Snow City in Jurong East will close on Sept 30, ending 26 years of indoor winter experiences, and Emeline Tan — who has worked there as a ski operator for 23 years — says the announcement feels like the end of a community as much as a workplace.
Snow City first opened in June 2000 and became known as Singapore's first indoor snow centre, offering locals the rare chance to experience snowfall and sub-zero temperatures without leaving the island. Its attractions included snow-tubing down a three-storey-high, 60m-long slope and rides in an ice bumper car; in 2015 the centre underwent a major revamp that introduced new snow machines, igloos, Inuit clothes, a snow playground and a treehouse adventure playground and repositioned the site as a place to learn about the impact of climate change.
The Straits Times visited Snow City on May 20 between 2pm and 5pm and found around 10 families inside the chilled halls. Singaporean actor Yang Yan visited with friends for what he said was a last trip and called the place a link to childhood: "Ever since I was in primary school, I would come once every five years. It’s a good place to rekindle lovely memories from my childhood." Television presenter Dasmond Koh turned up with his grandnephews, aged four and seven, and said: "I think it’s an iconic place that Singaporeans grew up with, and we wanted to catch the last train, so to speak, and let the younger ones experience it."
For staff like Emeline Tan, the closure carries personal traces. Tan has worked at Snow City for 23 years. Her children began learning to ski there when they were two years old; they are now 14 and 12 and take part in regional alpine skiing competitions. She spoke of long ties that outlast a single visit. "I still keep in touch with the kids I taught," she said, and added that "Every part of the experience has been very close to my heart."
Snow City offered an unusual mix of entertainment and education. After the 2015 upgrade the attraction leaned into climate messaging, using the mechanical snowfall and the novelty of sub-zero air to frame lessons about environmental change. The Science Centre Board, which oversees the facility, is reviewing its offerings to stay relevant amid changing visitor interests and an evolving attractions landscape.
That juxtaposition — a site built to delight with simulated winter weather that later adopted an educational mission — is part of the closure's friction. The announcement has prompted a wave of nostalgia online, as former visitors and parents shared memories of school trips and childhood outings. One online reaction read: "Nooooooo. Can't believe I took it for granted and now it'll be gone."
Snow City's scheduled shutdown on Sept 30 closes a chapter that began in June 2000 and threaded itself through childhoods and training runs alike. The three-storey tubing slope, the ice bumper cars and the igloos will remain in memory. Emeline Tan's final assessment was plain and personal: "I still keep in touch with the kids I taught" and "Every part of the experience has been very close to my heart."
