Asian Civilisations Museum Museum

Address: Asian Civilisations Museum, 1 Empress Place, Singapore 179555

Website: https://www.acm.org.sg

Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00am-7:00pm, closed Mondays (hours for special exhibitions may vary)

Admission: General admission often free or low-cost for residents; select special exhibitions ticketed (check official site)

The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) in central Singapore is a museum dedicated to the material cultures and artistic traditions of Asia, with a focus on cross-cultural exchange. Its galleries present objects from China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the wider Asian world.

Exhibits include ceramics, works in metal and stone, textiles, ritual and personal objects, and maritime trade material arranged in thematic and regional galleries. The museum runs rotating temporary exhibitions and educational programmes in addition to its permanent displays.

The ACM was established as a national museum institution in the 1990s and occupies the historic Empress Place Building on the Singapore River, with additional gallery space added over time to present the growing collection. It functions as one of Singapore’s principal museums for Asian arts and heritage.

The museum is on the north bank of the Singapore River near Clarke Quay and the central business district, within easy walking distance of other downtown cultural attractions.

• Collection strengths: Collections emphasise cross-cultural links across Asia, with notable strengths in Chinese ceramics and Southeast Asian material culture.
• Central riverside location: Located on the Singapore River promenade near Clarke Quay and the central business district, it is easily combined with riverside walks and nearby museums.

What to See#

• Empress Place Building: The Empress Place Building near the Singapore River houses the museum’s principal galleries and is a 19th-century colonial building adapted for museum use.
• Permanent galleries: Galleries arranged by region and theme display ceramics, sculpture, textiles, ritual objects and maritime trade material spanning several Asian civilizations.
• Temporary exhibition galleries: Rotating temporary exhibition galleries host short-term loans and thematic displays drawn from the museum’s collection and external lenders.

A short walk from Raffles Place MRT (north exit) across the Cavenagh Bridge; alternatively, take the River Taxi to the Empress Place stop. The museum is easily reached on foot from the CBD and national gallery precinct.

• Visit just after opening on weekdays to see the galleries with minimal overlap from cruise crowds at the nearby Esplanade.
• Don't rush the Chinese and Southeast Asian ceramics displays-small labels often hide provenance notes that tell political as well as artistic stories.
• Combine with the National Gallery of Singapore for a day of connected galleries along the Singapore River.