Museums in Singapore
Singapore's museums run from two national institutions in the Civic District to small community galleries in Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Gelam, plus a few oddities such as a toy museum and a camera museum. Several close on Mondays or are by booking only, so check before you walk over.
Civic District
Civic District guide
TicketsNational Gallery Singapore
Southeast Asian art in two national monuments
3 hours·Civic District·From S$20
TicketsAsian Civilisations Museum
Two millennia of Asian craft and trade by the river
2 hours·Civic District·From S$15
TicketsOn until 7 MarchSacred Caves: Dunhuang at ACM
Life-size Mogao caves at the Asian Civilisations Museum
2 hours·Civic District·From S$25
TicketsNational Museum of Singapore
The nation's story, in the 1887 building
2 hours·Dhoby Ghaut·From S$18
Chinatown
Chinatown guide
FreeBuddha Tooth Relic Temple
Tang-style temple, free entry, rooftop garden
1 hour·Chinatown·Free
FreeSingapore City Gallery
Free scale model of the city at URA
1 hour·Chinatown·Free
TicketsChinatown Heritage Centre
Restored 1950s shophouses on Pagoda Street
1.5 hours·Chinatown·From S$25
TicketsClosed until 2027Baba House
Peranakan terrace on Neil Road, closed until 2027
1.5 hours·Chinatown·From S$18
Tanjong Pagar, Duxton and Everton Park
Tanjong Pagar, Duxton and Everton Park guideSGH Museum
Two centuries of medicine in a 1926 monument
1 hour·Outram·Free
Harmony in Diversity Gallery
A free gallery on Singapore's many faiths
1.5 hours·Tanjong Pagar·Free
Gajah Gallery
Southeast Asian contemporary art at Distripark
45 min·Tanjong Pagar·Free
Whitestone Gallery Singapore
A contemporary art gallery at Distripark
45 min·Tanjong Pagar·Free
Botanic Gardens & Bukit Timah
Botanic Gardens & Bukit Timah guideChangi
Changi guideClementi & the West Coast
Clementi & the West Coast guide
TicketsLee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Three dinosaur skeletons on the NUS Kent Ridge campus
2 hours·Kent Ridge·From S$27
FreeNUS Museum
South and Southeast Asian art on campus
1.5 hours·Kent Ridge·Free
TicketsHell's Museum at Haw Par Villa
The Ten Courts, interpreted for adults
2 hours·Pasir Panjang·From S$22
Kampong Glam
Kampong Glam guideLittle India
Little India guide
TicketsIndian Heritage Centre
Little India's museum, from Chettiar to cinema
1.5 hours·Little India·From S$10
FreeThe Gem Museum
Free gemology gallery on Perak Road, by timeslot
1 hour·Little India·Free
Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore
Five free contemporary art galleries at LASALLE
1 hour·Rochor·Free
Marina Bay
Marina Bay guideOrchard
Orchard guideElsewhere in Singapore
FreeMandai Gallery
Mandai's zoo-to-reserve story, with complimentary entry
45 min·Mandai·Free
FreeSingapore Maritime Gallery
Free ship simulators above Marina South Pier
1.5 hours·Marina South·Free
TicketsSingapore Art Museum
Contemporary art at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
2 hours·Harbourfront·From S$20
TicketsReflections at Bukit Chandu
Malay Regiment's last stand, 13 Feb 1942
1 hour·Harbourfront·From S$7
TicketsClosed for nowSun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Sun Yat Sen's Balestier villa, shut until 2027
1 hour·Balestier·About S$6
TicketsThe Intan
Private Peranakan house museum, by appointment
1 hour·Joo Chiat·From S$64
FreeRSAF Air Force Museum
Jets on the ground at Paya Lebar
2 hours·Paya Lebar·Free
TicketsImages of Singapore LIVE
Included in the Madame Tussauds standard ticket
1.5 hours·Sentosa·From S$38
TicketsEurasian Heritage Gallery
Three Eurasian galleries on Ceylon Road, Katong
1 hour·Katong·From S$5
FreeHarmony Centre @ An-Nahdhah
An interfaith gallery inside a Bishan mosque
1 hour·Bishan·Free
Questions · Reviewed October 2026
Which museum should I visit first in Singapore?
The National Museum of Singapore is where we'd start, since it walks you through the nation's story inside its 1887 building on Stamford Road. If art is the draw, the National Gallery holds the largest public collection of Southeast Asian modern art and fills an afternoon on its own. For craft and trade, the Asian Civilisations Museum is usually quieter than the Gallery.
Which museums in Singapore cover World War II?
The Battlebox, Changi Chapel & Museum, Former Ford Factory and Reflections at Bukit Chandu are four small museums that cover the war. The Battlebox is a bunker under Fort Canning Hill, Changi tells of the prisoners of war and civilian internees, and the Ford Factory is the boardroom where Singapore surrendered in 1942. The WWII Heritage Combo joins the Battlebox to Bukit Chandu or Changi in one day.
See alsoFormer Ford FactoryReflections at Bukit ChanduWWII Heritage Combo
Which unusual or quirky museums are there in Singapore?
MINT Museum of Toys fills a pre-war shophouse on Seah Street with toys from the 1840s to the 1980s. The Singapore Musical Box Museum plays its antique boxes for you on a guided tour, by booking only. Hell's Museum at Haw Par Villa walks you through the Ten Courts of Hell, and it isn't for under-9s.
Which museums cover Singapore's Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan history?
Each community has a museum in or near its own neighbourhood. The Chinatown Heritage Centre fills three restored 1950s shophouses on Pagoda Street, and the Malay Heritage Centre sits in the old sultan's palace in Kampong Gelam. The Indian Heritage Centre has five galleries on Campbell Lane, and the Peranakan Museum on Armenian Street shows beadwork, kebaya and a 12-day wedding display.
See alsoIndian Heritage CentrePeranakan MuseumEurasian Heritage Gallery