3888
Mon: Closed, Tue-Sun: 9am – 5.45pm
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5. MINT Museum of Toys
If you have kids, another must-visit museum in Singapore is the MINT Museum of Toys in Bugis. Despite its small size, it is the largest vintage toy museum in Asia with a growing collection of 50,000 vintage toys and collectibles, including action figures and board games.
Their toy collection, ranging from the 1840s to the 1980s, hails from over 40 countries.
The toys are displayed across four thematic levels (Outerspace, Characters, Childhood Favourites and Collectables), including an enamel sign gallery at Level R (Rooftop Level).
Level 4 is home to the Characters – The World of Comic Books collection, with comic book superheroes. These include the 8 Man Robot and Batman made by Bandai in the 1960s.
An adult admission ticket costs S$30. Children and senior citizens enjoy a rate of S$21.
Get your tickets from FeverUp
26 Seah St, Singapore 188382
+65 6339 0660
Mon: Closed, Tue-Sun: 9am – 6.30pm
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6. Museum of Ice Cream Singapore
Looking for a family-friendly food-themed museum? Be sure to check out the Museum of Ice Cream Singapore in the Dempsey neighbourhood. You can look forward to unlimited ice cream treats.
As icing on the cake, the Museum of Ice Cream Singapore also offers a huge sprinkle pool (the largest of any Museum of Ice Cream location worldwide) for your kids (and you) to play in.
If you prefer facts to fun, learn all about ice cream across its 12 multi-sensory installations. For example, did you know that ice cream-like foods emerged in Persia as early as 550 BC?
Weekday/weekend tickets start from S$35/S$45. Kids below the age of 2 enter for free.
100 Loewen Rd, Singapore 248837
Thu – Sun: 10am – 9pm, Mon – Wed: 10am – 6pm
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7. NUS Baba House
The National University of Singapore (NUS) Baba House is a 3-storey townhouse nestled in Singapore’s Blair Plain area. Run by the NUS Museum, the Baba House makes research into architectural preservation, urban and social legacy and cultural mixedness much easier.
A must-try is the Living Architecture: Conservation Tour at NUS Baba House. This special house tour led by the Baba House NUS student facilitators will spotlight the unique architectural features of Baba House. It also presents a scarce opportunity for visitors to witness the conservation efforts needed to preserve and restore Singapore’s built heritage.
Entry is free for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, National University of Singapore Staff, Students and Alumni, students holding valid passes and International Council of Museums and Museum Roundtable members. All other visitors pay a S$10 fee.
157 Neil Rd, Singapore 088883
+65 6227 5731
Sun & Mon: Closed, Tue-Fri: 10am – 11am, Sat: 1pm – 4pm
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8. Madame Tussauds Singapore
If you prefer visiting museums with a global focus, a must-see is Madame Tussauds Singapore. Opened in 2014, the museum pays tribute to international celebrities such as singer Lady Gaga, English footballer David Beckham and the American actor Johnny Depp.
The museum also has wax figures of local celebrities, such as former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and actress Zoe Tay. If you are a Singaporean, visit its Images of Singapore exhibition. Learn how people in Singapore lived across various eras for nearly 2 centuries.
A standard ticket (with a Digiphoto included) booked on the day itself costs S$44/adult and S$32 for 1 child aged 3-12. Entry is guaranteed when you book your ticket online.
40 Imbiah Rd, Sentosa, Singapore 099700
+65 6715 4000
Daily: 10am – 7pm
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9. Former Fort Factory
A war junkie? Stop by the Former Fort Factory. Situated along Bukit Timah Road, it is where the British surrendered to the Japanese during World War 2 on 15 February 1942.
Since then, the site has been converted into a permanent exhibition named Memories at Old Ford Factory. It shows what life in Singapore was like during the Japanese Occupation.
Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and children aged 6 and below enjoy free admission. Otherwise, if you are a foreigner, you will have to pay S$7.13 per person.
351 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 588192
+65 6462 6724
Tue – Sun: 9am – 5.30pm, Mon: Closed
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10. Singapore Discovery Centre
Another museum that military history nerds should visit is the Singapore Discovery Centre, although you may have to travel for this one. Located at the SAFTI Military Institute in Jurong West, The Singapore Discovery Centre is an ‘edutainment’ and tourist attraction. It houses exhibits on the history of Singapore as well as future possibilities.
Hop onto the SAFTI MI Bus Tour around the 88-hectare training ground for officers-to-be. This tour offers a glimpse into the life of an officer cadet and the role of the Singapore Armed Forces in defending our nation. The free tour is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents enjoy free admission to the permanent exhibits (Through the Lens of Time and Sandbox). Non-Singaporeans are required to buy a ticket.
510 Upper Jurong Rd, Singapore 638365
+65 6715 4000
Mon – Fri: 12pm – 6pm, Sat & Sun: 11am – 7pm
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