Urban Planning Exhibition Hall

100 Renmin Dadao, near Xizang Lu
21/6318-4477
www.supec.org [1]

HOURS: Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (last ticket issued at 4 p.m.),
Fri.-Sun. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (last ticket issued at 5 p.m.)

COST: ¥30

METRO: People’s Square (Line 1, Line 2, Line 8), exit 20

One of Shanghai’s most interesting museums, the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall occupies the futuristic white building on the eastern edge of People’s Square. In the lobby is a giant sculpture featuring the best of Shanghai’s architecture (oddly not to scale) surrounded by a flock of golden seagulls, but the highlight is upstairs: a huge 3D floor model of the city, complete with viewing decks and walkways.

There’s also an excellent rundown of each municipal district, cupboards full of pullout photographs of the old city, and a ship simulator that lets you navigate a boat into Shanghai’s harbor.

The ominously named Grand Hall of the Master Plan contains information on how the city will grow in the years ahead.