ArtScience Museum Guide: Singapore’s “Lotus” With Aesthetic Exhibits, Workshops & Galleries

ArtScience Museum in Singapore

Most of us recognise ArtScience Museum as the iconic lotus-shaped building amid Singapore’s skyline. One may not expect from simply looking at it, but the museum is surprisingly large – spanning almost 5000m²  with 21 gallery spaces.

The arts and science may seem like they’re worlds apart, but just as its name suggests, you can learn about both with a trip here.

How to get to the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands?

Here’s how to travel to ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands by bus, MRT, and car.

By bus

Hop onto buses 97, 97E, 106, 133, 133M, 502, or 518. Get off at the ‘Marina Bay Sands Theatre’ bus stop and take an 8-minute walk to the ArtScience Museum.

By MRT

Board the Circle Line or Downtown Line that’s headed to Bayfront Station. Alight the train and make your way over to Exit D. From there, it should roughly be a 7-minute walk to the museum.

By car

If you’re driving, you can park at the North Car Park at Marina Bay Sands. Parking starts at $14/hour for the first hour then $1.50 for every subsequent half hour. But there’s a maximum charge of $32 for 24 hours of parking.

The rate for valet parking differs at $35 for the first hour, and $2.50 for every half hour thereafter from 7am-7pm. Parking after 7pm costs $35 per entry. The maximum charge is $60 per 24 hours.

What are ArtScience Museum ticket prices?

Below, is a summary of the ArtScience Museum’s ticket prices for their permanent exhibitions and galleries along with their film screenings. Guided tours cost $5 and their workshops and master classes have a standard price of $68.

Does ArtScience Museum have any membership programmes?

ArtScinece Museum has 2 membership programmes: ArtScience Friends and Corporate Membership. With ArtScience Friends, you can bring along your friends to enjoy unlimited visits to ticketed exhibitions and programs, along with priority entry. Plus, you’ll also get early access to new exhibitions before they’re opened to the public.

Under ArtScience Friends, there’s Duo ($218), which lets you bring one friend, and Group ($368), which allows up to 3 pals to join you. Other benefits include a 20% discount on ArtScience Cinema tickets, a 10% discount on The Museum Shop, and discounted prices off ArtScience Museum’s VIP experience along with other Sands Lifestyle membership benefits.  Do note that you have to be a Sands Lifestyle Member first before applying for the ArtScience Friends membership.

The Corporate Membership ($4888+) similarly grants staff members complimentary and priority entry to the museum for all existing exhibitions for the whole year. For corporate events, the company will receive a 20% discount on private venue hire. Staff can conveniently redeem their tickets online, and each pass allows them to bring up to 4 guests. Just a heads-up though, the VR Gallery isn’t included in this package.

The inspiration behind the ArtScience Museum

Image credit: Marina Bay Sands

After it opened to the public in February 2011, it wasn’t long before it became one of Singapore’s most recognisable and iconic architectural features. Some say it’s like the Sydney Opera House of the little red dot.

So, is it a flower? An open palm? Whatever it is, the ArtScience Museum has become an IG hotspot amongst both Singaporeans and tourists from far and wide.

The museum’s architect, Moshe Safdie, was actually inspired by lotus flowers, which can be found at the entrance of the building.

Exhibits & activities at ArtScience Museum

If you’re always endlessly scrolling through your Instagram or TikTok feeds, chances are you’ve come across multiple #aesthetic photos from the museum’s only permanent exhibition: Future World: Where Art Meets Science.

The museum even has free Wi-Fi throughout so you can spam your IG stories without worrying about using up all your data.

With its dazzling LED lights and interactive art projections, it’s no wonder that so many choose to pepper their social media feeds with pictures of this spot.

This immersive and high-tech exhibition is in collaboration with teamLab, which is known for famous exhibitions worldwide.

The ArtScience Museum is also no stranger to exciting touring exhibitions, with galleries being updated every few months with something new for us to see.

Exciting past exhibitions include Disney: Magic of Animation and Attack on Titan: The Exhibition.

Some exhibitions have free virtual tours available as well as public guided tours in English and Mandarin, all with no added cost. With seasonal workshops available at the museum, visitors of all ages can enjoy a hands-on and interactive experience here too. You can also pop by the ArtScience Cinema, which regularly showcases both free and ticketed films and documentaries.

Sensory Odyssey.

For more immersive exhibits, pop by the museum’s VR Gallery – one of its newer permanent spaces where you’ll be equipped with the necessary controllers and headsets to transport you into a whole new virtual world.

We Live In An Ocean Of Air exhibition at the VR gallery.

Amenities available at ArtScience Museum

For families

There’s a stroller parking area for parents to leave their strollers behind so that they can freely roam about the museum with their little ones. You can also find baby changing rooms and child-friendly toilets located near the restrooms at B1 and B2.

For people with disabilities 

The ArtScience Museum has automated doors and is completely wheelchair-friendly with all floors being accessible through lifts and walk-through spaces being a minimum of 1.2m in width. There’s manual wheelchair rental space at the Visitor Experience Information Counter on Level 1 that you can request free of charge. Service dogs are also allowed in.

For the general public

There’s free baggage storage to stow any of your bulkier bags, and a Lost & Found section for any missing items available at the Visitor Experience Information Counter on Level 1. If you’re keen on uploading your aesthetic museum videos on IG Reels or TikTok, you can access their free Wi-Fi by connecting to the “Marina Bay Sands” network.

What dining options are there at the ArtScience Museum?

If you need a break from touring the museum, you can head over to Miracle Coffee Cafe, opened by pop singer JJ Lin, in the lobby for their signature pour-over coffee.

Some of their exclusive flavours include the Kaya Cloud ($11), an Americano garnished with fresh, kaya-flavoured cream, and gula melaka shavings. Otherwise, give their popular pastries like the Rainbow Roti ($11) or Kopi Choux Puff ($9) a try to end your museum date on a sweet note.

There are also more dining options available next door at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Some popular restaurants include Black Tap for their towering milkshakes and Yardbird for their delicious fried chicken.

How much time do you need to visit ArtScience Museum?

The time you need to visit ArtScience Museum depends on the exhibitions you’re interested in. For ​​Future World: Where Art Meets Science, set aside at least 1-2 hours to fully cover the immersive exhibition. Temporary exhibitions will take another hour or so to complete; the VR gallery takes about 30 minutes per session.

Is it worth visiting ArtScience Museum?

With its unconventional use of science and technology to display art and media, the ArtScience Museum is definitely worth visiting. It’s suitable for all ages too, since the exhibitions are interactive and immersive. Plus, its rotating exhibitions that feature artists like Frida Kahlo or collaborations with movie production houses like Studio Ghibli means repeat visits will never be a bore.

For more museum guides, check out:

• Museums and galleries in Singapore
• Lesser-known art museums and exhibits in Singapore
• Cool virtual museums
• Gillman Barracks

Last updated by Mae-Z Fam and Raewyn Koh on 24th August 2024.