Despite being a modern city, Singapore is home to a number of old, abandoned estates that look straight out of a horror movie set. Thankfully, these scary places are only found in super ulu places… or so we thought. Here are 5 creepy abandoned places only minutes away from our schools, condominiums, and shopping malls.
1. Kay Siang Bunkers (beside Tanglin International Centre and nearby condos)
The Kay Siang Bunkers were built together with Buller Camp, which used to house (and allegedly abuse) prisoners-of-war during the Japanese occupation. The bunkers themselves were mainly used to store munitions, but were abandoned shortly after World War 2. While the deserted bunkers look decidedly creepy at all times of the day, they’re still legally and relatively accessible to the public. The nearest bus stop is barely more than a hundred metres’ trek through the foliage, and it’s also a short journey away from Redhill MRT.
Address: Kay Siang Road near Bus Stop 10469
2. Keppel Hill Reservoir (near Harbourfront MRT and Mount Faber)
We don’t know exactly when Keppel Hill Reservoir was built, but we do know that it was eventually discarded as a reservoir due to its small size. Some people tried to use it as a swimming pool, but after drowning incidents on multiple occasions, it was abandoned so completely that it disappeared entirely from Singaporean maps for more than half a century.
On the first occasion, two young British soldiers drowned in front of thirty other regiment soldiers, who tried to reach them but not before the duo sank quickly to the bottom. On another occasion, another youth, who was employed at a British camp disappeared into the water in front of two of his friends.
Interestingly, in 2005, a paranormal investigator chanced upon the reservoir while searching for an unusual Japanese tomb which happened to be nearby. The Japanese tomb in question is strange for being a costly commission for a seemingly random Japanese civilian engineer by the Japanese navy during the period of the Japanese occupation. Most other Japanese civilians were buried in the Japanese cemetery at Yio Chu Kang Road instead.
In any case, the reservoir was officially rediscovered back in 2014. There are the remnants of a diving board, although we strongly recommend you resist the urge to take a swim. Near both the reservoir and the single Japanese tomb is also the rediscovered Seah Im bunker, which can be easily accessed from Seah Im carpark near Vivocity.
Address: Keppel Hill, Singapore
3. Istana Woodneuk (near Botanic Gardens)
Back in its heyday, Istana Woodneuk was once an opulent mansion belonging to Malaysian royalty. It was close to another palace known as Istana Tyersall, and the two often got confused together. Unfortunately, the Istana Tyersall burned down in 1905 and was abandoned. In a somewhat eerie coincidence, Istana Woodneuk was also damaged by a huge fire in 1925 and rebuilt. It was then destroyed by another fire in 2005, before being finally abandoned.
Today, the place sits dilapidated with its blue roof tiles caved in, and is deemed structurally unsafe. But while police have officially cordoned off the place, that didn’t stop many members of the public from exploring the place and posting about it on social media anyway. There’s a ton of graffiti and even satanic symbols adoring the walls of the former palace, and there’s plenty of dark corridors that seem unwise to venture into. Istana Woodneuk is situated right next to our national Botanic Gardens.
Address: 766 Tyersall Ave, Singapore 257699
4. Chee Guan Chiang House (near Somerset MRT)
Here’s another once-lavish mansion. Chee Guan Chiang House is sitting on some prime real estate at the heart of Orchard Road, and it’s estimated to be worth over 400 million. The house was originally commissioned by the very first chairman of the OCBC group. However, the family later left the country (and the house) during the Japanese occupation.
The house then fell into a messy legal battle between multiple developers, and has been sitting empty ever since. Unfortunately, despite its close proximity to town, it’s still considered private property and is off limits to the public. Which might be a good thing, given the creepy vibes of the place.
Address: 25 Grange Road, Singapore 239699
5. View Road Hospital (near Republic Poly)
View Road Hospital was originally built for military use. After World War 2, the place was converted to a mental hospital in 1975 due to overcrowding at Woodbridge Hospital (now the Institute of Mental Health). It was meant to be a site for the rehabilitation of patients with chronic schizophrenia, but was eventually shut down in 2001. It was then used as a foreign workers’ dormitory for a few years, and moved out a few years later. Another dormitory tried moving in, but also eventually moved out for some reason by 2017, and it’s been abandoned ever since.
Due to its history as a mental institution, the abandoned hospital has an eerie atmosphere, with rusted grilled gates and anti-suicide netting around the staircases. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the premise has been reserved for redevelopment and the public is not allowed to enter without permission.
Address: View Road
Abandoned Places in Singapore
While some of the places on this list have been closed off to the public, a few of them are open for the brave-hearted explorers out there. If you’re thinking of checking out these relics of the past, be sure to bring someone along with you. You know, just in case.
