Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Loading...
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Ōmori Nori Vending Machine
Parkway Bakery and Tavern has been slinging these sandwiches since 1929.
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
Parkside Plum Juice
Dishes at Aksorn are grounded in deep historical research.
Aksorn
Thailand’s hot, humid climate meant that customers wanted an alternative to hot tea.
ChaTraMue
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
You could probably take some of that stuff out.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Pack Light for a Long Trip?
Ripples in the land are remnants of the field walls that once held rows of native sugarcane and sweet potatoes.
Unearthing the Mysteries of Hawai'i's Ancient Agriculture
Petrified Forest National Park.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Singapore Gardens by the Bay
AO Edited

Gardens by the Bay

Singapore's landscaping project is home to 18 incredible Supertrees.

Singapore

Added By
Leslie McIntyre
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Gardens by the Bay.   Romain Pontida/cc by-sa 2.0
  Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Gardens   Kris McCracken / Atlas Obscura User
  Mathew Browne
Night   Kris McCracken / Atlas Obscura User
Gardens by the Bay.   Ray in Manila/cc by 2.0
Gardens by the Bay.   .Martin./cc by-nd 2.0
Gardens by the Bay.   .Martin./cc by-nd 2.0
Cloud Forest Dome Lost World Garden.   Scribbling Geek / Atlas Obscura User
Kei-Chan by Yayoi Kusama   jimdunn27 / Atlas Obscura User
Flower Dome Chrysanthemum Exhibition in September 2021.   Scribbling Geek / Atlas Obscura User
Star Wars invades the Gardens   Kris McCracken / Atlas Obscura User
  Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Gardens by the Bay.   Travis Wise/cc by 2.0
  Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
  Mathias Van de Velde / Atlas Obscura User
Garden Light Show   MarkTimeTravel / Atlas Obscura User
Gardens By the Bay from the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel   MarkTimeTravel / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Along Singapore's Marina Bay, a landscaping project known as Gardens by the Bay hopes to beautify the marina and help transform the dense city-state into a "city in the garden." But with futuristic design features that border on otherworldly, this garden is unlike any you've seen before.

Due to their sheer height and fantastical appearance, Gardens by the Bay's defining feature is almost certainly its collection of 18 "Supertrees." With heights ranging from 80 to 160 feet and light displays that come alive at night, the Supertrees complement the nearby high-rises and add distinctive flair to the Singapore skyline. 

As you may have guessed, these trees are not trees in the traditional sense, but rather a series of man-made frames which house both greens and green technology. Roughly 200 species of orchids, ferns, and other tropical climbers scale the Supertrees' trunks, forming a lush, colorful skin. In some regards the Supertrees imitate the functions of regular trees: absorbing and redistributing heat, collecting and filtering rainwater, and providing shade with their expansive canopies. Eleven of the trees are outfitted with either solar panels, which power the Supertree Grove's lighting displays, or ventilation systems used to capture exhaust from the park's greenhouses. Visitors can get an up-close look at these mechanical marvels from a 72-foot-high walkway known as the OCBC Skyway.

The Supertrees, though probably the park's most visually commanding features, are by no means the only impressive attraction at Gardens by the Bay; the garden complex is also home to two enormous greenhouses, as well as several outdoor gardens and lakes. The Flower Dome supports thousands of varieties of cool-dry climate plants and flowers, while the nearby Cloud Forest fosters plants that prefer wet conditions found on mountains and tropical highlands. Both of these greenhouses use sustainable technologies to minimize the their environmental impact.

In addition to incorporating elements of the natural world into Singapore's city life, Singapore's government hopes the project will attract ecotourists from around the world.

Related Tags

Strange Science Instruments Of Science Horticulture Plants

Know Before You Go

While there is an entrance fee for the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, the outdoor gardens including the Supertree Grove are free. Don’t miss the spectacular light and sound show that takes place at the Supertree Grove at 7:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. every night. The gardens are open 5:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m. daily, but are not illuminated in the early morning. The Supertree lights are turned off at midnight.

Community Contributors

Added By

Leslie McIntyre

Edited By

michelle, MatildaTravelsister, Kris McCracken, MarkTimeTravel...

  • michelle
  • MatildaTravelsister
  • Kris McCracken
  • MarkTimeTravel
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Samir S Patel
  • jimdunn27
  • Mathias Van de Velde
  • mathewbrowne
  • Scribbling Geek

Published

July 28, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/08/world/asia/singapore-supertrees-gardens-bay
  • http://www.weather.com/travel/singapores-bizarre-supertrees-photos-20130712
  • https://thetravelsisters.com/3-days-in-singapore-itinerary-travel-guide/
  • https://www.photohound.co/spot/supertree-grove-1001515
Gardens by the Bay
18 Marina Gardens Drive
018953
Singapore
1.278728, 103.864919
Visit Website

Nearby Places

'Planet'

Singapore

miles away

Singapore's Rooftop Pool

Singapore

miles away

Merlion

Singapore

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Singapore

Singapore

Asia

Places 73
Stories 14

Nearby Places

'Planet'

Singapore

miles away

Singapore's Rooftop Pool

Singapore

miles away

Merlion

Singapore

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Singapore

Singapore

Asia

Places 73
Stories 14

Related Stories and Lists

16 Real Places That Look Like They're From the Future

science fiction

By Eric Grundhauser

Related Places

  • San Vito di Cadore, Italy

    Wooden Books of Padova University

    While most books are made of wood, these wooden books are truly made of, and all about wood.

  • The Science Barge docks in Manhattan

    Yonkers, New York

    The Science Barge

    Self-sufficient greenhouse floating on the Hudson River.

  • View of the house with the apple tree in the foreground.

    Lincolnshire, England

    Woolsthorpe Manor

    Isaac Newton's former home, where the famous apple tree still stands.

  • The entrace to Svalbard’s Global Seed Vault.

    Svalbard, Norway

    Svalbard Global Seed Vault

    This Arctic storage facility is a secure backup for agricultural biodiversity.

  • Forestiere Underground Gardens, Fresno, CA, 7/13/2019

    Fresno, California

    Forestiere Underground Gardens

    An underground mansion with fruit-bearing trees and grapes growing beneath the surface of central California.

  • Calle Dr. Garcia Rogel street in Palmeral de Orihuela

    Orihuela, Spain

    Palmeral of Orihuela

    The second largest palm grove in Europe was planted during Moorish times and has been largely unchanged since then.

  • A rare Franciscan manzanita, similar to the one that led to Rowntree’s nighttime raid to save one of the endangered plants. She admitted that she’d “garnered it ghoulishly in a gunnysack.”

    Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

    Lester Rowntree Native Plant Garden

    Named for a self-taught botanist who cataloged hundreds of native plants, this garden continues her work of preserving California plant life.

  • Waltham, Massachusetts

    Lyman Estate Greenhouses

    These beautiful garden buildings are among the oldest surviving greenhouses in the United States.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.