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Singapore City Gallery

Singapore City Gallery: Hours, Address, Singapore City Gallery Reviews: 4.5/5

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Singapore City Gallery

See all things to do
See all things to do
Singapore City Gallery
4.5
512
#30 of 1 126 things to do in Singapore
Speciality Museums
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Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
Singapore City Gallery is a great starting point to get to know the city for free. Located beside the Maxwell food centre in the historic district of Chinatown, this 3 storey visitor centre goes beneath the skin of the city to understand how the city came to be, that even though it’s a dense built-up city of tar, glass and concrete, it is still so green, has memorable buildings, historic districts and walkable streets. You can imagine and design your own version of Marina Bay or explore plans long into the future like Greater Southern Waterfront city. The main draw is an enormous model replica of the City Centre with uncannily accurate miniatures of building and streetscapes. Look out for an illustrative map drawn by Lee Xin Li. It will sure to bring back memories of Singapore, past and present. Before you leave, catch the dramatic 3-min Island Wide Model show screened every 20 mins at level 1.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Central Business District
How to get there
  • Telok Ayer • 6 min walk
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To Gather
31 mSpeciality Museums
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1
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4.5
512 reviews
Excellent
293
Very good
180
Average
38
Poor
1
Terrible
0
ILSG
Singapore, Singapore33 contributions
Third visit to the city gallery
Dec 2020
Fabulous, the time-slider interactive maps are great, the overall city plan shows why singapore is singapore, the history and future plans are all well presented.
Written 15 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Martin H
Bristol, UK156 contributions
Very interesting
Mar 2020
Wasn't sure what to expect here, but it turned out to be an excellent experience. On 3 floors a series of maps, models, interactive videos etc takes you through the cities 50 year plan to where it is today. There are also other exhibition's of photos, sculpture etc as well. Definitely worth a visit. Recommended.
Written 16 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Fred T
Reno, NV739 contributions
Great way to learn about Singapore and city planning and issues
Feb 2020
This free place was an education on how the city grew and what good city planning can mean. It has exhibits spread over three floors. Enjoyed the section of what other cities are doing for the future. Wish my home town would have good city planners like this place. It took me around two hours.
Written 3 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
hiroko
Hokkaido, Japan36 contributions
Marvelous City Gallery!
Jan 2020
This was my 2nd visit. (In 2018, this gallery was partially closed for renovation.)

1F:You can learn stunning city planning of Singapore through interactive screens and various panels on the wall.

2F:Terrific scale models of the city give you a good overview of Singapore.
It's a fun to find the hotel you stay or planned skyscrapers..

Free admission! Air- conditioning! If you are in the vicinity of chinatown, it well worth visiting. If you are really interested in Singapore city planning, I recommend you the combo of this gallery and HDB HUB in Toa Payoh.
Written 30 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
glee55
Melbourne, Australia83 contributions
Great Tour of Planning Miracle!
Jan 2020
We dropped by being only 4 minutes walk from our Sofitel City Centre Hotel. Were allowed to participate in free tour on walk-in basis. Volunteer guide Richard gave a knowledgable and passionate tour which went for about 90 minutes. Provides a great overview of Singapore history and the city layout. There is much to learn from Singapore.
Written 18 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
esubijono
Jakarta, Indonesia936 contributions
See all Singapore in one place
Dec 2019
Office with great display. We can get any information regarding every aspects of urban life in Singapore from URA. There are several agencies having workplace at the same URA building. Spend around 1 hour to enjoy the show.
Written 21 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Stephen U
UK81 contributions
The best city planners in the wrld? probably
Dec 2019
The Singapore City Gallery in Maxwell Street gives a fascinating view of how Singapore got to where it is today and where it intends to go in the future. Town Planning, that often despised art (or science,) is one area where Singapore probably leads the world. After all, it is a city that, to the visitor and one suspects the resident, “works.” It is difficult to think of another. The credit for that must go to the Singaporean people who obviously believe in the place and to the skill and enterprise of Singapore’s planners. The gallery provides an insight into what is kept and why and what is demolished in the name of progress. It shows the importance given to open spaces (although Singapore is a high-rise city, it never seems to overpower the visitor,) and to getting people about the City-State. It shows where the water comes from, how power is distributed (oddly, there seemed to be little obvious use of solar power,) and how the city will keep hold of all the parameters that will ensure it can continue to grow and prosper.

This trip we did not have enough time to give the Gallery the attention it merits so will be returning during our next trip to Singapore. It would have been interesting if there had been maybe one or two retired planners about to buttonhole.
Written 15 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Alexandra Bell
Greater Sydney, Australia2 contributions
Very impressive architectural exhibitions and models.
Oct 2019 • Family
Every Architect and citizen interested in urban development must visit the gallery. There is lot more to learn from it. If you have a big group, engage a tour guide - they're really knowledgeable and helpful!
Written 16 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Bailey Elliott
Chichester, UK2 contributions
It’s definitely a must go
Oct 2019 • Friends
From historical maps to modern master plans, this gallery tells the story of 200 years of development. Coupled with interactive features and 3D models, the whole tour is highly engaging and informative.
Written 12 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Megan McDonald
Texas5 contributions
Wonderful place !
Sep 2019 • Friends
A brilliant assortment of designs that give a glimpse of the past, present, and future of Singapore cityscap
Written 26 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Singapore City Gallery
Singapore City Gallery is open:
  • Mon - Sat 09:00 - 17:00
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Singapore City Gallery tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 6 Singapore City Gallery tours on Tripadvisor
According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Singapore City Gallery: See all Singapore City Gallery experiences on Tripadvisor