In July 2025, the Singapore Botanic Gardens embarked on a year-long celebration, Celebrating Singapore Botanic Gardens, to commemorate several key milestones in its history and development.

Coinciding with Singapore’s 60^th year of independence (SG60), was the 10^th anniversary of the Gardens’ inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, marking a decade since its inscription on 4^th July 2015. This milestone reaffirmed the Gardens’ outstanding universal value as Singapore’s first and only World Heritage Site, and remains the only tropical botanic garden on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The year also marked the 150^th anniversary of the Singapore Herbarium, established in 1875. As one of the region’s most significant botanical collections, the Herbarium has played a central role in plant taxonomy, research, and conservation in Southeast Asia for over a century. This milestone was accompanied by the commencement of the Herbarium's digitalisation effort to digitalise approximately 800,000 specimens in its collection, extending access to the Herbarium’s collections throughout the world. When completed, this initiative will establish the Herbarium as one of the most comprehensive online databases of botanical specimens in Southeast Asia. 

Alongside this, the Library of Botany and Horticulture, founded in the same year, similarly celebrated its 150^th anniversary, continuing its role as a key repository of botanical knowledge in the region.

In addition, the National Orchid Garden commemorated its 30th anniversary in 2025. Since its opening in 1995, it has become a defining feature of the Gardens, reflecting the Gardens’ commitment to orchid conservation, research, and hybridisation.

These milestones were commemorated through a series of festivals, exhibitions, and community initiatives throughout the year, including the Singapore Botanic Gardens Heritage Festival, the Singapore Garden Festival Orchid Show, and EnlighTEN, the Gardens’ first-ever large-scale light show.

Watch the highlights video here.