My visit to Haw Par Villa, one of Singapore’s more unconventional attractions, was a thought-provoking experience. While some may find the statues and dioramas a bit tacky, they certainly add to the park’s unique charm. The highlight for me was undoubtedly Hell’s Museum, which bills itself as “the world’s first museum dedicated to death and the afterlife”. This museum offers an absorbing overview of afterlife concepts across various religions. Its comprehensive and balanced treatment of such a sensitive subject is a testament to Singapore’s reputation as possibly the most religiously diverse society in the world. The museum goes a step further by delving into funeral and burial practices, offering insights into how different cultures approach these rituals, including the adaptations made in Singapore due to its land scarcity. The experience was greatly enriched by the 45-minute guided tour, which is complimentary with the museum admission ($18 for adults). Our guide, Paul, was exceptional. He had a wealth of knowledge and enhanced the tour with his personal anecdotes, making the exploration of Hell’s Museum even more engaging. I highly recommend Haw Par Villa and Hell Museum in particular to anyone interested in a different cultural experience, especially those intrigued by the concept of the afterlife and religious diversity.

One of the most bizarre experiences in Singapore. Not to be missed. The guided tour of the « museum of hell » was excellent. The guide was knowledgeable and interesting which helped make sense of this unique attraction. It might be a little scary for small children.

Interesting spot to visit if you happen to have more time in Singapore as tourist / exhausted most spots in Singapore as a local. Hell turned out to be air-conditioned so that was nice. Our guide Joanne took us through a great overview of hell and patiently addressed our many questions. As it turns out, the bar for punishment is pretty low so … watch what you do on earth. 🤡

Really enjoyed this place. So many different sculptures depicting folk stories as well as myths and weird scenes open to interpretation. It's also free! The Hell's Museum is separate and requires an entrance fee. I believe it's well worth it. Along with numerous scenes of hell and odd methods of punishment, there is a wealth of information on burial practices and beliefs I wouldn't know about otherwise. Overall, I would visit again. One of my favorite places in Singapore.

This is a fun place to spend a couple of hours, the museum is ok but the walk around the park is like going back in time to the 70s. Lots of colourful statues and dioramas telling Chinese stories but quite a few could do with a lick of paint. In its day I should think this was a really popular attraction so people should keep visiting so it can stay open. Definitely recommend for a couple of hours fun

Large dioramas show Chinese legends in graphic form. Great fun, and an easy way to learn about Chinese traditions. Often we’ve left because the concrete paths get so hot. This time light rain was expected all day, and the cool condition made it much better. Actually the day was almost dry, but no sun, perfect for exploring the area. We had lunch at 6th Milestone café. Food was nice, beer was only slightly more expensive than a hawker centre, and the music was relaxing. A very pleasant meal. We didn’t pay to see the courts of hell. I remember them when they were free, and will visit again sometime, but this time we felt too tired of studying Chinese legends to want to go. There was so much to see in the free areas. Maintaining the park is very expensive, so the owners do need support. It’s unique to Singapore, and was one of the first places we saw many years ago. It’s easy to reach on the MRT, and well worth the time to see it.

Happened to past by this attraction and decided to have a glimpse again after so many years. In my memory, Haw Par Villa has always been associated with the Eighteen levels of hell (十八层地狱). The gruesome scenes of sinners boil in steamers, their tongues being ripped out; bodies steamed out in hot burner columns; bodies dismembered into pieces by saws, knives were still fresh and vivid, etched in my memory lanes. It was shock therapy to the young minds. This part of the attraction has moved to the hell museum and admission requires an entrance ticket. Chinese mythology is best depicted here in statues and sculptures with moral lessons for those who understand them. In 白蛇传 (Legend of the White Snake), heaven is moved by the filial piety of the son and the pagoda which towered over his mother (the white snake), collapsed and she was saved from the spell cast by the monk, Fahai. In the Journey to the West ( 西遊記), Zhu Bajie (豬八戒) almost lost his life when he could not resist the temptation of lust and being easily seduced by the `beauties'. In the Investiture of the Gods (封神榜), King Zhou was bewitched by his concubine Daji, who is actually a vixen spirit disguised as a beautiful woman and his indulgence with her to the neglect of his duties as a King resulted in the downfall of the Shang Dynasty. The three deities, Fu lu Shou (福祿壽) stands right in the middle of the villa representing the Taoist concept of Good Fortune (Fu), Prosperity (Lu), and Longevity (Shou). At another corner, the statue of Confucius stands with the word `Ren' 仁 while the statue of Lin Ze Xu (林则徐), stands facing the entrance of the villa. An upright official of the Qing Dynasty, he was well regarded as the national hero who banned the Opium Trade in Guangzhou. But the legacy of the founders, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par was the most spectacular. They were not very well educated, built their fortunes from the sales of their medicated plaster and medicated oil. When they amassed wealth, they had not forgotten to give back to society. From society and back to society, that was their philosophy of philanthropy (回馈社会, 饮水思源).

We've done quite a bit of attractions in Singapore, so this one may be a little bit off the beaten path. It is easily reachable via the MRT, right at the station. Free entrance unless you want to tour the Hell's Museum. Aw Boon Haw, the founder of Tiger Balm, decided to give back with part of his fortunes, built this villa to display Asian culture and history. One will need to visit in person to appreciate all the amazing things depicted here. Many popular and familiar folklore, legends, and statues can be found here. Some of the things we enjoyed: the ornate entrance gate, bridges over the pond, turtles bathing in the sun, the dragons and pearls wall. We can only imagine how much money it takes to maintain and upkeep something like this. It is no surprise to see faded paintings, weeds, and chipped statues. Unfortunately, this may end up too much expenses exceeding the donations/foundation/income model. So come and visit while you still can!

I had visited this oldest and forgotten cultural park when I was young. It feels so nice to revisit again. It is place to relax and for education. Hell's Museum inside the villa is an excellent place to visit. But villa itself is poorly maintained and no activity to attract visitors. Haw Par Villa needs to come up with activities for kids and family.

When traveling we always try to find the weird and unusual and Haw Par Villa fits the bill. Originally built as gardens and a pseudo theme park by the brothers who invented Tiger Balm ointment it's now a free walk through attraction. The connected Hell's Museum has an entrance fee but the rest of the park is completely free to walk around. Most of the sculptures have plaques in all four of Singapore's official languages so everyone can understand what you're looking at (and sometimes not). It's worth a couple of hours of walking around here just looking at all the oddball stuff but be sure to bring a hat, sunscreen and some water.