Botanic Garden Tanglin Gate

Major Attractions at Tangling Gate

1. Bandstand

Built in 1930, the Bandstand was a gazebo that adorned the many gardens of Tanglin Gate. After it was made, the place soon became a famous spot for military bands to perform. Nowadays, the beautiful gazebo surrounded by a ring of Yellow Rain Trees is a most celebrated place by photographers - especially for wedding shoots. The landmark also attracts several painters to the avenue, and the Botanic Garden also holds workshops for painters at the Bandstand.

2. Botany Centre

The Botany Centre is a three-storey building at the southern end of the garden. The building holds a vast amount of importance as it is the centre of the significant heritage of the Botanic Gardens. The centre was built in 1859 and is designed around several historic trees and buildings so that it does not disturb or uproot them. The centre is the place to go to acquire research resources. The building also contains the Singapore Herbarium, as well as the Library of Botany, and Horticulture and the Orchid Breeding and Micropropagation Library.

3. SBG Heritage Museum

One of the main avenues of the Tanglin Gate Entrance is the SBG Heritage Museum located in the Holttum Hall in the Botany Centre. Created in 1921, the 240sqm space was the very place where Professor Eric Holttum designed the orchid breeding technique that has largely helped the current orchid breeding industry. The museum is an interactive multimedia interface that contains various age-old artefacts, specimens and pictures that represent the history of the Botanic Gardens. The museum is also the holder of rare botany books that date back to the 19th century and are fascinating. The garden's heritage can also be understood in depth by the guided tours that are available for visitors.

Opening hours:
9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Daily)
Closed on every last Monday of the month

4. CDL Green Gallery

This extraordinary new gallery donated by CDL has rapidly gained popularity and the honour of being Singapore’s first zero energy green gallery. The 314sqm space is an extension of the SBG Heritage Museum and is completely eco-friendly and charged by solar panels. The exhibits in the gallery change every six to nine months and are centred on various botanic related green topics.

Opening hours:
9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Daily)
Closed on every last Tuesday of the month

5. Swan Lake

The Swan Lake is a major attraction of the Tanglin Gate Entrance. Built in 1866, the lake covers around 1.5 hectares of space and is said to be the oldest ornamental water feature in Singapore. Due to this reason, the lake is often referred as the main lake or first lake. It contains various species of plants and fish that have been breeding there for a long time and consider it their home. However, the main feature of the lake and also where it derives its name from is the pair of Mute Swans from Amsterdam that can be seen swimming in the lake. The majestic beauty of the Swans is often the reason why several locals, as well as tourists, are attracted to this feature. Aside from this, the island in the middle that contains several Nibong Palms is also a fascinating site.

6. Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim

This is one of the most prized exhibits of the Botanic Garden as Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim (previously known as Vanda Miss Joaquim) is declared as the national flower of Singapore. The reason for choosing this flower was that the flower, much like Singapore, has vibrant colours and is known for its hardiness as well as its resilience.

Gardens at Tanglin Gate

1. Sun Garden

The Sun Garden has often caught many visitors' attention as the garden is home to several succulents and plants that grow in the arid regions. Some of these wildly fascinating and distinct plants include the varieties of cacti, as well as drought tolerant species, such as agave or the grass trees. The Sun Gardens have a controlled atmosphere and modifications to sustain the plants by creating the condition it requires to thrive. The Sun Garden is also famous due to it being the spot where the Passing of Knowledge sculpture is situated.

2. Bonsai Garden

The bonsai gardens are widely known in all of Singapore and stand out from the rest of the gardens as they are the source of a gathering of Bonsais that have always been a fascinating field in botany. The garden contains 48 specimens of Bonsai that are of 29 plant types. These specimens include several tropicals, as well as subtropical plants, with the garden trying to add more and more of them to the Bonsai family.

Guided Tours

Nature Sketching in the gardens
9:00 AM
3rd Saturday of the odd months (January, March, May, July, September and November)

Heritage Tour
9:00 AM
4th Saturday of every month

Race Against Time
10:00 AM
4th Saturday of every month

Tips & Restrictions

• Smoking is not allowed on the premises.
• No open fires or barbequing.
• No plucking of plants.
• No tampering or damaging park property.
• No motored vehicles.
• No cycling, skateboarding, skating or scooters allowed in the premises.
• No fishing or feeding of birds.
• No freeing of animals (pets).