SAM at 8Q

Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay


The younger sibling of the Singapore Art Museum, which is undergoing a significant revamp until 2021, is named after its address. Snoop around four floors of contemporary art, from quirky installations and video art to mixed-media statements. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing time.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay attractions

1. Singapore Art Museum

0.08 MILES

Formerly the St Joseph's Institution – a Catholic boys' school – SAM now sings the praises of contemporary Southeast Asian art. The museum was undergoing…

2. Cape of Good Hope

0.13 MILES

Cape of Good Hope is a spacious gallery showcasing local Singaporean artists, both established and up-and-coming.

3. National Library

0.15 MILES

Designed by Malaysian architect and ecologist Ken Yeang, this white, curvaceous brains trust is home to numerous facilities, including a reference library…

4. Chijmes

0.17 MILES

Now the home of trendy restaurants and entertainment hot spots, including famed Whitegrass and exotic Coriander Leaf, neo-classical Chijmes was once a…

5. Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

0.18 MILES

For a peek at work being turned out by artists in Singapore and elsewhere in the region, stop by the galleries inside this leading Singaporean art school…

6. MINT Museum of Toys

0.19 MILES

Nostalgia rules at this slinky ode to playtime, its four skinny floors home to over 50,000 vintage toys. You'll see everything from rare Flash Gordon…

7. Sri Krishnan Temple

0.21 MILES

The polychromatic Hindu Sri Krishnan Temple has a magnificent silver-and-gold shrine.

8. Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple

0.23 MILES

Awash with the frenetic click of chien tung (Chinese fortune sticks), this is one of Singapore's busiest (and according to devotees, luckiest) temples. It…