Merlion Park

In shortMerlion Park is free to enter and open 24 hours, at 1 Fullerton Road. Checked October 2026.

Family & Kids · free

Duration

30 min

The take

Yes, it's touristy, and yes, you should still go. Come at dawn for the photo without the tour coaches, then walk Jubilee Bridge to the Esplanade. The river cruise jetty is right next door if you'd rather ride.

Good to know

Free, no ticket

The original 8.6m Merlion, plus its cub

Finding it: 1 Fullerton Road, at the mouth of the Singapore River, a 10-minute walk from Raffles Place MRT

Hours checked October 2026

#free #iconic #photos

Before you go

How tall is the Merlion statue at Merlion Park?

The Merlion statue stands 8.6 metres tall and weighs 70 tonnes. It was unveiled on 15 September 1972 by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and was built by local craftsman Lim Nang Seng to a design by Kwan Sai Kheong. It spouts water from its mouth, so the lion is the part to frame.

Sources: Singapore Tourism Board

Why was the Merlion moved to its current spot?

The Esplanade Bridge, finished in 1997, blocked the view of the statue from the waterfront, so it was moved to Merlion Park. The park stands in front of the Fullerton Hotel and looks across Marina Bay. The statue first stood at the mouth of the Singapore River, so you are seeing it a short way from where it began.

Sources: Singapore Tourism Board

What does the Merlion's lion head and fish tail mean?

The lion's head stands for Singapura, the city's original name, which means lion city in Sanskrit. The fish body stands for Singapore's origins as a fishing village called Temasek, a name from the same root as the Malay word for lake. The Singapore Tourism Board tells both stories on its Merlion Park page.

Sources: Singapore Tourism Board