Mount Emily Park Singapore: A Quiet Green Walk near Little India

Mount Emily Park sits on a hill between Mount Emily Road and Upper Wilkie Road, within reach of Little India. The park’s position makes it a straightforward green pause to add to time spent in the neighbourhood, rather than a separate day trip.

A map published by Emily Hill describes a route from Little India MRT Exit A via Niven Road and Mount Emily Road, then up stairs through the park. If you’re planning a neighbourhood stroll, you can link it with this walking guide to Little India.

Mount Emily Park is used for walking, jogging and picnicking, and NParks says families can bring young children for a day out. The People’s Association describes it as a green recreational space with playgrounds and open fields, so you can make the visit a simple walk or spend time in the open areas.

The park also has a notable history. One of two service reservoirs built at Mount Emily in 1878 became the site of Mount Emily Swimming Pool. After a larger storage reservoir opened at Fort Canning, the Singapore Municipal Commissioners decided on 11 September 1929 to convert the Mount Emily reservoir into a freshwater public pool.

It opened on 10 January 1931 as Singapore’s first public swimming pool. At its peak in the mid-1930s, it received 8,000 bathers a month. The pool closed in December 1981 after poor visitorship, was demolished, and its site became a park.

The route from Little India MRT Exit A runs via Niven Road and Mount Emily Road, with stairs leading up through the park. Emily Hill’s map also gives bus options: the Peace Centre stop has services 64, 65, 131, 139, 147, 166 and 857, followed by an eight-minute walk.

From the Little India bus stop, services 23, 48, 56, 57, 64, 65, 66, 131, 139, 147, 166 and 170 are available, with a ten-minute walk.

The park is open 24 hours. At the entrance, look for the coat of arms of the Singapore Municipal Commission, granted on 9 April 1948 by the College of Heralds in London. Before you go, check the official site for current visitor information.

Make the park part of a walk through Little India: approach via the MRT Exit A route, pass through the park, then continue along the neighbourhood streets. The route map’s use of Niven Road and Mount Emily Road gives you a practical connection between the station area and the hilltop green space.