The museum’s building was originally an 18th century school building, Saint Joseph’s Institution (1852 - 1987). St. Joseph’s Institution was founded by the French priest Father Jean Marie Beurel and a small group of LaSalle Brothers in 1852. Construction of this building began in 1855 and took 12 years to complete.

As the enrolment in the school increased, new facilities were added, including the Anderson Block (in 1907), the school hall and the Chapel (in 1912). In 1987, the school moved to a larger buliding in Malcom Road, but the statue of St John Baptist de La Salle by Cesare Aureli still remains in the current Singapore Art Museum.

The restoration of the building to an art museum started in 1992. During restoration, the original design of the building was respected. At the same time, all the requirements for a state-of-the-art museum were integrated into the building. The three historical structures, the Central building, the Anderson block and the Chapel were retained. The Singapore Art Museum  is a popular venue for international arts exhibitions.

In January 1996, SAM was opened as the first international-standard museum specialising in art. It now plays the role of the national art collector of Singapore and houses the largest 20th century Southeast Asian art collection in the world. It also has over 6500 artworks under its keep.

The museum also features a range of international blockbusters and temporary exhibitions alongside a selection of iconic artworks by renowned local artists such as Liu Kang and Georgette Chen from its permanent collection.

Visitors can expect a range of interesting public programmes like art talks and performances on the weekends.

Opening Hours
10am – 7pm (Daily), 6pm – 9pm (Friday: Free Admission)

Cost: Adult, S$3.00. Student, S$1.50. Senior Citizen (above 60 yrs), S$1.50.
Groups Discounts: Family (3 adults and 2 children): S$8.00, Group of 20 adults or more: S$1.00 off adult tickets

Tours for English, Japanese & Mandarin are available as follows;

English: Monday : 2pm
Tuesday to Thursday : 11am & 2pm
Friday  : 11am, 2pm & 7pm
Saturday & Sunday : 11am, 2pm & 3.30pm

Japanese:      Tuesday to Friday  : 10.30am
Mandarin:      Friday : 7.45pm