Venue type guide
Museums in Singapore cover art, heritage and science, and the best exhibitions have fixed runs. This guide introduces three major museums and how to time a visit.
What these venues host
Museums in Singapore are compact and easy to combine. Three of the best known sit a short distance apart around the Civic District and Marina Bay, so you can plan a day around one or two of them.
National Gallery Singapore, at 1 St Andrew’s Road, shows the National Collection and temporary shows, and is open daily from 10am to 7pm. The National Museum of Singapore at 93 Stamford Road tells the story of the country through permanent galleries and changing exhibitions. ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands is built around digital and science-led shows, including the long-running Future World by teamLab.
Museum exhibitions in Singapore tend to run for several months, and art exhibitions in Singapore are often tied to a theme year or a partner institution. ArtScience Museum shows how this works: Into the Ocean: Journey Beneath is listed for 6 June to 1 November 2026, followed by More than Human: Designing with Nature from 28 November 2026 to 16 May 2027. Check the museum’s own page for the latest.
We are building a guide for each museum. Until those are published, this page links to the homepage and the other venue types, and points you to the official sites for tickets and hours.
The venues
Area and what each museum is known for. Individual guides are in preparation.
Civic District
At 1 St Andrew’s Road, a short walk from City Hall MRT. Singaporeans and permanent residents enter free; visitors pay from S$20.
Marina Bay
The lotus-shaped museum at Marina Bay Sands, with rotating exhibitions on art, science and technology.
Civic District
Singapore’s oldest museum, on Stamford Road, with permanent history galleries and changing exhibitions.
Practical tips
Check admission by residency. National Gallery Singapore gives Singaporeans and PRs free general admission and charges international visitors S$20 for general admission or S$30 for all-access. The National Museum offers free permanent galleries to citizens and PRs and charges visitors S$20 for adults.
Know the closures. National Gallery’s UOB Southeast Asia Gallery is temporarily closed and is due to reopen in late 2027, though other National Collection works remain on display.
Visit on a Friday or Saturday evening for ArtScience. It stays open until 9pm on those days, with last admission at 8.15pm. Other days it closes at 7pm.
Allow two to three hours each. Pair National Gallery and the National Museum on one day, as the sites are in the same area, and give ArtScience its own evening.
Book timed or special exhibitions ahead. Ticketed shows can sell out at weekends. Use the museum’s official site rather than resellers.
Come by MRT. City Hall is the closest station for National Gallery, about a 7-minute walk via the Art Connector.
National Gallery Singapore, the National Museum of Singapore and ArtScience Museum are three of the best known, covering art, heritage and science.
Partly. National Gallery Singapore is free for Singaporeans and PRs, and the National Museum’s permanent galleries are free for citizens and PRs. Visitors generally pay. ArtScience Museum charges everyone, with concessions for residents.
National Gallery Singapore shows the National Collection plus changing exhibitions. Check its official site for the current programme.
National Gallery and ArtScience Museum open daily from 10am to 7pm. ArtScience stays open to 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The National Museum opens daily from 10am to 7pm.
Yes. The National Gallery and the National Museum are both in the Civic District. ArtScience Museum is at Marina Bay Sands, a short MRT ride away.
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