Time Travel, Singapore Style: 60 Landmarks That Have Shaped The Lion City
Singapore may be small, but it's bursting with iconic landmarks that blend history, nature, culture, and modern innovation.
From towering skyscrapers to centuries-old temples and lush green spaces, here's our list of 60 must-see spots that capture our Lion City’s unique charm.
Just our way of saying “Happy 60th birthday, Singapore!” 🇸🇬
National Monuments of Singapore
Date built: 1887
Fun fact: Raffles Hotel introduced the Singapore Sling cocktail in 1915, crafted by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon.
2. The Istana
Date built: 1869
Fun fact: The Istana, meaning "palace" in Malay, serves as the official residence of Singapore's president.
IMAGE: NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD
3. The Padang
Date built: 1820s
Fun fact: The Padang has been the venue for many significant events, including the first National Day Parade in 1966.
Date built: 1929
Fun fact: City Hall was the site where the Japanese officially surrendered to the British in 1945, marking the end of World War II in Southeast Asia.
Date built: 1939
Fun fact: It was the last structure in the style of classical architecture to be built in colonial Singapore.
6. Old Parliament House (today’s Arts House)
Date built: 1827
Fun fact: This is the oldest surviving government building in Singapore.
IMAGE: NG KAI
Date built: 1967
Fun fact: The four pillars of the memorial represent the shared experiences and unity of Singapore's Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Eurasian communities during World War II.
Date built: 1941
Fun fact: The factory was the site of the British surrender to Japanese forces on 15 Feb 1942, a pivotal moment in Singapore's history.
9. National Museum of Singapore
Date built: 1887
Fun fact: As the nation's oldest museum, it houses a rich collection that narrates Singapore's transformation from a fishing village to a modern metropolis.
10. Chijmes
Date built: 1854
Fun fact: This Gothic-style complex was once a Catholic convent and girls’ school; it's now a lifestyle destination with cool restaurants and bars.
11. Lau Pa Sat
Date built: 1894
Fun fact: Originally a wet market built in the 1830s on reclaimed land, it is now home to a variety of mouth-watering local street food.
IMAGE: NG KAI
12. Old Hill Street Police Station
Date built: 1934
Fun fact: The building is known for its colourful shutters – 927 windows painted in the colours of the rainbow. It is currently home to the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
13. The Cathay
Date built: 1939
Fun fact: It was Singapore’s first "skyscraper" and housed the tallest cinema building in Southeast Asia. Reopened on 28 Mar 2025 after undergoing renovations for almost two years, it is now a bustling mall with retail and F&B options galore, a 24/7 gym, and a 360-degree multimedia tower.
14. Fort Siloso
Date built: 1880s
Fun fact: The only preserved coastal fort in Singapore is now a military museum.
Date built: 1909
Fun fact: Singapore’s oldest existing – and still functioning! – fire station is also home to the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery.
16. Ying Fo Fui Kun
Date built: 1823
Fun fact: It’s the first and oldest Hakka clan association in Singapore.
17. Peranakan Museum
Date built: 1912
Fun fact: The building housed Tao Nan School (Singapore’s first modern Chinese school) till 1982, before it became the Peranakan Museum in 2008. After a lengthy period of refurbishment period (no thanks to the Covid pandemic), it reopened in February 2023 with nine galleries bursting with culture, history, and heritage.
Places of worship (which are also National Monuments)
18. Sultan Mosque
Date built: 1824
Fun fact: The base of the mosque’s two gold onion domes above the east and west facades is adorned with glass bottle ends that the first Sultan of Singapore, Sultan Hussein Shah, collected as donations from poor Muslims.
IMAGES: NG KAI
Date built: 1827
Fun fact: It is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, built for worship by early Indian immigrants.
Date built: 1842
Fun fact: Constructed without a single nail, it's one of the oldest and most important Hokkien temples in Singapore.
Date built: 1861
Fun fact: The original chapel that existed on the same site in 1836 was destroyed by not one, but two lightning strikes - once in 1845 and again in 1849.
Date built: 1826
Fun fact: Often called the “Temple of Love”, it’s known for match-making deities worshipped by hopeful romantics.
Date built: 1878
Fun fact: Consecrated in 1878, it is not only Asia's second largest and Southeast Asia's oldest synagogue, but also houses the country's first Jewish museum, opened in December 2021.
Date built: 1836
Fun fact: Singapore's oldest surviving Christian church was the first building in Singapore to have electric lights and fans installed in 1909.
IMAGE: NG KAI
Date built: 1846
Fun fact: It’s the first local mosque named after a woman.
Tourist attractions
26. The Merlion
Date built: 1972
Fun fact: The Merlion was originally designed as the logo for the Singapore Tourism Board in 1964 and later became a national symbol.
27. Marina Bay Sands
Date built: 2010
Fun fact: The SkyPark atop Marina Bay Sands stretches longer than the Eiffel Tower laid down, and can host up to 3,900 people.
28. National Gallery Singapore
Date built: 2015
Fun fact: The gallery seamlessly integrates two National Monuments (the Former Supreme Court and Former City Hall), preserving their historical significance while showcasing modern art.
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/@SUPANUT ARUNOPRAYOTE
29. The Hive @ NTU
Date built: 2015
Fun fact: Nicknamed the "dim sum basket building" due to its unique design, it serves as an innovative learning hub for students.
30. Singapore Flyer
Date built: 2008
Fun fact: At 165m, it was the world's tallest observation wheel until 2014, when the enormous 250m-tall Ain Dubai ferris wheel in Dubai claimed that honour in 2021.
31. Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Date built: 2002
Fun fact: The Esplanade's unique acoustic features allow performers to hear their own music reflected back to them without electronic amplification.
Date built: 2019
Fun fact: The 40m-high Rain Vortex within Jewel is the world's tallest indoor waterfall.
Date built: 2011
Fun fact: Designed to resemble a lotus flower, it's dubbed "The Welcoming Hand of Singapore”.
34. Haw Par Villa
Date built: 1937
Fun fact: Built by the creators of Tiger Balm, a topical analgesic heat rub, the park is famous for its quirky, vivid depictions of Chinese mythology.
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/@BASILE MORIN
35. Peranakan houses at Koon Seng Road
Date built: 1920s
Fun fact: According to Mr Clarence Chia, a fourth-generation Peranakan and a licensed tourist guide, Peranakan houses were usually designed with just three windows and a narrow width – a clever workaround to old Dutch taxes that charged more for wider homes.
Green spaces
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/@DPANSA
Date built: 2007
Fun fact: The Fort Canning Tree Tunnel is an underground crossing that hides a super IG-worthy spot known as the Fort Canning spiral staircase.
37. Gardens by the Bay – Supertree Grove
Date built: 2012
Fun fact: Each Supertree is not a real tree but a structure designed to sustain real plants. The Supertrees are blanketed with hundreds of thousands of plants that span more than 200 species, including epiphytes, orchids and bromeliads.
38. Bukit Timah Railway Station
Date built: 1903
Fun fact: It was part of the historic railway line connecting Singapore and Malaysia, and now a conserved recreational building and heritage gallery that is part of the Rail Corridor.
Date built: 1868
Fun fact: Singapore’s oldest reservoir boasts a treetop walk offering views of the island’s last primary forest.
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/@CHAINWIT.
40. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
Date built: 1883
Fun fact: This is Singapore’s highest natural point; here, you’ll find that a one-hectare plot of land within Bukit Timah Nature Reserve contains more tree species than the whole of North America.
Date built: 1859
Fun fact: Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site is also the first and only tropical garden on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
42. Marina Barrage
Date built: 2008
Fun fact: This is Singapore’s 15th reservoir, and its largest and most urbanised catchment.
Modern marvels
43. The Float @ Marina Bay
Date built: 2007
Fun fact: Once the world's largest floating stage, it hosted National Day Parades and various large-scale performances. Now under construction, it is slated to be a future outdoor multi-purpose venue aka NS Square, with a national service-themed gallery, community sports facilities, and a public waterfront promenade. Construction is expected to be completed in 2027.
IMAGE: WIKIMEDA COMMONS/@ZAIRON
44. Helix Bridge
Date built: 2010
Fun fact: The bridge's design incorporates pairs of the letters "C" and "G" illuminated in red and green, representing cytosine and guanine, components of DNA.
45. Golden Mile Complex
Date built: 1973
Fun fact: Once known as "Little Thailand", this Brutalist icon was sold en bloc sale in 2022. Renamed The Golden Mile, it is currently undergoing refurbishment, and slated for completion in 2029.
46. Henderson Waves
Date built: 2008
Fun fact: Its wave-like structure stands 36m above ground, making it Singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge.
Date built: 1974
Fun fact: It was the first aerial ropeway system in the world to span a harbour.
Date built: 1971
Fun fact: In the 1970s, Jurong Hill earned the nickname “VIP Hill” after hosting world leaders like Queen Elizabeth II and Deng Xiaoping at its Lookout Tower and Garden of Fame. Since October 2023, it’s been closed for construction works until further notice.
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/@CEPHOTO, UWE ARANAS
Date built: 2014
Fun fact: The world’s largest free-spanning dome roof has hosted concerts by Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Madonna, Blackpink Ed Sheeran, and Bruno Mars, and even Pope Francis’ visit to Singapore in September 2024. Next up: Lady Gaga on 18, 19, 21, and 24 May 2025.
50. The Star Vista
Date built: 2012
Fun fact: It’s Singapore’s first naturally ventilated mall.
51. The Interlace
Date built: 2013
Fun fact: This 1,040-unit residential development won World Building of the Year in 2015 for its radical “horizontal village” design.
52. Pinnacle@Duxton
Date built: 2009
Fun fact: It’s the world’s tallest public housing development with sky gardens on the 26th and 50th floors.
Date built: 1980
Fun fact: Nicknamed the “VIP Block”, Ang Mo Kio Block 710 once welcomed dignitaries like Queen Elizabeth II and former Chinese Premier Li Peng with panoramic views of the growing new town.
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/@DIETMAR RABICH
54. Capitol Theatre
Date built: 1930
Fun fact: It was the first cinema in Singapore with air-conditioning and “live” organ performances. Today, Capitol Singapore is a vibrant hub for a variety of events, including concerts, theatrical performances, and film screenings.
Theme parks
55. Jurong Bird Park
Date built: 1971
Fun fact: In 2023, Asia's largest bird park was relocated from Jurong to Mandai and renamed Bird Paradise, and is now home to more than 3,500 birds from over 400 avian species.
Date built: 1977
Fun fact: It houses over 1,000 interactive exhibits and also the Lion City's only IMAX dome theatre.
57. Singapore Zoo
Date built: 1973
Fun fact: Here, you’ll find the world's first free-ranging orangutan habitat in a zoo.
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/@PELICAN
58. Night Safari
Date built: 1994
Fun fact: The world’s first nocturnal zoo houses over 900 nocturnal animals, including free-roaming Malayan tapirs, Asian lions, Tasmanian Devils, and Asian small-clawed otters.
59. River Wonders
Date built: 2014
Fun fact: Asia's first and only river-themed wildlife park is home to one of the world’s largest collections of freshwater vertebrates, including the Indian gharial, and Mekong giant catfish.
60. Universal Studios Singapore
Date built: 2010
Fun fact: It's the only Universal park in the world with "Madagascar: A Crate Adventure", a boat ride exclusive to the park and based on the hit DreamWorks film. Plus, it’s the first and only Universal Studios theme park in Southeast Asia.
For the latest updates on Wonderwall.sg, be sure to follow us on TikTok, Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook. If you have a story idea for us, email us at [email protected].
