The Merlion is Singapore’s most photographed landmark, and Merlion Park is where nearly every visitor ends up standing in line for the same shot: water spouting from a lion’s head into the bay, Marina Bay Sands glowing in the background. It costs nothing, takes five minutes to see properly, and is worth timing carefully if you want the photo without fifty strangers in the frame.
What Merlion Park’s Statue Actually Is
The main statue stands 8.6 meters tall and weighs 70 tons, with a smaller 2-meter “cub” Merlion positioned just behind it — a detail a lot of visitors miss entirely because the main statue draws all the attention. Both were carved by local sculptor Lim Nang Seng and his eight children, built between November 1971 and August 1972, and officially unveiled on September 15, 1972 in a ceremony presided over by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The half-lion, half-fish design merges Singapore’s original name — Singapura, “Lion City” in Sanskrit — with its origins as a fishing village, making the statue a deliberate emblem of national identity rather than an ancient legend; it was designed and built in the early 1970s specifically as a tourism symbol.
The statue hasn’t always stood where it stands now. It was originally installed in 1972 near the mouth of the Singapore River, close to the Anderson Bridge. In April 2002, it was relocated to its current site at One Fullerton, next to The Fullerton Hotel, in a move that cost around S$7.5 million — partly to make way for the Esplanade Bridge, which would have blocked the original statue’s view of the bay. The current site is roughly four times larger than the original park. In February 2009 the statue was struck by lightning during a storm, which halted the water spout for about three weeks while repairs were made; it’s been running continuously since.
The Merlion symbol itself actually predates the statue by close to a decade — it was first designed in 1964 as a logo for the Singapore Tourism Board by Fraser Brunner, a curator at the Van Kleef Aquarium, before the physical statue at Merlion Park was commissioned and built almost ten years later. That’s why the creature shows up on souvenirs, coins, and branding well beyond this one statue; there are actually several smaller Merlion statues scattered around Singapore, including one on Sentosa, but the Marina Bay original remains the version everyone means when they say “the Merlion.”
Hours and Cost
Merlion Park is free and open 24 hours a day, every day — there’s no gate, no ticket booth, and no closing time. That makes it one of the easiest attractions in Marina Bay to fit into any schedule, whether that’s a five-minute stop on the way to breakfast or a dedicated blue-hour photo session.
Best Times to Visit for Photos
Merlion Park is consistently described as Singapore’s busiest photo spot, and midday is when that’s most obvious — harsh overhead light, heat, and the thickest crowds all stack up between roughly 11am and 4pm. Three windows work noticeably better:
- Sunrise, roughly 6:45–7:30am: the park is close to empty, the light is soft, and you can actually get the classic “water in your palm” shot without waiting in line.
- Sunset and blue hour: Marina Bay Sands and the surrounding skyline light up and reflect in the water behind the statue, giving a completely different mood from the daytime shot — this is when the park gets busy again, so patience helps.
- After dark: the statue is illuminated and pairs naturally with the free Spectra light and water show at Marina Bay Sands’ Event Plaza, a short walk across the bay — worth timing your evening around both in one trip.
For the signature shot, position yourself on the lower viewing deck closest to the water so the spout appears to land in your hand or mouth in the frame. Stepping back with a wider lens instead captures the statue against the full skyline — Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum, the Helix Bridge, and the Singapore Flyer are all visible from the park’s waterfront promenade in a single sweep.
Getting to Merlion Park
The park sits at 1 Fullerton Road, right beside The Fullerton Hotel. The nearest MRT station is Raffles Place, about a 10-minute walk through the Fullerton area toward the waterfront — Esplanade and Downtown stations are also walkable if you’re coming from Marina Bay Sands or the Civic District side, crossing via the Esplanade Bridge or Jubilee Bridge respectively. A taxi or ride-hail drop-off works too, though during peak evening hours the roads immediately around One Fullerton get congested with other visitors doing the same thing.
One thing worth planning around: cruise ships docking nearby occasionally send large tour groups through the park in tight windows, which can turn an otherwise quiet weekday morning briefly crowded. If you arrive and the lower viewing deck is packed, the upper promenade level still gets a clean angle on the statue and skyline while you wait a few minutes for the group to move on.
What’s Nearby
Merlion Park connects directly into a walkable loop around the bay. The Fullerton Hotel and Cavenagh Bridge sit right beside it, the Civic District’s colonial-era landmarks are a short walk west, and Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and the Singapore Flyer are all reachable on foot or via a short walk across the Esplanade or Helix bridges heading east. Most visitors fold Merlion Park into a longer morning or evening walk rather than treating it as a standalone stop, since five minutes at the statue itself leaves the rest of a visit feeling incomplete.
For how Merlion Park fits into a fuller day or two in the district, see this site’s Marina Bay travel guide. If you’re planning your evening around the free light shows, this site’s Marina Bay Sands ticket guide covers the SkyPark and other ticketed options nearby if you want to add something paid to the same walk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Merlion Park free to visit?
Yes — there’s no admission fee and no closing time. It’s open 24 hours a day.
What’s the best time of day to photograph the Merlion?
Early morning around sunrise for the emptiest conditions and softest light, or sunset into blue hour if you want Marina Bay Sands and the skyline lit up in the background. Midday is the most crowded and harshly lit window.
How tall is the Merlion statue?
The main statue is 8.6 meters tall and weighs 70 tons. A smaller, 2-meter “cub” Merlion stands just behind it.
Has the Merlion always been in this location?
No — it originally stood near the mouth of the Singapore River from 1972 until it was relocated to its current site at One Fullerton in April 2002, partly to make way for the Esplanade Bridge.
Bottom Line
Merlion Park doesn’t need much time or any money, which makes it one of the easiest wins in Marina Bay — the trick is timing it around sunrise or sunset rather than showing up at 1pm with everyone else. Fold it into a longer waterfront walk toward the Civic District or Marina Bay Sands rather than treating it as a separate trip.
For more on the area, see our guide to Civic District Walking Guide: National Gallery, Padang and Colonial Landmarks.