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Rockbund Art Museum

MuseumThe Bund & East Nanjing Road
ROCKBUND ART MUSEUM · SHANGHAI WAITAN MEISHUGUAN
FreeClosure day
☾ ✦
VERIFIED2026.09.02
The Bund & East Nanjing Road · 31.243°N 121.483°E

Shanghai's flagship contemporary-art museum in the 1932-33 Royal Asiatic Society building — Art Deco with Chinese motifs, by the same firm that built half the Bund. Permanently free since May 2025: walk in Wed-Fri, reserve or queue on weekends; closed Mon AND Tue. The restored Rockbund quarter around it is a destination in itself.

AdmissionFree — permanently, since May 2025
HoursWed-Sun 11:00-19:00, last entry 18:30
ClosedMondays; Tuesdays members-only
Address20 Huqiu Road
EntranceMain entrance at the Museum Plaza, just east of Huqiu Road
How to book

WeChat mini-program 上海外滩美术馆 — only for weekend and holiday priority entry (or just queue on site); Wed-Fri walk straight in

Beat the crowds

Weekday afternoons (Wed-Fri) are calmest; on weekends the mini-program reservation skips the queue. Exit through the Yuanmingyuan Road pedestrian street — quiet and photogenic.

How to visit

  • Closed Monday, and Tuesday is members-only (no general admission) — effectively two days out, where most museums lose only Monday; don't plan on autopilot.
  • No permanent collection: the whole museum turns over each season, so check the current show on the official channels before you go.
  • The roof terrace has views over the restored quarter and the Pudong skyline — access depends on the current exhibition setup, so ask at the desk.
  • The surrounding Rockbund quarter (Yuanmingyuan Road pedestrian street) is 11 restored heritage buildings — a ready-made city walk before or after the show.
  • About 10 minutes on foot from Nanjing East Road metro (lines 2/10, exit 6); lifts serve every floor and wheelchairs are available at the desk.

Did you know

  • The building is the 1932-33 Royal Asiatic Society headquarters — one of China's earliest public museums lived here; David Chipperfield's 2007 interior renovation added the triple-height atrium and the roof terrace.
Source · TripMind verified 2026-09-02+ Add to trip