Singapore Botanic Gardens extension adds trails, botanical art and forest discovery centre, and children’s playground full of giant fruit
- Once a place where Singapore’s rich exercised their horses, the extension to the historic gardens features a lot more than rare plants and trees
- Colonial mansions house a child-focused discovery centre and botanical art, and a children’s playground has giant jackfruit and seed pods to clamber over

Beautiful historic houses, undulating lawns, hilly trails, rare trees, an art gallery, and a forest-themed playground – the much anticipated extension to Singapore’s Botanic Gardens (SBG) has something for almost everyone.
Opened this month, the eight-hectare Gallop Extension, across Tyersall Avenue from the main gardens, is a significant addition to the Unesco World Heritage-listed site. And while it feels a little detached – something SBG aims to fix with the addition of a canopy link bridge next year – it reflects many of the elements that make the original Botanic Gardens, established in 1859, such a draw for overseas visitors and residents alike.
Like the main gardens, the space has been landscaped with rare and unique regional plants to create a range of environments, from shady trails to rolling parkland. And, like the original gardens, Singapore’s National Parks has designed the Gallop Extension with the intention of preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the area.
Formerly a pepper and gambier plantation, the site became an estate for a series of rich landowners at the end of the 19th century – the name Gallop refers to the fact it was a popular spot for riding horses – and much of that history has been preserved.

That is most evident in the imposing black and white mansions that dominate the central area. Approached along a gravel path through the arboretum or up the sweeping driveway, these grand residences were the work of Regent Alfred John Bidwell, designer of Raffles Hotel.