Forest Discovery Centre

The Forest Discovery Centre introduces visitors to Singapore’s rich forest ecosystems and the importance of conserving them. Through interpretive displays, photographs, and videos, visitors can explore the diversity of local forests and learn about the Gardens’ long-standing role in forest conservation.

Highlights include family-friendly exhibits and immersive experiences featuring Singapore’s lowland rainforest, freshwater swamp, and mangrove habitats. The Centre also supports the Gardens’ Tropical Forest Ecology Research Programme, continuing its legacy of forest research dating back to the 1880s.

About the Building
The centre is housed in Gallop House No. 5 (Atbara), Singapore’s oldest surviving colonial-era bungalow, designed by Regent Alfred John Bidwell of Swan & Maclaren and built in 1898. The house reflects the tropical adaptation of British colonial architecture, featuring broad eaves, deep verandahs, and elegant arches.

In 1939, Atbara was leased to the French Government and later served as the French Embassy until 1999. Restored in 2012, it now houses the Forest Discovery Centre @ OCBC Arboretum.