Wandering the halls of a well-curated museum is one of our favorite ways to spend an afternoon. Lucky for us, getting cultured in the Lion City is an easy feat. Singapore is home to a large range of museums loaded with top-notch permanent collections, unique exhibitions and offbeat treasures, meaning that whatever piques your interest – whether it’s art, music, history or culture – there will be something ready to wow you.

If you’re not sure where to start, we have rounded up Singapore’s best museums for you. Scroll on down for something more than the usual arts-focused spaces and explore a broad spectrum of other fascinating collections. Many of these are even located near each other so you could design your own museum-hopping trail.

The National Museum of Singapore is the largest local museum. Known previously as the Singapore History Museum, it is made up of two main galleries: the Singapore Living Galleries, which focuses on four themes: film, photography, food and fashion, and the Singapore History Gallery, which shows the history of Singapore from its 14th-century beginnings to present day.

Address: 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897

Nearest MRT Station: Dhoby Ghaut

 

An iconic cultural landmark and gem of modern architecture amidst the Singapore skyline, where art, science, culture and technology meet. Designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the ArtScience museum has a lotus-inspired structure and has collaborated with the likes of The British Museum, London, Science Gallery International, Dublin, and The American Museum of Natural History, New York. Throughout the years it has showcased various notable exhibits including Marvel Studios: Ten Years of Heroes, as well as exhibits by Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali.

Address: 6 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018974

Nearest MRT Station: Bayfront

The National Gallery of Singapore aims to create dialogues between the art of Singapore, Southeast Asia and the world to inspire a creative and inclusive society. It focuses heavily on art from the 19^th century up till today and works with many notable international museums such as Tate Britain and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.

Address: 1 St Andrew’s Rd, Singapore 178957

Nearest MRT Station: City Hall

The Asian Civilisations Museum is the only museum in Asia with a pan-Asian scope, featuring Asian antiquities and decorative art from the 19^th century. It houses 11 galleries, showcasing more than 1,000 artifacts from the civilisations of West Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China, thematically organised to emphasize the flows of ideas and artistic traditions.

Address: 1 Empress Pl, Singapore 179555

Nearest MRT Station: Raffles Place

Housed along the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade since 2017, the Singapore Red Dot Design Museum is more than an educational trip. It is one of the most interesting places you can visit, featuring intricate and ground-breaking designs created by winners of the prestigious Red Dot product design awards. The museum also features one of the best design shops in Singapore, where sleek objects from around the world can be purchased.

Address: 11 Marina Blvd, Singapore 018940

Nearest MRT Station: Bayfront / Marina Bay / Downtown

Madame Tussauds Singapore not only features the usual international superstars but also local celebrities including Gurmit Singh and Jack Neo. Enjoy their latest permanent fixture, the Marvel 4D Experience – an interactive exhibition with life-sized figures of your favourite Marvel heroes.

Address: 40 Imbiah Rd, Sentosa, 099700

Nearest MRT Station: Located in Sentosa, accessible via HarbourFront

 

For photography amateurs and professionals alike, the Vintage Camera Museum is the first and only gallery in Singapore that houses a collection of over 1000 vintage cameras. From old-school spy cameras to pistol cameras and the original drone cameras that were attached to pigeons, discover the ancestors of today’s photography equipment. This gallery does not have a “no-touching” rule, which means that visitors can actually pick up and try out the vintage cameras themselves!

Address: 8D Jln Kledek, Singapore 199263

Nearest MRT Station: Bugis

You can take in the sights and sounds of Singapore in the comfort of the island’s extensive train system and public bus network. All these heritage places are accessible via MRT/bus using the Singapore Tourist Pass, a practical and affordable way to embark on your own journey of discovery! For more tips on places to visit in Singapore, follow @SingaporeTouristPass on Instagram.

.

The Singapore Tourist Pass is a special ez-link card that offers tourists unlimited travel on Singapore’s basic bus services, MRT and LRT trains. In addition, the pass comes with many additional perks & discounts, which makes it a must-have to experience Singapore to the fullest.

 

All images © Singapore Tourist Pass.