“Can’t Believe I Took It For Granted”: S’poreans Recall Childhood Memories As Snow City To Shut After 26 Years

Another familiar Singapore institution will soon be shutting its doors for good.

Snow City, Singapore’s first indoor snow centre, announced that it will close on September 30 after 26 years, prompting many online to reminisce about childhood visits, school excursions and their first encounters with “snow” in tropical Singapore.

The closure comes as the Science Centre Board (SCB) reviews its offerings to stay relevant amid changing visitor interests and an evolving attractions landscape.

Following the announcement, netizens took to Reddit to share memories of the Jurong East attraction, which became a staple of school holiday outings for many growing up in the 2000s.

“Nooooooo. Can't believe I took it for granted and now it'll be gone,” wrote one Reddit user, while another recalled “crying from snow in mouth as a kid” and “shivering from the cold” after unzipping their jacket, adding that the experience remained “unforgettable”.

Some lamented the disappearance of recreational spaces in the western part of Singapore.

“Kinda sad that recreational places are disappearing from the West side faster than they seem to be getting added. A couple years ago, we also lost the ice skating rink at JCube,” one commenter wrote.

Others remembered Snow City as a “preview” of winter before family holidays overseas.

“Before each trip we brought [our kids] to Snow City to test out the winter clothes and give them some mental preparation,” one parent shared online.

Some netizens noted that when Snow City first opened in 2000, travelling to countries with snowfall was still considered a luxury for many Singaporeans, and it was a “novel idea and a quick way” to experience winter locally.

However, others felt the attraction had struggled to keep up with changing tastes and rising overseas travel.

“With Singaporeans in general getting more affluent, the real winter experience is better,” one commenter wrote.

Some users also pointed to ageing facilities and the lack of major upgrades over the years, with one describing the attraction as “stuck in the 90s”.