Singapore City Gallery

A very well presented and informative museum with interactive displays showcasing the historical development and future city planning of Singapore. I spent a good 1 hour+ in the Gallery and also at the temporary exhibition in the building atrium. With entry being free, it is a great use of my time to learn more about arguably the most important public agency in the city-state. Surprisingly, plenty of tourists visited, albeit only because I presumed such a place was not high on the to-do list of foreign visitors (perhaps they're just having a quick post-lunch stroll after visiting the Maxwell Food Centre). The Gallery begins up the escalator at Level 2.

The best unplanned visit! I came here because I saw the ad on the bus and I didn’t regret it at all. I really enjoyed every section that tells the story of Singapore. You can find everything here: history, policies, transformations, and future planning. There are also lots of interactive things to try, from building your own city, photobooths, Lego setups, and more. So much fun to explore! Even without a guide, you can easily explore on your own since the explanations in each section are very clear. To explore everything might take a whole day because every corner is truly interesting and adds so much knowledge about Singapore’s urban development.

Wonderful gallery on city planning, giving you a glimpse of what the future here would look like. Especially on the informatics of all the underground tunnels that we are constructing, helping us to understand why we're seeing roads constructions everywhere.

The best visualisation and modeling of a city plan that I've seen. Well detailed, thoughtfully laid out, tastefully organised and an aesthetically satisfying experience. This visit was a truly insightful experience for me. Very interactive exhibiting as well... Free access! Just brilliant from the government!

(14 Nov 2025). This gallery is pretty informative and provides all that I wish to know about Singapore’s history and development without being overwhelmed with too much details. It has good walking layout path in two levels.

Educational and insightful into SG cityscape developments. Enjoyed the bird's eye view of SG landscapes from the large models. And do not miss the main exhibition on the 2nd floor.

We were really impressed by what we saw there. It is such an amazing place where you can find so much about Singapore, history, policies, plans for the future. We did not have time to explore everything, as we were there with a 6 year old, but we really enjoyed it. And our child enjoyed the lego area, where he was able to play and build things. And there is no entrance fee. Plus, is close to Chinatown and Maxwell hawker center, so if you are in the area, definitely worth the visit.

Completely free and what a fun little museum. My favorite is the model of central Singapore and there's a fun interactive portion with Legos which is perfect for kids.

Beautifully designed, well maintained, clean, open and very informative. The gigantic miniature city model said it all about Singapore. Located inside Chinatown, next to the Maxwell Food Centre. This is a great place to stop by to catch a break and to learn more about Singapore. Highly recommend!

How did Singapore grow from a small island nation in the 1960s into an expanding, modern urban city? Learn how the challenges and problems of Singapore are met. Like turning plastics into sand to solve the issue of trash which is recycled to reclaim and create more land. Less rubbish. More highly coveted real estate. Tours are free. When we visited, there was a press conference that talked about new planned developments. Thanks to Cheyenne from Indie Singapore Tours for sharing this unique gem on our tour.

This is an awesome place to bring tourists, especially if they - are sweating profusely - are broke or cheap - have an interest in city planning - like touching (screens) and getting a favorable response - show little interest in MBS/Sentosa/Universal Studios but perk up at the mention of say, Jurong Rock Caverns, aka Southeast Asia's first underground liquid hydrocarbon storage facility (also true for tour guides lah). My friend had the city diorama in mind when she planned our visit, but the gallery certainly exceeded our expectations. It *is* pretty fancy pants, but the exhibits are generally interesting and well done. We unfortunately missed the light and sound show, which has got to be fun.

If you're ever interested in how the current Singapore skyline came about and how the Urban Redevelopment Authority is tasked with the challenge of constantly reinventing Singapore's urban landscape, this museum is a must-visit. The moment you step in, be in awe of the multi-screen panoramic video which shows a typical day in Singapore from people of all walks of life. The rest of the museum consists of a great mix of interactive and multimedia exhibits. You must also check out the miniature model of Singapore, one inside the museum and one on the ground floor public area.

For the amount of information this place supplies, and for the price (FREE), I think it's worth coming here, especially if you are a local! The idea of city planning may sound like a snooze fest at first, but once you begin your tour, you'll see how it affects your daily life. You can also find answers to why Singapore is built the way it is. It also gets you to think about the future and sustainability, which can seem scary and a bit of a downer, but they're issues that are real and require sensible solutions. I really loved the interactive displays! There was one that required participation of multiple people. I think kids who are 8 and older would appreciate them more. Last but not least, I really enjoyed the architectural models of the city! As a lover of maps, seeing a 3D miniature model of where I live tickled my fancy. :) Once you're done with your visit, you'll appreciate the work and dedication that the Urban Redevelopment Authority puts forth in making Singapore a desirable place to live. And you'll thank them for being in charge of city planning, because if I were in charge, this place would have way too many nail salons, Hello Kitty would be the country mascot, and all bathrooms would have a faucet with whiskey on tap. :-P

Um. Not sure what the deal was with this place. This was listed in the guide to Singapore's museums that I picked up at another museum I visited. This place was close to Chinatown, where I already was, so I decided to take a look. Seriously, it was in a pretty sad state. The building itself was nice and it seemed like it could have some potential, but other than two relief models of the island, there was really nothing else, even though there were supposedly 3 floors of galleries. This could have been due to the fact that about 1/2 of the gallery was under construction or otherwise inexplicably closed... Maybe it would have been cooler if this had not been the case, but alas, it was.

The gallery was recently renovated and while some teachers may argue that it is no longer teaching friendly now that the educational features about how to create plans and maps are removed, it now focus on public awareness for all ages. My favourite new features must be the SIM city game that all visitors can play - while it doesn't teach you how to create plans, it makes people think about the dilemmas and considerations when planning for Singapore. There is also a large wall-size touch screen interactive feature that first shows an old heritage photo of places in Singapore and when you wipe that away, it shows you what it looks like today. Nice for heritage buffs and those who miss the nostalgic past like me.