Shanghai is a city full of wonders. You can discover its charm in different ways. Some people love to wander around the small streets under the plane trees. Some people are drawn to the old and elegant houses that reflect the city’s history. Some people like to sneak into the alleys and get a glimpse of the Shanghai life in the past century… And I, want to share with you a surprising and fun way to explore the city, that is, to visit the niche museums in Shanghai!
You may think that visiting museums is boring and not fun at all. But you will be amazed by Shanghai’s niche museums. They will change your mind.
As I mentioned in another post, the niche museums in Shanghai are mostly related to the modern history of China, and they cover a wide range of topics, such as movies, postal, securities… These are all things that are relevant to us and even the history we are living in, and they make the visit very engaging.
Besides, many of Shanghai’s museums have stunning architectures. Some of them are located in historical buildings, and some of them have futuristic designs. They are perfect for taking photos and sharing them with your friends.
What’s more, Shanghai’s museums have the best curating in China. They are very professional and creative.
And most importantly, museums in Shanghai are really fun. For example, the Shanghai Museum of Glass is not just about looking at glass collections. You can also experience various glass making courses, explore complex mazes, and watch amazing glass performances.
One year on Valentine’s Day, the Shanghai Museum of Glass even hosted a mystery game, which was very clever and exciting!
In my previous article, I listed some of the best free niche museums in Shanghai. In this one, I want to introduce some more niche museums in Shanghai that charge for admission, but are more fun.
At the end of the article, you will find a complete list of the niche museums in Shanghai, which includes the ticket prices, reservation methods, and other key information of the museums.
If you are looking for something to do in Shanghai, why not check out these museums on weekends (they are mostly also open on holidays). They are great for both families and dates.
Table of Contents
Shanghai Museum of Glass
Chinese name: 上海玻璃博物馆
Address: No. 685 West Chang Jiang Road, Baoshan District, Shanghai
上海宝山区长江西路685号
The Shanghai Museum of Glass used to be the Shanghai Glass Instrument Factory, and now it is the first glass-themed museum in Shanghai and even China.
The museum park is very large, with the Shanghai Museum of Glass, the Kids Museum of Glass, the Maze, and the BRKN exhibition. There is also a Contemporary Art Hall.
This might be one of the best museums in Shanghai for walking kids.
The Shanghai Museum of Glass has won many design awards at home and abroad. The exterior wall is made of glass, and if you look closely, you will find glass terms in four languages on it. There are 2 floors and 7 exhibition halls, with nearly a thousand glass exhibits, introducing the origin, history, technology, and application of glass.
There is an exhibit that you must show your kids. It was originally called “Angel’s Wings”, but it was damaged by a naughty kid, and now it is called “Broken”. Next to the exhibit, there is a looped video of the damage, which is very educational.
The Kids Museum of Glass has two floors.
On the first floor, there are many glass courses to experience, such as mosaic, glass beads, glass painting, and hot blown glass. You need to make a reservation in advance on their official account ”上海玻璃博物馆” (Shanghai Museum of Glass) on WeChat.
On the second floor, there are 26 exhibits based on the 26 letters of the alphabet, and kids can get a special game booklet.
The Maze is a visual game of refraction and reflection. Before entering, you will get a clue card, and you need to collect 8 patterns. If you succeed, you will get a “Maze Master” certificate.
The BRKN exhibition displays 21 sharp and shattered works of art, each with its own background music. If you are highly sensitive, you will easily feel attracted to them, and you can even smash a glass cup with your own hands.
For non-sensitive people, this is a good place to take photos.
The Shanghai Museum of Glass also has a Radiance Glass Blowing Theater, where the performers are all professional glass blowers. I’m not exaggerating, this is definitely one of the best performances in Chinese museums (after all, not many museums have theaters). The sparks on the scene are like fireworks falling in front of your eyes, like a dream.
In summary, the Shanghai Museum of Glass is especially suitable for taking kids for a whole day. You don’t have to worry about food, there is a Murano Café & Restaurant in the park, which not only has coffee, but also provides light meals and children’s meals.
You need to pay attention to the opening hours of the different hall ofs the Shanghai Museum of Glass. The Kids Museum of Glass, the Maze, and the BRKN exhibition are only open on weekends and holidays. (They are all open during the National Day holiday. The specific opening hours are listed at the end of the article. Don’t miss them if you plan to take your kids with you.)
Shanghai Film Museum
Chinese name: 上海电影博物馆
Address: No. 595 North Caoxi Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai
上海市徐汇区漕溪北路595号
This museum was once a film studio, and it’s a dream come true for movie buffs. It has four floors, and you go from top to bottom.
When you step out of the elevator on the fourth floor, you’re on a “Walk of Fame”, with camera flashes, cheers, and red carpet music. The floor lights up as you walk, and you can pretend you’re a star.
This floor also has the life stories, handwritten scripts, and props of famous filmmakers and actors.
The third floor has the equipment used for making movies over the last century, like old film cameras and editing tables. You can also see the original drawings of Havoc in Heaven in the “Animation Gallery”.
The second floor is about film production, with interactive devices that show you how animation is made, and a live studio.
On the first floor, you can watch 4D movies, like Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Angry Birds, and Havoc in Heaven. They’re only 10 minutes long, and they cost 30rmb each (same for adults and kids).
Shanghai Natural History Museum
Chinese name: 上海自然博物馆
Address: No. 510 West Beijing Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai (in Jing’an Sculpture Park)
上海市静安区北京西路510号（静安雕塑公园内）
The Shanghai Natural History Museum is actually a branch of the famous Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. It’s also one of the biggest natural history museums in China, with over 290,000 collections related to nature. You can see all kinds of animal specimens and models here (including some life-size dinosaur fossil replicas), and it’s a perfect place to take your kids.
The best way to visit the museum is to start from the second floor and work your way down.
On the second floor, you can learn about the Big Bang in the “Mystery of Origin” section, and watch some amazing 4D movies, such as African Savannah, Fireflies and Panda Roller. The movies are only 15-20 minutes long, and they cost 30 yuan each.
The first floor is where most people hang out, because that’s where you can see the most impressive animal specimens. Just walk down the spiral corridor from the second floor and you’ll see what I mean. There’s also a natural experience area, where you can get up close and personal with some live reptiles.
The B1 floor is all about fossils, from the first life on Earth to the emergence of humans.
But wait, there’s more! The Shanghai Natural History Museum has some hidden gems that you can enjoy for free.
On the B2 floor, there’s an Discovery Center, where you can book free courses for your kids, from kindergarten to junior high school. They open for booking every Saturday at 2 pm for the following week, but you have to be fast.
There are also natural experience activities that you can book every day, such as the butterfly room and the seawater pool. They are open for bookings at 8:35 am for the same day, but they are usually gone in a flash. You can book them on their official account “上海自然博物馆”(Shanghai Natural History Museum) on WeChat.
And if that’s not enough, you can also join the archaeological fossil digging activities on site every day. You just need to get a reservation ticket from the B2 Discovery Center on the same day. There are two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and they are first come first served.
Power Station of Art
Chinese name: 上海当代艺术博物馆
Address: No. 678 Miaojiang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
上海市黄浦区苗江路678号
When someone says to you, “Let’s go see the exhibition at the chimney!” they must be talking about the Power Station of Art. It used to be the Nanshi Power Plant, built in 1897, and later the Urban Future Pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The reinforced concrete chimney is 165 meters tall, piercing the sky, and very eye-catching.
Shanghai Arts and Crafts Museum
Chinese name: 上海工艺美术博物馆
Address: No. 79 Fenyang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai
上海市徐汇区汾阳路79号
The Shanghai Arts and Crafts Museum is also known as the “Little White House”, because it is a French Renaissance-style building with a pristine white exterior, built in 1905.
It has two floors, the first one displays many traditional arts and crafts works, such as carving, velvet embroidery, clay sculpture, paper cutting, and more. They are part of the material cultural heritage.
The second floor is a traditional crafts workshop, where you can see the intangible cultural heritage (excellent traditional arts and crafts skills).
The ticket price is only 8 yuan, which is practically free if you round it off. The spiral staircase and the corridor inside the building are very photogenic.
Shanghai Metro Museum
Chinese name: 上海地铁博物馆
Address: No. 1799-7 Wuzhong Road, Minhang District, Shanghai
上海市闵行区吴中路1799-7号
If you want to learn about the history of the Shanghai Metro, the first and only museum in China dedicated to subways, this is the place to go. The Shanghai Metro is a remarkable feat of engineering, as it built 20 subway lines in just 20 years. The International Association of Public Transport even called it a “miracle of urban subway construction and development”.
The museum has a lot of informative displays, but it’s not all boring facts and figures. You can also have some fun here.
You can walk through a replica of a subway tunnel construction site, and see how they built the subway in the dark underground.
You can also hop on a simulator and pretend to be a subway driver or operator, and experience the driverless subway system.
And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can watch a 5D movie in the museum’s theater.
Shanghai Railway Museum
Chinese name: 上海铁路博物馆
Address: No. 200 East Tianmu Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai
上海市静安区天目东路200号
The Shanghai Railway Museum is located at the former site of the Shanghai North Railway Station, which was built in 1909 in a classic English style. You can still see the elegance of the last century in its architecture. The museum opened in 2004 on top of the old station.
The exhibition area is divided into indoor and outdoor sections. Outside, you can see two steam locomotives, one big and one small, and a scaled-down train model.
Inside, only the first floor is open for now, where you can see many miniature models of trains (it’s hard not to think of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory who was obsessed with trains). There is also a high-speed train cockpit experience room, where you can immerse yourself in driving a bullet train.
The museum should have some content related to the Fuxing train in the future, as the text says, the museums in Shanghai tell us a lot about the history that we are witnessing.
China Maritime Museum
Chinese name: 中国航海博物馆
Address: No. 197 Shengang Avenue, Pudong District, Shanghai
上海市浦东新区申港大道197号
The China Maritime Museum is the first and only national-level maritime museum in China, designed by von Gerkan, Marg and Partners, a German architectural firm. The museum has two 58-meter-high “sails” in the center, making it look like a giant sailboat by the Dishui Lake.
The museum has six major exhibition halls, covering maritime history, ships, navigation and ports, maritime affairs and safety, sailors, and military navigation.
In the ship hall, you can try a virtual welding exhibit, and see what it’s like to be a welding engineer.
In the navigation and port hall, you can see various ancient astronomical navigation tools, such as the star board, the sextant, the octant, the compass, the nautical chart, and more.
The military navigation hall is the most solemn and mysterious, with models of various warships, such as the “Liaoning” aircraft carrier, the “Anshan” destroyer, the “Jinan” missile destroyer, and others.
The highlight of the museum is a huge Ming dynasty treasure ship, built at a 1:1 scale, that makes you feel like you have traveled back to the time of Zheng He’s voyages.
Shanghai Auto Museum
Chinese name: 上海汽车博物馆
Address: No. 7565 Boyuan Road, Jiading District, Shanghai
上海市嘉定区博园路7565号
The Shanghai Auto Museum is the first and only museum in China that specializes in cars, and it has a lot of antique cars from the last century. You can see the beautiful vintage cars that you normally only see in old European and American movies, and they are even more stunning in real life.
The museum has three exhibition halls: history, collection, and exploration.
The history hall tells the story of how cars evolved, from human-powered carriages to gasoline-powered vehicles. Maybe they will add some electric cars in the future.
The collection hall is where you can see the amazing antique cars, more than 40 models from the early 20th century to the 1970s. Each one is a masterpiece, with smooth shapes and retro interiors, and they still look very fashionable today.
The exploration hall has a lot of interactive areas, where you can see some of the parts and structures inside the cars.
The museum also has an “antique car ride” experience, where you can ride in one of three cars: a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III, a Cadillac DeVille Convertible, or a Lincoln Continental Convertible. But you can’t drive them, only ride.
Wrapping Up
That’s all for this article about the best paid niche museums in Shanghai. I’ve made an informational list of all my favorite museums in Shanghai, including the free museums from my previous post, so don’t forget to bookmark this handy-dandy “info summary”. There are 20 museums in total. If you’re visiting Shanghai, why not check out some museums and get your culture fix?
Shanghai Museum of Glass
| Chinese name | 上海玻璃博物馆 |
| Address | No. 685 West Chang Jiang Road, Baoshan District, Shanghai 上海宝山区长江西路685号 |
| Website | www.shmog.org |
| Opening hours | Shanghai Museum of Glass Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 10:00 – 17:00 Kids Museum of Glass Tuesday, Friday – Sunday, national holidays: 10:30 – 17:00 The Maze Tuesday, Friday – Sunday, national holidays: 11:00 – 17:00 BRKN Tuesday, Friday – Sunday, national holidays: 11:00 – 17:00 Radiance Glass Blowing Theater Fixed performance sessions at 14:00, with additional sessions depending on the situation |
| Admission Fee | Single Hall Ticket：¥80 4 Halls Pass：¥150 SHMOG Pass + Radiance Glass Blowing Theater: ¥230 |
| P.S. | Book in advance on their official account ”上海玻璃博物馆” (Shanghai Museum of Glass) on WeChat. |
Shanghai Film Museum
| Chinese name | 上海电影博物馆 |
| Address | No. 595 North Caoxi Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 上海市徐汇区漕溪北路595号 |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 9:30 – 16:30 (Last entry: 16:00) |
| Admission Fee | ¥60 |
Shanghai Natural History Museum
| Chinese name | 上海自然博物馆 |
| Address | No. 510 West Beijing Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai (in Jing’an Sculpture Park) 上海市静安区北京西路510号（静安雕塑公园内） |
| Website | https://nao.snhm.org.cn/foreign/eg/index.htm |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 9:00 – 17:00 |
| Admission Fee | ¥30 |
| P.S. | Purchase admission in advance on their official account “上海自然博物馆”(Shanghai Natural History Museum) on WeChat. |
Power Station of Art
| Chinese name | 上海当代艺术博物馆 |
| Address | No. 678 Miaojiang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai 上海市黄浦区苗江路678号 |
| Website | www.powerstationofart.com |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 11:00 – 19:00 (Last entry: 18:00) |
| Admission Fee | 14th Shanghai Biennale: Cosmos Cinema: ¥60 |
Shanghai Arts and Crafts Museum
| Chinese name | 上海工艺美术博物馆 |
| Address | No. 79 Fenyang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 上海市徐汇区汾阳路79号 |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 9:00 – 11:30 (Last entry: 11:00), 13:00 – 16:00 (Last entry: 15:30) |
| Admission Fee | ¥8 |
| P.S. | Book in advance on their official WeChat Mini Program “文旅一码游”. |
Shanghai Metro Museum
| Chinese name | 上海地铁博物馆 |
| Address | No. 1799-7 Wuzhong Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 上海市闵行区吴中路1799-7号 |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 9:30 – 16:00 |
| Admission Fee | ¥30, Free admission every Tuesday |
Shanghai Railway Museum
| Chinese name | 上海铁路博物馆 |
| Address | No. 200 East Tianmu Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai 上海市静安区天目东路200号 |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 9:00 – 11:30 (Last entry: 11:00), 13:30 – 16:30 (Last entry: 16:00) |
| Admission Fee | ¥10 |
China Maritime Museum
| Chinese name | 中国航海博物馆 |
| Address | No. 197 Shengang Avenue, Pudong District, Shanghai 上海市浦东新区申港大道197号 |
| Website | https://www.shmmc.com.cn/EnglishV3/ |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 9:30 – 16:00 (Last entry: 15:30) |
| Admission Fee | ¥30 |
| P.S. | Book in advance on their official account ”中国航海博物馆” (China Maritime Museum) on WeChat. |
Shanghai Auto Museum
| Chinese name | 上海汽车博物馆 |
| Address | No. 7565 Boyuan Road, Jiading District, Shanghai 上海市嘉定区博园路7565号 |
| Website | http://en.shautomuseum.com/ |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 9:30 – 16:30 (Last entry: 16:00) |
| Admission Fee | ¥60 |
Shanghai Meteorological Museum
| Chinese name | 上海气象博物馆 |
| Address | No. 166 Puxi Road, Xuehui District, Shanghai 上海市徐汇区蒲西路166号 |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 10:00 – 11:00, 14:00 – 15:00 |
| Admission Fee | Free |
| P.S. | Book in advance on their official account ”上海气象博物馆” (Shanghai Meteorological Museum) on WeChat. |
Shanghai Symphony Museum
| Chinese name | 上海交响音乐博物馆 |
| Address | No. 3 Baoqing Road, Xuehui District, Shanghai 上海市徐汇区宝庆路3号 |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 9:30 – 16:30 |
| Admission Fee | Free |
| P.S. | Book in advance on their official account ”宝庆地产” on WeChat. |
Shanghai Postal Museum
| Chinese name | 上海邮政博物馆 |
| Address | No. 395 Tiantong Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai 上海市虹口区天潼路395号 |
| Opening hours | Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 9:00 – 17:00 (Last entry: 16:00) |
| Admission Fee | Free |
China securities Museum
| Chinese name | 中国证券博物馆 |
| Address | No. 15 Huangpu Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai 上海市虹口区黄浦路15号 |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 9:30 – 16:00 |
| Admission Fee | Free |
Shanghai Public Security Museum
| Chinese name | 上海公安博物馆 |
| Address | No. 518 South Ruijin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 上海市徐汇区瑞金南路518号 |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 9:00 – 16:30 |
| Admission Fee | Free |
Architectural Model Museum
| Chinese name | 中国建筑模型博物馆 |
| Address | 9F, No. 191 Jiangchangsan Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai 上海市静安区江场三路191号9f |
| Opening hours | Wednesday – Friday: 14:30 – 15:30 (Last entry: 15:00) Saturday: 14:30 – 17:00 (Last entry: 16:30) |
| Admission Fee | Free |
Shanghai Radio Museum
| Chinese name | 上海无线电博物馆 |
| Address | No. 200 Tianlin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 上海市徐汇区田林路200号 |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday: 9:30 – 16:30 (Last entry: 16:00) |
| Admission Fee | Free |
Shanghai Children’s Museum
| Chinese name | 上海儿童博物馆 |
| Address | No. 61 Songyuan Road, Changning District, Shanghai 上海市长宁区宋园路61号 |
| Opening hours | Monday: Closed Tuesday – Sunday, national holidays: 8:45 – 16:45 (Last entry: 15:30) |
| Admission Fee | Free |
Shanghai Metal Toy Museum
| Chinese name | 上海金属玩具博物馆 |
| Address | 5F, No. 1315 Liangcheng Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai 上海市虹口区凉城路1315号5楼 |
| Opening hours | Wednesday – Sunday, national holidays: 9:00 – 11:00, 13:00 – 16:00 |
| Admission Fee | Free |
ITTF Museum & China Table Tennis Museum
| Chinese name | 中国乒乓球博物馆 |
| Address | No. 796 Jumen Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai 上海市黄浦区局门路796号 |
| Opening hours | Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00 – 17:00 (Last entry: 16:00) |
| Admission Fee | Free |
Shanghai Yuan Dynasty Sluice Site Museum
| Chinese name | 上海元代水闸遗址博物馆 |
| Address | No. 619 West Yanchang Road, Putuo District, Shanghai 上海市普陀区延长西路619号 |
| Opening hours | Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00 – 16:30 (Last entry: 16:00) |
| Admission Fee | Free |
