Here's The Best Museum To Visit In Singapore, According To Your MBTI Personality Type
Did you know that Singapore is home to over 50 museums? That's a pretty big number, seeing as most of us are only familiar with a handful of them. From art and culture to national history and science galleries, these make fantastic spots to spend your weekend, whether you're a solo traveller or bringing some visiting friends and family around.
If you've got no idea which one to visit next, fret not. We've rounded up 16 museums and galleries worth checking out in Singapore, each one corresponding to an MBTI personality type. Read on to check out which option is most likely to guarantee you a good time!
Singapore Art Museum: ISTP (The Virtuoso)
Photo from Singapore Art Museum
ISTPs are all about interactive projects and fresh ideas, so stuffy and information-heavy museums simply won't cut it. But the Singapore Art Museum? Now that sounds like a great pick for a day of exploration — here you'll find lots of diverse, multifaceted and dynamic contemporary art pieces from all over Singapore and Southeast Asia on display.
Photo from Singapore Art Museum
Besides their intriguing permanent exhibits, you can also take part in fun activities like journalling, pixel bead art, and the Sprout Your Creativity: Grow a Garden Zine workshops!
Photo from Singapore Art Museum
Hell's Museum at Haw Par Villa: ISFP (The Adventurer)
Photo from Hell's Museum at Haw Par Villa
Wherever an exciting new experience awaits is also where you'll find open-minded and spontaneous ISTP folks! And nowhere fits the bill more perfectly than Hell's Museum at Haw Par Villa.
Photo from Hell's Museum at Haw Par Villa
As its name suggests, this heritage museum is the first in the world that's dedicated to death and the afterlife, especially Buddhist beliefs of hell. Gather your wits and come face to face with displays showcasing Haw Par Villa's infamous 10 Courts of Hell (now fully air-conditioned!) along with sculptures depicting sins and punishments.
Photo from Hell's Museum at Haw Par Villa
Once you've made it out of hell, enjoy a stroll around the park to view the colourful sculptures or take a break at The Sixth Milestone, a bistro and cafe serving local snacks, or Art Journey, an ice cream and waffles cafe that offers mosaic jamming workshops.
Photo from Hell's Museum at Haw Par Villa
ArtScience Museum: ESTP (The Entrepreneur)
Photo from ArtScience Museum
ESTPs tend to be enthusiastic, hands-on types who are always on the lookout for new ideas and inventions. Well, that sounds to us like the sort who would have a great time at the ArtScience Museum!
Photo from @artsciencemuseumsg via Instagram
There's absolutely no shortage of futuristic, aesthetically pleasing collections to browse, including the permanent Future World: Where Art Meets Science exhibit, the otherworldly Mars: The Red Mirror gallery, and the upcoming Goddess: Brave. Bold. Beautiful exhibit.
Photo from @artsciencemuseumsg via Instagram
Madame Tussauds Singapore: ESFP (The Entertainer)
Photo from Madame Tussauds Singapore
Excitable and stylish ESFPs will love stepping into a world of glitz and glamour at Madame Tussauds Singapore, a museum filled with wax figures of popular musicians, athletes, and politicians. Just imagine — snapping pictures with stars like Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, and Lee Min Ho, as well as homegrown artists like Stefanie Sun, against realistic backdrops of film sets and elaborate stages!
Photo from Madame Tussauds Singapore
While you're there, why not give the Marvel Universe 4D cinema a try? This immersive film experience features some of Marvel's greatest superheroes, including Thor, Captain America, and Spiderman, as they embark on an exclusive adventure to save the universe.
Asian Civilisations Museum: INTJ (The Architect)
Photo from Asian Civilisations Museum
How did people of the past live, and just how different are our lives today in comparison? Any INTJ worth their salt has spent time pondering big questions like these — and while no museum provides answers to all of them, the Asian Civilisations Museum does a fantastic job of putting the artistic and historical heritage of Asia into context.
Photo from Asian Civilisations Museum
While you're there, take a walk amongst artefacts belonging to early Malay and other indigenous Southeast Asian cultures, peer at 'lost' antiquities from the Tang Shipwreck, or check out gorgeous fashion textiles and jewellery from the Neolithic period to the 20th century.
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum: INTP (The Logician)
Photo from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it's what keeps INTPs up and running! Well, when it comes to puzzling over big questions like the mysteries of the universe (which this type enjoys), there are few places better than Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum to do it in.
Photo from Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
The building houses over 2,000 natural history specimens, organised into 15 zones ranging from plants and amphibians to mammals and dinosaurs. Yes, you read that right. Not one, or two, but three dinosaur fossils call this museum home! For crowd control purposes, admission is separated into three sessions: 10am, 1pm, and 4pm. You're encouraged to grab tickets ahead of your visit via SISTIC.
The Battle Box at Fort Canning: ENTJ (The Commander)
Photo from The Battle Box
Ever wondered what you'd do if you were present at an event that would go on to shape history? Bold and driven ENTJs are no strangers to being natural leaders, and will get to put that analytical mind to good use while exploring The Battle Box at Fort Canning.
Photo from The Battle Box
Visitors can tour the former WWII British underground command centre with the help of an audio guide for a truly immersive experience. During your journey, you'll also get to relive the key moments that led to Singapore's surrender on 15 February 1942 using projection mapping tech, crack codes, and solve mysteries in a puzzle hunt activity!
Changi Chapel and Museum: ENTP (The Debater)
Photo from Changi Chapel and Museum
You may recall from history lessons (or through a quick Google search) that Changi used to function as a military garrison before WWII, but what about its stint as a POWs camp? Changi Chapel and Museum presents over 114 artefacts in 8 galleries dedicated to the lives of over 90,000 war prisoners — a treat for ENTPS, who just can't resist hearing every possible side of the story and delving into lesser-known narratives.
Photo from Changi Chapel and Museum
Visitors can also take a turn around the chapel, which was then built by the POWs themselves with handcrafted and scavenged materials.
Vintage Camera Museum: INFJ (The Advocate)
Photo from Vintage Camera Museum
It's not every day that you get to see an entire building shaped like a vintage camera, but that's exactly what the Vintage Camera Museum looks like! Step through the photo-worthy entrance and you'll find yourself surrounded by thousands of cameras from bygone days, along with their authentic-looking replicas.
Photo from Vintage Camera Museum
The collection includes everything from replicas of the world’s biggest camera (the mammoth camera) to spy cameras, and pistol cameras to the latest 11-gram camera, a true feat of technological advancement. Besides the endless camera displays, visitors can also pour over a rare collection of photographs, including a replica of the first photograph ever taken! Sounds like the perfect human-centric deep dive into photography for INFJs, whose creative souls seek to form authentic connections with others.
MINT Museum of Toys: INFP (The Mediator)
Photo from MINT Museum of Toys
For all the sentimental and nostalgic INFPs out there, we recommend taking a jovial walk down memory lane! The MINT Museum of Toys has a vast collection of vintage toys and childhood memorabilia from between 1840 to 1980.
Photo from MINT Museum of Toys
From action figures to card and board games, and movie posters to biscuit tins, the galleries are filled with exhibits that will bring back fond memories of your childhood days.
ENFJ (The Protagonist)
Photo from Trick Eye Museum Singapore
Grab a ticket to the Trick Eye Museum and get ready to fall down the rabbit hole into the wonderland of interactive photo sets and augmented reality art! The Trick Eye Museum is organised into four distinct zones, each one more Instagrammable than the next.
Photo from Trick Eye Museum Singapore
Eco Garden is where you can revel in pretty garden-themed greenery, AR Trickeye and Aqua Trickeye take guests on a wild adventure with swooping dragons and bubbly sea creatures, and Rainbow Garden ends your journey on a high note with a kaleidoscope of colourful photo backdrops — charismatic ENFJs is sure to get their time in the limelight here, and can enjoy being the star of the show!
Photo from Trick Eye Museum Singapore
The Gem Museum: ENFP (The Campaigner)
Photo from The Gem Museum
Open-minded and free-spirited ENFPs are huge balls of ideas and hobbies, so here's another hidden gem (pun intended) that might just spark their interests! Conveniently located near the heart of town, The Gem Museum features around a whopping 700 gemstone specimens, hailing from all around the globe.
Photo from The Gem Museum
Besides marvelling at the many types of gemstones, from rubies to quartz and amethysts to jade, visitors will also get the chance to learn about the 4 stages of ‘Mine to Market’, that is, the process required to take gemstones from their raw state to the finished products available on shelves. At the end of your trip, you can also shop for authentic gems at the museum store.
Peranakan Museum Singapore: ISTJ (The Logistician)
Photo from Peranakan Museum Singapore
One of the most aesthetically pleasing museums in Singapore, the Peranakan Museum inhabits an "Eclectic Classical" building reminiscent of Straits Settlements bungalows. The gorgeous classical columns and symmetry combined with colonial, tropical-style balconies are perfect for pictures to jazz up your social media feed.
Photo from Peranakan Museum Singapore
Inside, you'll find exhibits detailing the cross-cultural art of Peranakan communities in Southeast Asia, thoughtfully presented through photographs, paintings, fashion, and even home furnishings.
Photo from Peranakan Museum Singapore
Some must-see exhibits include the stunning Ceramics and Food Culture, Batik, Fashion, and Jewellery permanent galleries. Each of the museum's carefully curated exhibits is arranged with a clear central theme and each display comes with plenty of meticulous detail and description, making it ideal for methodical and organised ISTJ visitors.
National Gallery Singapore: ISFJ (The Defender)
Photo from National Gallery Singapore
There is certainly a lot to say about the National Gallery, but the first thing visitors are likely to say is "Wow!" Among the many reasons why this is one of the most popular and well-known museums in Singapore, the Gallery's larger-than-life architecture probably tops the list.
Photo from National Gallery Singapore
Every aspect of the building instils a sense of awe in its viewers, from the Former Supreme Court Terrace to the stunning Link Bridges and the City Hall Chamber to the Rotunda and its library. The same can be said about its world-class exhibitions — we'd reckon even ISFJs with their impeccably high standards would be pretty impressed.
Photo from National Gallery Singapore
Blast to the past when you check out the Between Declarations and Dreams gallery, filled with over 300 artworks from all over Southeast Asia tracing back to the mid-19th century, or venture into the playful and curious realm of today's contemporary artists, including works from Jane Lee (Singapore), Gary Carsley (Australia), Maria Taniguchi (Philippines) amongst others, by seeking out OUTBOUND pieces scattered around the Gallery.
National Museum of Singapore: ESTJ (The Executive)
Photo from National Museum of Singapore
If you only have time to see just one museum in Singapore, the National Museum of Singapore is a wise choice. It's filled with displays that seamlessly impart the story of local culture and history As the oldest museum in Singapore, the building's traditional-meets-modern architecture is itself a work of art and a notable national landmark!
Photo from National Museum of Singapore
The rich historical value of exhibits like Life in Singapore: The Past 100 Years galleries, paired with immersive art installations like Story of the Forest by teamLab, should feel extra rewarding for the orderly ESTJ who enjoys taking in and learning as much as they can in an efficient way.
Photo from National Museum of Singapore
Museum of Ice Cream: ESFJ (The Consul)
Photo from Museum of Ice Cream Singapore
When an ESFJ tells you they want to go somewhere, chances are they want to go there with you. These people-focused types like forming close bonds with others, which is easy to do when you're somewhere as charming as the Museum of Ice Cream!
Photo from Museum of Ice Cream Singapore
As the first of its kind outside of the USA, this museum immerses visitors in imaginative ice cream-themed displays and unites visitors in the childlike joy of consuming the icy, sweet treats.
Photo from Museum of Ice Cream Singapore
Each regular admission ticket will get you access to 12 unique rooms full of ice cream installations, plus unlimited servings of ice creams across 5 dessert stations. Sounds like a tasty journey indeed!
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