National Gallery Singapore, Singapore, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

National Gallery Singapore is a large art museum in the Civic District of Singapore, set inside two restored colonial buildings: the former Supreme Court and City Hall. It is known for its collection of Southeast Asian and Singaporean art, and the buildings are part of the city's story too, from colonial government to the end of the Second World War.

The story behind it

City Hall was completed in 1929 and the Supreme Court in 1939, both facing the Padang in the heart of colonial Singapore. The Supreme Court was built in a grand classical style and is topped with a dome. City Hall is remembered for a moment in 1945, when Lord Louis Mountbatten accepted the Japanese surrender in Singapore in a ceremony at the building.

Later the courts moved to a new building next door, and the two older ones were converted into a gallery that opened in 2015. Instead of being demolished or left empty, the civic buildings were given a second life as a home for art, with new spaces linking the two old structures.

What to look for

• Look up at the dome of the former Supreme Court, the clearest sign of the building's classical design.
• Study the tall columns and the portico of City Hall, where the 1945 surrender is remembered.
• Notice how the modern link spaces join the two old buildings, so that new and old architecture sit side by side.
• Head for the rooftop level if it is open, for views over the Padang and the city skyline.

Tips for your visit

• Allow at least an hour to see the buildings and a few galleries, or half a day if you enjoy art. Check current opening hours and which exhibitions need a ticket.
• Go earlier in the day for quieter galleries and softer light on the facades outside.
• Combine it with the Padang, St Andrew's Cathedral and the Marina Bay waterfront, all a short walk away.
• Singapore is hot and humid, so the air-conditioned galleries make a welcome break in the middle of a walking day.

See it on a quest

Singapore Central Area: Alternate Universes passes the National Gallery as one stop on a longer walk through the central area. You reach each place on foot, the app tells you about it as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Singapore Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. is a detective-themed route that includes this part of the Civic District. You walk between the stops, hear about each building as you get there and work out a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like.