For many Singaporeans, the Discovery Centre (SDC) is a bygone childhood memory. Established on 23 November 1996, this attraction was built as a way for Singaporeans to explore their history and the many issues and difficulties the country has faced on its journey to the international stage.
Since then, SDC has undergone several revamps, with its latest iteration finished in October 2020.
With its latest renovation, the SDC now offers a whole host of activities in addition to its historical gallery, providing any potential visitor with a host of options for an exciting day out.
Before you read on, take note that although walk-in bookings are allowed at the ticketing counter, visitors are generally encouraged to book their activities online.
Additionally, children tickets are usually available, applicable to those ages 3-12.
Through the Lens of Time
This permanent exhibit is the primary attraction and is free for Singaporeans & Permanent Residents. The entire tour is a detailed journey through Singapore's growth from a small fishing island to an independent port city. Walking through the exhibit will take you through Singapore's story in a chronological order, starting from the 13th Century with the legend of Sang Nila Utama.
Making extravagant use of design and technology, the exhibition employs sensors, 3D environments and interactive displays to immerse visitors in the experience of reliving history. It's also recommended to download SDCs free app on your phone, allowing you to interact with some of the additional displays littered throughout the exhibit.
‘Through the Lens of Time’ is split into three sections. The first room is a multi-media recap of Singapore's history with Malacca and her colonisation under the British. The second section goes in-depth into WWII, the Japanese Occupation and the atrocities and challenges many Singaporeans faced during this period. Note that a specific subset of the exhibits here are somewhat graphic and might not be suitable for children.
The final section details Singapore's difficult road to independence, covering events like the short-lived merger with Malaysia and the altercations during the Konfrontasi.
An interactive highlight is a simulated ‘newsroom’ which allows you to try your hand at becoming a newscaster. These stations let you pick from several newsreels of real events in Singapore, record yourself narrating in front of a camera, and playback your recording on the spot. You'll also be able to email the recording to yourself afterward, as a digital memoir of your journey through the exhibit.
‘Through the Lens of Time' is walk-in, and bookings are required for non-Singaporeans only. If you're a Singaporean or PR, remember to bring your IC to flash entry into the exhibit.
Ticket Prices: $10 Adult, $8 Child (Non-Singaporean Only)
Opening Hours: Monday–Sunday, 10AM–10PM.
Black Lake Facility
While ‘Through the Lens of Time’ would be the primary educational attraction, the renovation has opened many other fun activities for visitors to choose from.
First on the list is the Black Lake Facility. If you’re familiar with Escape Rooms and their intricacies, the Black Lake Facility will be an absolute treat. Featuring Singapore’s largest multi-storey escape room, this attraction covers 13 rooms across four themed chapters.
Going through all four Escape Room chapters will give you the pieces of the story behind the Black Lake Facility, a highly restricted research facility hiding terrible secrets and a terrible tragedy…
As an experience, the Black Lake Facility prides itself on its highly immersive and multi-sensorial adventures, aiming to draw escapees into its mysterious story as they figure out the keys to escape. Each of the four chapters have different ‘thrill’ and ‘difficulty’ tours, so which chapter you choose might depend on the taste of your group of friends.
Walk-in tickets are available, but SDC does recommend booking ahead of time. Click here to learn more.
Ticket Price: $30 Adult, $24 Child
Opening Hours: Monday–Friday 2PM–10PM
Saturday-Sunday 10AM–10PM
Black Lake Laser Battlefield
To add to the futuristic attractions theme, the Singapore Discovery Centre now also has a Laser Tag battlefield for groups of friends to come and enjoy. Featuring three different themes from zombies, to robots, to space aliens, players will face off against each other in unique, immersive environments. Using interactive project mapping, participants will battle alongside interactive images that will allow them to earn additional points, or act as traps for unwary players.
A total of seven mission types like Human Flag and Standard Team are available, which makes for a lot of replayability to shake things up for return trips. Each mission lasts for 30 minutes, including a 15 minute briefing time.
The Laser Tag battlefield is for ages seven years old and above only. Additionally, you'll need to wear covered shoes in order to participate, so make sure to bring the right gear. Phase 3 restrictions means that a party can only go up to eight pax, but there is no minimum participant number! Click here for more details.
Ticket Price: $15 Adult, $12 Child
Opening Hours: Monday–Friday 1:45PM–10:00PM
Saturday–Sunday 10AM–10PM
Crossfire Paintball
If the thrill of laser tag wasn't enough, then why not really dig into some more action with Crossfire paintball? Crossfire Paintball has Lane Shooting and Team Play, separately available for ages 14 and up. While all participants are required to sign a waiver form to be submitted on the day itself, 14–17 year-olds must have their waiver form signed by a parent or legal guardian. Also note that similar to Laser Battlefield, you'll need to wear covered shoes to participate. More details are available here.
Lane Shooting
Lane shooting players will be given 30 paints each, and the estimated time of activity is about 15 minutes.
Ticket Price: $12 Adult
Opening Hours: Monday–Sunday 1:30PM–4PM
Team Play
For teamplay, you'll need to book your visit ahead, as slots are only available at certain times of the day. Games will be played in two rounds, with round one being capture the flag, and round two being elimination. Each round lasts one hour, with a total of two hours per session.
Take note that the attraction still functions under an eight pax limit, with 500 paints provided per session.
Ticket Price: $180 per group (up to 8 pax)
Session Hours: Monday–Friday 1PM–3PM, 3:30PM–5:30PM
Saturday–Sunday 10AM–12PM, 1PM–3PM, 3:30PM–5:30PM
XD Theatre
If you aren’t familiar with what 4D Theatres are, this is something worth checking out. A 4D theatre displays a short film (usually animated) but uses technology and physical effects like moving chairs, strobe lights and 3D glasses to turn the film into a thrill ride!
Currently, XD Theatre will let you pick between two shows: Sky Hunt or Pinocchio, each at a runtime of five minutes. Note that patrons need to be above 1.2m in height to be admitted. Click here to find out more information.
Ticket Price: $10 Adult, $8 Children
Opening Hours: Monday–Sunday 10AM–10PM
iWerks Theatre
It’s your average movie theatre. While there isn’t anything particularly exciting about the iWerks theatre, it can host up to 344 viewers (150 with the COVID limitations) and comes at a significantly cheaper price than most other movie theatres at just $7 a ticket. Since its a singular movie theatre, you'll need to check ahead on what movies are showing, and book your tickets for the appropriate time. Click here to find out more about their screen times and movies.
Ticket Price: $7 for both
Opening Hours: Monday–Friday 2PM, 5:15PM, 7:45PM
Saturday–Sunday 11AM, 2PM, 5:15PM, 7:45PM
(Subject to movie timings and SDC adjusted schedule)
SAFTI Bus Tour (Weekends Only)
A mainstay of the SDC experience, the SAFTI Bus Tour will take you around Singapore's prestigious Officer's Academy, where you'll get to learn a little more about the history of the institute, the duty of Officers in the Singapore Army, and a glimpse into the rigorous training some National Service men will endure in their two years of service. This tour is free for everyone, but is limited to the weekends at certain times, and is subject to seating availability.
Opening Hours: Saturday–Sunday 11PM, 1PM, 3PM, 5PM
Pedal Boat (Weekends Only)
There aren't many places to get Pedal Boat rides in Singapore, so this small and simple attraction might be just what you need round out your day. You'll take a loop out on the discovery lake in pairs, or in groups of four. Note that this particular attraction is subject to inclement weather, and has a minimum height restriction of 1.2m.
Ticket Price: $5 for 2pax boat, $10 for 4pax boat
Opening Hours: Saturday–Sunday 10AM–6PM
Wild Thyme Café x Mind Café @ SDC
If exploring the exhibit and busting a move in the Crossfire Paintball range has gotten you peckish, then stop by the café to grab a bite, and maybe spend an hour or two playing a board game. That's right, a small outlet of the Mind Café is available for visitors. While the selection of board games isn't as large as their main outlet, it's still respectable enough to occupy an hour or two, before or after your meal. If your trip to SDC is a whole day affair, this might be a good way to shake up the experience with more social-interactive play.
Check out more about the Cafe's timings and rates here.
Opening Hours: Monday–Sunday, 2PM–10PM
Conclusion
With this many attractions, planning an entire day out to the Singapore Discovery Centre is an extremely viable option, especially on the weekends when more activities are available with more regularity. Come in the morning for the permanent exhibit and try the laser tag facilities before lunch. Enjoy a board game while you eat, and then duke it out with your friends on the Crossfire Paintball grounds. Round out the day with a movie, or take a stab at the Black Lake Facility to test your teamwork and cooperation.
With so many options, planning a day trip to the SDC could be fun on its own. So if you need to, use this article as a reference and explore the newly revamped Discovery Centre with all you've got!
