The Diary

Free Museum Entry in Singapore: Who Gets In Free, and When

Posted by eduKate Asia on

By The Diary desk · Last verified 28 September 2026

Singapore citizens and permanent residents get into the National Heritage Board’s national museums and heritage institutions free, all year round. That covers the Asian Civilisations Museum, the National Museum, the Peranakan Museum, the Children’s Museum, the Indian Heritage Centre, the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, the Singapore Art Museum and the National Gallery. Some special exhibitions charge, but even then citizens and PRs who are students, seniors or NSFs, and children aged six and under, get in free. Visitors pay, typically somewhere between S$10 and S$30 or more.

Quick facts

  • Citizens and PRs get free entry to NHB museums all year.
  • Several non-NHB museums are also free for citizens and PRs.
  • Some special exhibitions charge admission.
  • Students, seniors, NSFs and children six and under get into those free too, if they are citizens or PRs.
  • Bring your NRIC; you may be asked for it.
  • Visitors pay roughly S$10 to over S$30.

Which museums are free?

For citizens and PRs, all of the National Heritage Board’s museums and heritage institutions, including:

  • Asian Civilisations Museum
  • National Museum of Singapore
  • The Peranakan Museum
  • Children’s Museum Singapore
  • Indian Heritage Centre
  • Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
  • Singapore Art Museum
  • National Gallery Singapore

Several museums outside NHB also let citizens and PRs in free, including the Battlebox, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery, the Singapore Sports Museum and the Republic of Singapore Air Force Museum.

What about special exhibitions?

Free entry covers the permanent galleries and some special exhibitions. Where a special exhibition does charge, NHB still lets in citizens and PRs who are students, seniors or NSFs, and children aged six and under, for free. Everyone else pays the exhibition price.

What do I need to show?

Your NRIC, if asked. Students may need an MOE-issued student pass or matriculation card as well.

What do visitors pay?

Admission for non-residents at the paid museums runs from about S$10 to more than S$30. NHB has also held open-house days with free entry for everyone on some public holidays, such as National Day, so it’s worth checking the calendar.

Anything reopening soon?

The National Museum’s Singapore History Gallery is due to reopen in October 2026.

The WahLiao Verdict

If you hold an NRIC, the permanent galleries cost you nothing: go often, stay an hour, and pay only for the special exhibition you actually want to see. Visitors should pick one museum and do it properly rather than sprinting through three.

Questions people ask

Do PRs get in free?

Yes, on the same terms as citizens.

Is the National Gallery free?

General admission is free for citizens and PRs; some special exhibitions charge.

Can I use my SG Culture Pass at museums?

Yes, on eligible paid programmes such as tours and workshops. The SG Culture Pass guide on this desk explains how.

Do children need a ticket?

Citizen and PR children get in free, including to special exhibitions if they are six or under.

Sources: NHB, free admission for citizens and PRs; NHB, 2013 free admission announcement; TheSmartLocal, museums in Singapore; National Museum of Singapore, SG Culture Pass programmes.

Read next: Resident Rates, WildPass and Online Discounts · Singapore Weather by Month · Back to The Diary

For what’s worth it this week, with the bill shown, read The WahLiao Week.

Leave a comment