The Ultimate List of Museums to Visit in Singapore

Let’s Travel Back in Time With Singapore Museums!

Known as the melting pot of art and culture, Singapore is deeply rooted in history, making it Asia’s most visited place. Museums in Singapore dot the streets, featuring a load of block-buster exhibitions, offbeat treasures, and permanent collections. Located at the Malay Peninsula’s southern tip, the museums in this Lion City are all set to wow you, whether your interest lies in contemporary arts, rare stamps, or military history.

Here’s the list of the best 10 museums in Singapore!

Asian Civilizations Museum is the most acclaimed Singapore museum, abbreviated as ACM, which allows a journey through all the Asian impressive arts and culture. There are more than 1300 artifacts in its captivating 11 galleries divided into 3 levels right in the Empress Place Building. As it is the only region’s museum, it allows you to stroll through the substantial relic selection of South Asian, West Asian, Southeast Asian, and Chinese cultures; some of them even are 5,000 years old. Don’t miss out on the 1st museum’s modern Singapore fashion display, #SGFASHIONNOW, in terms of Asian cultural heritage.

 1 Empress Place, Singapore 179555

Previously home of the Supreme Court and City Hall, the National Gallery Singapore is the world’s largest of-its-kind museum with a public collection of approx. 10,000 pieces of Southeast Asian and Singaporean art. Set in the Civic District of Downtown, this museum boasts a few kid-friendly installations and exhibits, so little ones won’t get bored here. Wrap your day off with a cocktail at the Smoke & Mirrors, the museum’s rooftop bar, overlooking the majestic Singapore skyline.

 1 St Andrew's Rd, Singapore 178957

Opened in 1996 as the first Singapore art museum, set in the major shopping district right on Bras Basah Road, Singapore Art Museum features an extensive collection of 8,000 contemporary and modern Singaporean and Southeast Asian art. Stretching to 10,000 sq. m plus, this museum includes 14 amazing fully climate-controlled galleries, plus there is a café, a gift shop, and restaurants as well.

 71 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189555

Formerly known by the name of the Singapore History Museum, the National Museum Singapore is one of the mammoth local museums, comprised of two main galleries. The Singapore History Gallery contains the history from the 14th century to the present day while the Singapore Living Galleries emphasizes 4 themes: film, photography, fashion, and food. Don’t forget to check out the permanent exhibit named Story of the Forest and the treasured National Museum collection via a spectacular virtual presentation.

 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897

Fusion of great art and science can be easily found at this ArtScience Museum, set on the waterfront in the Marina Bay Sand shadow. Featuring 21 gallery spaces, the museum is of unique shape like outstretched hands or probably similar to a bunch of bananas. This art and science museum in Singapore provides the city with the most famous exhibitions, featuring props, sets, and costumes from blockbuster films like Harry Potter and Titanic franchises. The Future World is its permanent exhibit, which is a mind-bender, crafted by Japanese arts collective TeamLab.

 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956

One of the most iconic sites of World War II is this very Changi Chapel Museum housed in a purpose-built place. What fascinates visitors the most are the compelling stories of ingenuity within POW camps and industry. In the museum’s courtyard is a chapel, housing the kitschy copies as well as the Changi murals replicas recreated by Stanley Warren.

1000 Upper Changi Road North, Singapore 507707

Positioned on Sentosa Island at Imbiah Lookout, Images of Singapore showcases Singapore's history through audio-visual presentations. In this old-style warehouse-styled museum, exhibits are from the period of British arrival, Malaysian rule, and the post-colonist period under 1st Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Plus, this museum offers themed boat rides and an actor-guided tour of 45 minutes, allowing one to peek into Singapore's history.

40 Imbiah Road, Singapore 099700

The Singapore Philatelic Museum has been curating Singapore philatelic materials from almost 1830 till the present day. It features a huge collection of stamps belonging Universal Postal Union’s member countries. Moreover, there’s also a detailed visual display opportunity that includes the making of stamps from scratch.

23-B Coleman Street Singapore, Singapore 179807

Singapore houses the first-ever Southeast Asia natural history museum, named Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. Stretched over 2 floors, 2,500 sq. m, and 15 zones, the exhibition gallery portrays 2,000 plus Southeast Asia’s animal and plant specimens. But, the interesting part is an opportunity to get a personal close-up with three 150-million-year-old dinosaur fossils. And not only dinosaur fossils, but you will also catch sight of a sperm whale skeleton, an Asian Brown Flycatcher specimen, and the largest turtle specimen.

 The National University of Singapore 2 Conservatory Dr. Singapore 117377

The Peranakan Museum boasts ten galleries that portray over 1,200 Straits Chinese artifacts items, including jewelry, food, porcelain, religious items, silver, and textiles. This newly refurbished museum features brand-new permanent galleries that present exceptional objects from Peranakan culture.

Wrapping it all, Singapore, a city, a state, and a capital all at once is the world’s much busier port. From lively attractions to thrilling rides, Singapore has it all, and for history buffs, the best world museums.