Gardens by the Bay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gardens by the Bay
Taman di Persisiran  (Malay) 滨海湾花园 (Chinese) வளைகுடா தோட்டம் (Tamil)
The Supertree Grove Trees from the Lily Pond at Gardens by the Bay
Type	Nature park
Location	Downtown Core, Kallang, Marina East, Marina South, Singapore
Area	101 hectares (250 acres)
Operated by	National Parks Board
Visitors	50 million (as of October 2018)
Open	Daily
Public transit access	TE22  Gardens by the Bay  CE1  DT16  Bayfront  TE22A  Founders' Memorial (Bay East Garden, from 2027)

The Gardens by the Bay is a huge nature park in Singapore. It covers about 101 hectares (250 acres) of land. This amazing park is right next to the Marina Reservoir.

The Gardens by the Bay has three main parts:

• Bay South Garden
• Bay East Garden
• Bay Central Garden

Bay South Garden is the biggest part, covering 54 hectares (130 acres). It was designed by Grant Associates. The Flower Dome here is the largest glass greenhouse in the world!

Singapore wanted to change from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden." This meant adding more green spaces and plants to improve life in the city. The Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, first talked about Gardens by the Bay in 2005. It was planned to be a top outdoor spot and a symbol for Singapore.

Gardens by the Bay is a very popular place to visit. In 2014, 6.4 million people came to the park. By 2015, over 20 million visitors had explored the gardens. By 2018, this number grew to over 50 million!

Exploring the Gardens by the Bay

The Gardens by the Bay is split into three main areas. Each area offers something special for visitors to enjoy.

Bay Central Garden: A Scenic Walkway

Bay Central Garden is designed to connect the Bay South and Bay East Gardens. It is 15 hectares (37 acres) in size. This garden features a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) long path along the water. It's a great place for scenic walks, stretching from the city centre towards the east of Singapore.

Bay East Garden: Views and Future Plans

The Singapore skyline viewed from Bay East Garden

Bay East Garden is 32 hectares (79 acres) large. It has a 2-kilometre (1.2 mi) path along the Marina Reservoir. A temporary park was set up here for the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. The first part of this garden opened in October 2011. It gave people another way to reach the Marina Barrage.

This garden looks like a series of large, tropical leaf shapes. Each part has its own special design and theme. There are five water areas that let wind and water flow through the garden. This helps keep the activity areas cool.

Bay East Garden offers clear views of the city skyline. Future plans for Bay East Garden will focus on the theme of water. In 2018, it was announced that the Founders' Memorial will be built here.

Bay South Garden: Tropical Wonders

Bay South Garden opened on June 29, 2012. It is the biggest of the three gardens, covering 54 hectares (130 acres). It was designed to show off the best of tropical plants and garden art.

The design for Bay South Garden was inspired by an orchid. Orchids are common in tropical places like Singapore. The country's national flower, the Vanda 'Miss Joaquim', is an orchid. The design shows the orchid's roots at the water's edge (the conservatories). The leaves, shoots, and roots then form a network with "blooms" (the themed gardens and Supertrees) at key spots.

The Conservatories: Giant Glasshouses

Gardens by the Bay conservatories

The Gardens by the Bay has two huge cooled glasshouses: the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. They are located near the Marina Reservoir. These conservatories were designed by WilkinsonEyre and Grant Associates. They show how buildings can be energy-efficient and use sustainable technology. They also offer a fun and educational space for visitors in any weather. Both are very large, about 1 hectare (2.5 acres) each. The Flower Dome is the world's largest glasshouse without any inside columns!

The way these glasshouses were built is special. First, they have a huge glass roof without extra support columns inside. Second, they were built to be very kind to the environment. Rainwater is collected from the roof and used in the cooling system. This system is connected to the Supertrees. The Supertrees help by releasing hot air and cooling the water that moves through the system.

Flower Dome: A World of Flowers

The Flower Dome is listed in the 2015 Guinness Book of World Records as the largest greenhouse in the world. It covers 1.2 hectares (3.0 acres). It recreates a cool, dry Mediterranean climate. Inside, you'll find a changing display of flowers called the flower field. There are also eight other gardens:

• The Baobabs
• Succulent Garden
• Australian Garden
• South African Garden
• South American Garden
• Olive Grove
• California Garden
• Mediterranean Garden

These gardens show off beautiful and unusual flowers and plants from Mediterranean and dry regions across five continents.

Here are some of the plants you can see in the Flower Dome:

Cloud Forest: A Misty Mountain Experience

The Cloud Fountain, the world's second tallest indoor waterfall

The Cloud Forest is taller but a bit smaller than the Flower Dome, at 0.8 hectares (2.0 acres). It copies the cool, wet conditions found in tropical mountains. These conditions are found between 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) and 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) above sea level in places like South-East Asia, Central, and South America. It has a 42-metre (138 ft) tall "Cloud Mountain." Visitors take an elevator to the top. Then, they walk down the mountain on a circular path. This path goes under a 35-metre (115 ft) waterfall several times!

The "Cloud Mountain" itself is covered in plants that grow on other plants, like orchids, ferns, and bromeliads. The design was inspired by the Maiden Hair Fungus. It has different levels, each with a unique theme. These include The Lost World, The Cavern, The Waterfall View, The Crystal Mountain, The Cloud Forest Gallery, The Cloud Forest Theatre, and The Secret Garden.

Here is a partial list of plants you can find in the Cloud Forest:

In April 2022, a special Maori sculpture called a "kuwaha" was given to Singapore. This gift from New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern showed the strong friendship between the two countries. It was carved by master carvers from New Zealand's Maori Arts and Crafts institute.

Supertree Grove: Giant Vertical Gardens

Supertree Grove, Singapore

The Supertrees are 18 tree-like structures that stand out in the Gardens. They are between 25 metres (82 ft) and 50 metres (160 ft) tall. These amazing structures were designed by Grant Associates. They are like vertical gardens that do many things. They hold plants, provide shade, and act as environmental helpers for the gardens.

The Supertrees are home to unique and exotic plants. You can find ferns, vines, orchids, and many bromeliads like Tillandsia. They have special technology that works like real trees. Photovoltaic cells on the Supertrees collect solar energy. This energy is used for things like lighting, just like trees use sunlight for photosynthesis. They also collect rainwater for watering plants and for fountain displays. The Supertrees also help the conservatories by taking in air and letting out hot air as part of their cooling systems.

Supertrees with elevated walkway

There's a high walkway called the OCBC Skyway. It connects two of the larger Supertrees. From here, visitors get amazing views of the Gardens. Every night, at 7:45 PM and 8:45 PM, the Supertree Grove lights up with a music and light show called the Garden Rhapsody. The music changes often, with themes like "A World of Wonder" or "A Night of Musical Theatre." These shows might even feature music from movies like Jurassic Park and Pirates of the Caribbean!

There's also the Supertree Observatory, which opened on December 27, 2019. It's inside the tallest Supertree, which is 50 metres (160 ft) high. It has three levels: the ground floor, the Observatory Space, and the Open-Air Rooftop Deck. Visitors take a lift up to the Observatory Space. From there, they can walk up stairs to the Rooftop Deck. The Observatory Space has glass windows and an outdoor walkway. Here, you can learn about climate change through digital displays. The Open-Air Rooftop Deck is an observation deck on top of the Supertree. It gives you a 360-degree view of the Gardens and the Marina Bay area.

Children's Garden: Fun for Kids

The Children's Garden was also designed by Grant Associates. It was fully paid for by Far East Organization, costing $10 million. This fun area opened on January 21, 2014. It's located near a treehouse and an adventure trail. The adventure trail has trampolines, balancing beams, hanging bridges, and more!

The Children's Garden is open from Tuesday to Friday, 10 AM to 7 PM. On Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, it's open from 9 AM to 9 PM. It is closed on Mondays, or the next working day if Monday is a public holiday.

Horticultural Themed Gardens: Learning About Plants

There are two different groups of themed gardens. They show off Singapore's plant heritage and the science of gardens and forests. These gardens are an important part of the Gardens' educational program. They help people learn about plants.

The "Heritage Gardens" show how different cultural groups in Singapore use plants. They also highlight Singapore's history and important plants from Singapore and South East Asia. The four gardens are:

• Indian Garden
• Chinese Garden
• Malay Garden
• Colonial Garden

The "World of Plants" theme shows how all plants in a forest are connected. It highlights the many different kinds of plants on Earth. It has six smaller "gardens":

• Discovery
• Web of Life
• Fruits and Flowers
• Understorey
• World of Palms
• Secret Life of Trees

Bayfront Plaza and Floral Fantasy: A Grand Entrance

A model by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of the future garden at Marina South

The Bayfront Plaza is the main entrance to the Gardens from Bayfront MRT station. It includes an attraction called Floral Fantasy. This area has four garden landscapes with beautiful floral art. It also has a 4D ride that makes you feel like you're a dragonfly flying through the Gardens by the Bay. Floral Fantasy covers 1,500 square metres (16,000 sq ft). It also has an indoor space for events, a cafe, and a pop-up market on weekends.

Getting to Gardens by the Bay

It's easy to get to Gardens by the Bay using public transport.

• The closest MRT stations are Gardens by the Bay MRT station (on the Thomson-East Coast Line) and Bayfront MRT station (on the Circle and Downtown Lines).
• You can also take Bus Service 400 to the Gardens.

Events at the Gardens

The Gardens by the Bay hosts many events throughout the year. For example, in 2017, they had "Dye-nosaur Gardens." This was an educational event for the annual Children's Festival. It featured dinosaur-inspired characters among the plant exhibits.

Images for kids

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  The Lost World

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  The Cloud Mountain

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  Supertree Grove

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  Interior

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  The Flower Dome

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  Exterior

See also

In Spanish: Jardines de la Bahía para niños