Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center

This museum is extraordinary! It was spacious, beautiful, very imaginatively designed and outlined the philosophy and planning for the city of Shanghai using scale models, panels, colourful LED displays and an incredible 5-minute video that took the space of an entire room to tell the story in 3D. It would be inspirational for anyone but especially anybody who's involved in urban planning or city governance. Since many websites say that it is closed on Mondays like other museums and it is actually closed on WEDNESDAY we almost had the entire space to ourselves on the Monday that we went!

If you want to know more about Shanghai, you must visit Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center. It exhibits a development of Shanghai from 2017 to the future the year 2035. I visited all floors and at some points it gave me an idea of a few places I should visit during my stay that I didn’t think of. All visitors must show an ID card. A passport can do it. On the top floor there was a small cafe where you could have a drink and enjoyed a scenery of busy roads and People’s Park.

The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center is a fascinating spot to learn about the city’s incredible growth and future plans. When I visited recently, it was quiet and very well-organized, making it easy to explore at my own pace. Entry was free—just head to the ticket booth with your passport to grab a ticket. The highlight for me was the detailed scale models of Shanghai’s buildings and neighborhoods—they’re absolutely stunning and give you a real sense of the city’s development. It’s also a great place to pick up ideas for other places to visit in Shanghai. My only suggestion would be to include more English translations, but it’s still easy to enjoy even if you don’t read Chinese. Perfect for architecture enthusiasts, urban planners, or anyone curious about Shanghai’s evolution. I’d recommend visiting early in your trip—it’s a great way to plan your itinerary and understand the city better!

Really informative, free, and interactive. A school group was visiting on the day I went. Very cool vision for the future of Shanghai. Easily accessible via Metro or Hop-on-hop off tour bus. Bring your passport.

Very detailed and interesting museum. It's free and in my case I didn't have to reserve a ticket, I could just go to the ticket booth (they still check/scan your passport) to get a ticket. The museum was relatively quiet, which was nice. I probably would've visited this museum earlier during my vacation in Shanghai, because it covers so many places to see in Shanghai. The models of the buildings and areas in Shanghai are amazing. For me the main highlight is just how well this museum displays all the thoughts behind all the decisions made regarding urban planning. The only feedback I can give is to add (more) English translations to the exhibitions.

This place showcases the history of Shanghai’s urban development, with a focus on the past 100 years. There are large-scale models and dioramas of buildings and city blocks, including a diorama and promotional video of Zhujiajiao, the water town—which was especially fun to compare since I had just visited. It’s a great spot to drop by while taking a walk in the park. At the entrance, you just need to show your passport at the counter, and they’ll give you a barcode for entry. Admission is free.

A very unique and informative museum in Shanghai. At first I went to Shanghai Museum but fully booked so cannot get the ticket. Then I tried to visit this museum and have a pleasant surprise. A lot of students and some tour come here. It is a nice museum to visit. They have some small gift shop with unique things.

This is a pleasant surprise for us. As a native growing up in SH, it never occurred to me to visit this place until coming back after 9 years. The exhibits are very well laid out, mostly having English translations (so my American friends can enjoy as well). It does a fantastic job showing Shanghai’s past, present and future through many models, pictures and interactive exhibits. We spent 2 hours here but felt we could have spent more. Upon finishing the tour, it made me proud of being born in this amazing city.