Current visitor details
Hours, admission, booking and passport guidance below come from the Place record shared by city, itinerary and booking pages. Unverified or stale high-risk claims are not shown as facts.
During 'World Tree: Ancient Civilizations of the Americas' (July 9, 2026-November 14, 2027), the People's Square Branch is dedicated to this exhibition. Day sessions run 09:00-17:00 with last entry at 15:00; announced day-and-night sessions run to 21:00 with last entry at 19:00. Closed Mondays except national holidays. Check the official WeChat notice for the exact night-session date.
Valid 2026-07-09 to 2027-11-14Booking
East Branch is normally a no-reservation museum visit with original ID; People's Square currently follows its special-exhibition ticket rule. Carry the original passport and use staffed verification if an automated reader cannot process it.
Plan ahead: Check the official WeChat account on the day of visit for any reservation requirement. If reservation is needed during peak periods, book as early as possible (14-day window).
On site: Free entry for permanent galleries. Special exhibition tickets can be purchased on-site at service desks or online.
Channels: East Branch walk-in with original valid ID · WeChat: 上海博物馆公众号 → GO上博-参观预约 · WeChat mini-program: 上海博物馆参观预约 · Trip.com international route for overseas visitors to the current People's Square exhibition · Group booking phone: East 021-20729998; People's Square 021-63724550
Foreign passport
Bring the original passport. At East Branch, use the normal B1 East entrance and ask staff for manual verification if the automated document reader does not accept the passport. For the current People's Square special exhibition, overseas visitors can reserve through the official Trip.com international channel and enter with the original booked document.
Opening and last entry
EAST BRANCH (东馆, Pudong): 10:00-18:00, last entry 17:00; closed Tuesdays except national holidays. Individual visitors normally enter without reservation. PEOPLE'S SQUARE BRANCH (人民广场馆, Huangpu): 09:00-17:00, last entry 15:00; closed Mondays except national holidays. Its current World Tree exhibition requires a ticket or reservation; announced night sessions run to 21:00 with last entry at 19:00.
Admission
FREE for permanent galleries at both branches. Special/paid exhibitions priced separately per exhibition (varies; typically 50-100 RMB). Interactive spaces (古代文明探索宫, 数字馆 at East Branch) require advance reservation (free) via WeChat.
Visit planning
Allow: East Branch: 3-4 hours (highlights) / full day (comprehensive); People's Square Branch: 90-120 minutes
Physical load: moderate
East Branch: Start with bronzes (signature collection) on lower floors, then ceramics chronologically, then painting/calligraphy, jade, and special exhibitions. People's Square: Galleries arranged by material type across four floors.
Getting there
EAST BRANCH (东馆): 1952 Shiji Dadao, Pudong. Metro: Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Station (上海科技馆站) Line 2, Exit 8; Xiangcheng Road Station (向城路站) Line 4, Exit 2; Pudian Road Station (浦电路站) Line 6, Exit 1. Parking available at '上海花木时光里' underground garage via Yanggao South Road or Dingxiang Road.
PEOPLE'S SQUARE BRANCH (人民广场馆): 201 Renmin Dadao, Huangpu. Enter via South Gate on Wusheng Road. Metro: People's Square Station (人民广场站) Lines 1/2/8, Exit 1; Dashijie Station (大世界站) Line 14, Exit 4. Adjacent to Nanjing Road, Shanghai Grand Theater, and Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair access: Both branches have elevators, accessible restrooms, and ramps. Free wheelchair loan at both branches (300 RMB deposit or ID required, in-building use only). Electric wheelchairs PROHIBITED inside the museum at both branches; users must switch to manual wheelchairs provided at the entrance. Groups with 5+ electric wheelchairs must call 3 days in advance: East 021-20729998; People's Square 021-63724550.
- Accessible restrooms: Available on multiple floors at both branches. Third-gender restrooms also available.
- Elevators: Straight elevators (直梯) available at both branches connecting all floors.
- Nursing/baby care room: Available at East Branch (1F); at People's Square inquire at service desk.
- Audio guide: Free WeChat audio guide available. Paid audio guide devices: Chinese 20 RMB, foreign language (EN/FR/JP/DE/KR/ES/IT) 40 RMB with 400 RMB or 50 USD deposit or passport. Smart guide with tablet: 30 RMB.
- Coat/baggage check: Self-service and staffed storage available at both branches. Valuables (except laptops) should be carried; items left beyond storage period disposed of per regulations.
A route that makes sense
- Before leaving your hotel, confirm which branch hosts the collection or exhibition you want to see via the info card at the top or the museum’s official channels.
- At the East Branch (Pudong): begin with the bronze gallery, where the Da Ke Ding and other Shang and Zhou ritual vessels anchor the collection, then move to ceramics, jade, and the cross-cultural exchange gallery.
- At the People’s Square Branch: enter the ding-vessel building and ascend to the bronze and ceramics galleries for the core historical sequence, then visit jade, minority-art, and furniture galleries. Painting and calligraphy rotate frequently due to light sensitivity.
- Allow time for any special exhibition at your branch. During the “World Tree” ancient Americas exhibition run at People’s Square (through late 2027), note the extended evening hours; see the info card.
- Pause at the museum shop; both branches have cafes, but food and drink are not permitted in galleries.
- Visiting both branches in one day is possible for dedicated museum-goers (they connect via Metro Line 2), but most visitors are well served by picking one branch per day.
What to notice
The bronze gallery is the museum’s crown jewel and one of the world’s great collections of Chinese ritual bronzes. Its most famous piece is the Da Ke Ding, a 200-kilogram Western Zhou tripod cast around the ninth century BCE, bearing a 290-character inscription recording a royal appointment – one of the most important bronze inscriptions in existence. The gallery traces bronze casting from thin-walled Shang jue goblets and ding tripods through heavier Western Zhou ritual forms to decorative Eastern Zhou and Han pieces. The ceramics gallery holds Tang sancai (three-color glaze) horses, restrained Song celadons including rare Ru ware, and dramatic Yuan and Ming blue-and-white porcelain. The jade gallery displays Neolithic Liangzhu jades from around 3000 BCE, including bi discs and cong tubes whose ritual meaning is still debated, alongside later jades. Painting and calligraphy rotate holdings regularly because ink works on silk and paper are light-sensitive, so return visitors see different pieces. The cross-cultural exchange gallery traces Silk Road and maritime trade connections. Architecturally, the People’s Square building takes the form of a bronze ding with a round roof and square base, expressing “round sky, square earth” (tian yuan di fang); the East Branch is a contemporary museum with larger halls for major loans and expanded displays.
Accessibility, fitness and conditions
Both branches are purpose-built modern museums, largely accessible with elevators, accessible restrooms, and ramped access. Electric wheelchairs are not permitted inside; manual wheelchairs are available to borrow at the entrance with a deposit. Expect 2 to 4 hours of standing and slow walking. The museum is fully indoors and air-conditioned, making it excellent on hot summer afternoons and rainy days. Crowds peak on weekends, public holidays, and during popular special-exhibition runs; weekday mornings are quietest. People’s Square is easiest to reach; the East Branch in Pudong requires a slightly longer ride but has larger galleries that absorb crowds better. The “World Tree” exhibition at People’s Square through late 2027 is drawing elevated visitor numbers and extended evening hours.
How to combine it with nearby places
The People’s Square Branch adjoins Nanjing Road, making a natural half-day: museum in the morning, Nanjing Road for lunch, continuing east to the Bund for evening. The East Branch in Pudong pairs naturally with Lujiazui and Shanghai Tower – museum in the morning, tower views and Binjiang Avenue in the afternoon, Bund lights across the river in the evening. Trying to visit both branches in one day is possible for dedicated museum-goers but leaves little time for anything else.