NSL: Get out and about with senior-friendly activities along the North-South MRT Line

A total of 106 new trains have been serving passengers on the North-South Line (NSL) and East-West Line (EWL) since 4 June 2023.

We love that these new train cabins offer more open spaces to accommodate wheelchairs. The new trains also come with large, panoramic windows which would provide seniors with an improved viewing experience while travelling along above-ground stations. The usual priority boarding for seniors, signs for priority seating, platform screen doors and designated queue zones to remind commuters to give way to those in need are all still in use too. If you are using a wheelchair or have a mobility scooter, these are allowed on the MRT and there are station staff and service ambassadors who can assist if you need help.

The NSL spans across 27 MRT stations. Seniors travelling between Jurong East and Marina South Pier can try to spot these new trains as you journey to some newly opened places of interest. Getting out is important as it prevents social isolation and does wonders to improve one’s mental health. With the added benefit of your senior concession card, you can maximize savings while effortlessly navigating your way around.

Here’s our list of elderly-friendly activities that can be found along the NSL. Many of the activities we picked are great options for those who want to spend the day outdoors taking in the fresh air while surrounded by nature. Of course, if you are not the outdoorsy kind, we have suggested some indoor attractions for you too.  

If you have a free morning or afternoon to spare, why not visit:

• NS3 Bukit Gombak – Little Guilin
• NS11 Sembawang Station – Bukit Canberra
• NS14 Khatib Station – Bird Paradise 
• NS19 Toa Payoh Station – SAFRA Toa Payoh Superbowl  
• NS22 Orchard Station – ION Sky and Shaw Theatres Lido
• NS24 Dhoby Ghaut Station – National Museum of Singapore
• NS25 City Hall Station – Peranakan Museum

NS3 Bukit Gombak Station - Little Guilin

5 min walk from Bukit Gombak MRT Station (NS3), wheelchair accessible

Admire the majestic granite rock formations sitting within a lake in the heart of Bukit Batok Town Park. The scenery resembles that of Guilin in China, where the towering rock cliffs present a stunning view of the tranquil lake. Take the walking trail or just enjoy quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of city living.

Little Guilin (Bukit Batok Town Park)
Address: Along Bukit Batok East Avenue 5
Opening hours: 7am to 7pm

NS11 Sembawang Station - Bukit Canberra Integrated Hub

Butterfly garden, indoor sports hall and nature-inspired hawker centre

7-minutes walk from Sembawang MRT Station (NS11)

Bukit Canberra is a haven of tranquility, with its nature-themed design. The integrated sports and community hub is a multi-purpose venue that has a variety of enjoyable activities to enhance daily living for older adults, and a great venue for you to bond with loved ones over sports or just enjoy the neighbourhood activities.

Take a leisurely walk in the butterfly park located on the second floor and admire the beauty of nature. Good news for caregivers, the park is wheelchair friendly to ensure that those with limited mobility can still enjoy its diversity of flora and fauna. This tropical butterfly habitat reflecting the interconnectedness of life will captivate all who venture into its embrace. If you are a caregiver looking for a place to bring Ah Ma or Ah Gong out for a relaxing stroll, why not pick Bukit Canberra as the greenery extends to a therapeutic garden, Fruit Orchard and Food Forest where the community grow their own plants.

When you get hungry, the hawker centre is a must-visit as it is one of Singapore's largest, offering over 40 stalls and accommodating 800 seats. Immerse yourself in a delightful "food in a park" atmosphere, where wider aisles have been thoughtfully designed for easy wheelchair access, showcasing Singapore's commitment to be an inclusive society.

Every stall serves up healthy meal options, and as part of the initiative to encourage healthy eating, each dish undergoes analysis by an in-house nutritionist to determine its calorie count. Furthermore, hawkers are encouraged to ensure that they offer some meals which are prepared using healthier cooking methods and ingredients. For anyone who has a CHAS, Pioneer or Merdeka Generation card, you can enjoy a 10% discount on regular-priced meals.

Engaging in sports is a great way to improve your mental health and stay fit. It’s never too late to start exercise, and you can prevent or delay many of the health problems that come naturally as part of the aging process. However, if you have pre-existing medical conditions or are worried about overexerting, it may be useful to consult your general practitioner (GP) or healthcare professional.

It’s usually more fun to exercise together and you won’t feel bored in the company of other like-minded individuals who share the same interest as you for sports. At Bukit Canberra, you will have lots of choices as the sports hall has 8 badminton courts, 4 basketball courts, 2 pickleball courts, and 8 table tennis tables.

Consider doing physical activities together as a family for some bonding time. You can easily book the sports facilities through ActiveSG. Additionally, keep an eye out for the monthly "Walk in The Park @ Bukit Canberra," held on the first Friday of every month from 8:30 am to 9:30 am. You can sign up for this free walk for some light exercise, while enjoying the park's natural surroundings.

Furthermore, Bukit Canberra has more exciting plans in store. In 2024, a new library, the Canberra House Library, will be opening its doors. Housed within a historic building, the library offers an extensive collection of titles focusing on nature, history, and gardening. It will be a perfect destination for book lovers and those seeking knowledge about these fascinating subjects.

Bukit Canberra 
Address: 2 Canberra Walk, Singapore 759787 
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 7am - 10pm daily (Sports Hall), 7am – 11pm (Hawker Centre)

NS14 Khatib Station – Bird Paradise 

Visit Asia’s largest bird park located at Mandai Wildlife Reserve

Catch the shuttle bus which is wheelchair accessible from Khatib MRT Station (NS14) at $1 and reach in 15 mins.

First Bus: 8.00am, Last Bus: 11.40pm.

Bird Paradise is the latest addition to Singapore’s wildlife parks and is conveniently located at Mandai Wildlife Reserve together with the Singapore Zoo, River Wonders and Night Safari. Newly opened in 2023, it has eight large walk-through aviaries which are inspired by different habitats from around the globe! You may grab a meal or a drink at Mandai Wildlife West, which is open to the public (you don’t need entrance tickets for this!) and has several dining and retail options including an Old Chang Kee Coffee House and a zero-waste multi-concept store.

Once you enter Bird Paradise, you will be greeted by an iconic “Orchid waterfall” built to commemorate the history of the former Mandai Orchid gardens, Singapore’s oldest orchid garden that used to be located where Bird Paradise is now. There is a free tram service that runs between the Entrance Plaza and Central Plaza, so you don’t have to walk the distance.

Senior ticket entrance fees are $20 only (while Adult tickets are $48).

Bird Paradise
Address: 20 Mandai Lake Rd, Singapore 729825
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 9am to 6pm

Also accessible via the North South line – NS4 Choa Chu Kang (connect with Bus 927 ) or NS16 Ang Mo Kio (connect with Bus 138).

NS19 Toa Payoh Station - SAFRA Toa Payoh Superbowl

Senior discounts for bowling is available!

8-minutes walk from Toa Payoh MRT Station (NS19)

Strike your boredom away and spend an afternoon bowling. Senior citizens (55 years and above) can enjoy a special rate of only $2.50 per game during off peak hours on weekdays from 12pm to 4pm.

SAFRA Toa Payoh
Address: 293 Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Singapore 319387
Off-peak hours: Mon-Fri, 12pm -4pm

NS22 Orchard Station – ION Sky and Shaw Theatres Lido

Catch a movie with special discounts and visit ION Orchard observation deck

5-minutes walk from Orchard MRT Station (NS22)

Take advantage of Shaw Theatres Lido Senior Citizens privilege and catch an IMAX 3D movie during off-peak hours at $18, or a regular movie at just $4.50. After your movie, head over to ION Orchard to take in the breathtaking 360° panoramic view of Orchard Road from ION Sky on the 56th floor. Access to ION Sky is free, simply take the lift on Level 4 via ION Art, conveniently located near the concierge.

Shaw Theatres Lido
Address: Shaw Theatres Lido 350 Orchard Road Shaw House Singapore 238868
Senior citizens can enjoy IMAX® movies at concession rates from Mondays to Fridays before 6p.m, at any Shaw Theatres IMAX®

ION Sky
Address: 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801
Opening hours: Tue-Thu 4pm-8pm, Fri-Sat 2pm-9pm, closed on Sun and Mon

NS24 Dhoby Ghaut Station – National Museum of Singapore

6-minutes walk from Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station (NS24)

In April 2022, the museum opened Reunion which is a designated social space for seniors, especially those living with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Relax and bond with friends at Reunion, which comprises a cozy café, a group activity area, an immersive projection cave, a Quiet Room, and music booth that is a modern-day jukebox with multilingual playlists that is sure to bring back fond memories. There is a very interesting portrayal of a HDB void deck as well as other scenes from the old days that you can watch in the projection cave.

Reunion is designed to resemble your home, with senior-friendly furniture and seats and nostalgia elements. It is the perfect spot to just relax and enjoy the ambience, or you can play some card games together or bring along a musical instrument like a guitar or tambourine to liven up the atmosphere while you enjoy the company of old and new friends and have great conversations.

Apart from Reunion, you could take a walk down memory lane and explore the various permanent exhibitions. We highly recommend a visit to the “Story of the Forest”, a virtual and visual journey presented as an immersive installation that transforms 69 drawings from the William Farquhar Collection of National History Drawings, taking you through Singapore’s colonial past to present-day times.

You can also book a slot to join a senior-friendly conversational tour of the permanent galleries with the museum’s care facilitators who are museum volunteers that are on standby to assist senior visitors. Held every first Saturday of the month, the tour is suitable for persons with dementia.

There are also regular programmes for seniors organised by the museum so check out the calendar ahead of your visit. There are various activities curated to enhance your museum visiting experience. The museum is also a perfect place for you to have some intergenerational bonding as there are different activities catering to visitors of all ages.

For anyone who prefers a quieter and relaxing environment to explore the museum, plan your visit to coincide with Quiet Mornings when the galleries open earlier at 9am. There are drop-in stations where you can play some nostalgic games of yesteryears.

Free to visit for all Singaporeans and PRs.

National Museum of Singapore
Address: 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 9am - 6pm (Reunion), 10am-7pm (Museum)
Quiet mornings: First Sat of the month, 9am-11am, first/third Thu of each month (9am-12pm)
Senior-friendly tour: First Sat of the month, 10.30am-11.30am, registration required
Also accessible from City Hall MRT station, a 10 min walk from the station

Check out the museum’s on-going programmes for seniors here.

NS25 City Hall Station – Peranakan Museum and Spice Garden

10 min walk from City Hall MRT Station (NS25)

After a three-year revamp, the museum finally reopened in 2023! Housed in the former Tao Nan school, the museum presents the Peranakan story, which is intertwined with Singapore’s rich multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious history. It features a wide public collection of Peranakan artefacts which include furniture, ceramics, jewellery, decorative textiles and fashion, as well as photos donated by Peranakan communities in Singapore. With a local twist, visitors will have a deep appreciation of the Singaporean cultural identity.

The three-storey museum has lifts and ramps throughout the building to allow visitors on wheelchairs to easily navigate to explore the exhibits.  The permanent galleries are organised along three themes: Origins (uncovers the ancestry origins of different groups of Peranakans), Home (focused on family and community life), and Style (displays the craftwork, adornments and fashion of the Peranakans).

Tip: For those who want to explore beyond, walk through the Singapore Management University building behind the museum and head over to the Spice Garden @ Fort Canning Park. The trail is a short 1 km walk and will take about 30 min. Discover the harmonious blend of Peranakan spices growing in planter boxes and the beautiful architecture as you stroll along pedestrianised Armenian Street. Take the outdoor escalators or lifts from SMU School of Law Building at the end of Armenian Street for a seamless connection to Fort Canning Park and you will see the beautiful outdoor garden display covering the spice trade in Singapore and the region. At the foot of the garden is a Spice Gallery which features an experiential gallery designed as three colonial-era shophouses: a traditional spice shop, a spice trading office and a coffee shop.

Free to visit for all Singaporeans and PRs.

Peranakan Museum
Address: 39 Armenian St, Singapore 179941 Opening hours: Sat-Thu 10am – 7pm, Fri 10am-9pm
Spice Gallery @ Fort Canning

Opening hours: Mon-Sun, 7am-7pm