LION CITY HUB • NATIONAL EDUCATION & HERITAGE
Sentosa: From Fortified Island to Resort
Uncover the communities, military sites and reinvention behind Singapore’s best-known leisure island.
An Island Reimagined
Sentosa was formerly known as Pulau Blakang Mati and supported diverse local communities before becoming a major British military base. Forts and batteries were built from the late 19th century to defend the approaches to Keppel Harbour. After the British withdrawal, the island was renamed Sentosa and developed for tourism from the 1970s.
Beaches, the cable car and new attractions changed its public image, while Fort Siloso, former barracks and other conserved structures preserve evidence of its maritime and military history.
Fort Siloso, built in 1878, now presents the island’s coastal defences and wartime stories. Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches reflect Sentosa’s leisure identity, while Fort Serapong’s overgrown remains reveal a quieter military landscape.
Did You Know?
The island was known as Pulau Blakang Mati before the name Sentosa—meaning peace and tranquillity—was adopted.
Fort Siloso was built in 1878 to defend the western entrance to Keppel Harbour and nearby sea routes.
What Makes Sentosa Island Special
Fort Siloso
Singapore’s preserved coastal fort presents military structures, wartime stories and the island’s strategic role.
Singapore Cable Car
Opened in 1974, the cable car created a memorable aerial connection between Mount Faber and the developing resort island.
Sentosa’s Beaches
Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches represent Sentosa’s modern leisure identity, created through extensive coastal development after the former military island became a resort.
Fort Serapong
Largely hidden within vegetation, Fort Serapong formed part of Sentosa’s coastal defences. Its surviving structures reveal a military landscape beyond better-known Fort Siloso.
Trail Routes
Route 1 A Military Landscape
Discover how surviving military buildings connect Sentosa’s former garrison landscape with its later development as a leisure destination.
Duration: 60–90 minutes · Distance: 0.7–1.0 km · Stops: 3
1. Former Recreation Ground and Barracks
Barrack blocks 9 and 10 were completed in 1940 on a former military recreation ground. Their later adaptation for hotel use reflects Sentosa’s transformation from Pulau Blakang Mati, preserving military accommodation within a landscape now associated with leisure and hospitality.
2. Barracks at the Former Parade Ground
These barracks appeared on maps from the 1890s as Soldiers Blocks and Married Soldiers Quarters. They housed non-officer ranks near military activity spaces, preserving evidence of everyday garrison life alongside the island’s better-known coastal-defence installations.
3. Former Military Hospital
The former military hospital served British and Indian troops stationed on Pulau Blakang Mati. Its later adaptation to house Madame Tussauds Singapore connects the island’s garrison support services with its visitor economy, while the surviving building preserves the earlier military setting.
Route 2 Siloso
Explore Fort Siloso’s coastal setting, historical structures and artillery interpretation through its signed trails.
Duration: 75–105 minutes · Distance: 0.6–0.8 km · Stops: 3
1. Fort Siloso Skywalk Approach
The Skywalk provides a modern treetop approach to Fort Siloso. Its elevated setting helps explain the fort’s relationship with the surrounding coast, introducing the landscape before visitors encounter the historic defensive structures that protected Singapore’s harbour approaches.
2. Fort Siloso Heritage Trail
Built from 1878, Fort Siloso defended the western entrance to Keppel Harbour and the nearby straits. Gazetted as a national monument in 2022, its surviving structures and heritage interpretation explain the people, facilities and coastal setting behind this defensive role.
3. Fort Siloso Gun Trail
Fort Siloso’s gun emplacements reveal the relationship between artillery positions and the shipping approaches beyond the island. Displays along the Gun Trail interpret changing weapons and military functions, helping explain how the fort’s defences developed across different periods.
