Shanghai has a lot of weird and wonderful museums. But this is the first time the city's put its decades of sporting glory (and a few oddball highlights) into one place. Tucked just north of People's Park, inside what used to be the YMCA for Western expats, the Shanghai Sports Museum is the city's first proper sports museum -- and it's actually .... pretty good.
The building itself is worth a visit. Built in 1928, this American-style heritage structure once housed Shanghai's foreign athletes, socialites, and their tennis whites. Now it's been polished up and filled with memorabilia from a century of sport — from colonial cricket clubs to Olympic heroes.
What's Inside
This isn't one of those hushed, sterile museums. We went on a Friday afternoon during summer holidays, and it was buzzing: families, school kids, a few solo wanderers — all soaking in the surprisingly fun vibe. It's well done, well-lit, and more immersive than expected.
The exhibits are divided by era and theme. It starts with A Journey Through History, tracing the roots of modern sports in Shanghai — rowing, cricket, boxing, and basketball, all brought by foreigners and gradually adopted by locals. Old photos, medals, trophies, and newspaper clippings paint a vivid picture of early 20th-century Shanghai's athletic (and colonial) energy.
Then there's the Olympic Gallery, which was packed with people hovering around a shrine to table tennis god Fan Zhendong, who won gold in Paris 2024. His kit and training clothes are on display — and plenty of people were stopping for photos. There's also a look at China's wider Olympic journey and the stars who shaped it.
Further on, City of Vitality dives into the post-1949 boom of sports in Shanghai. There's an F1 racing suit, stopwatches from major competitions, and a mix of high-level athleticism and local nostalgia.
We thought we'd breeze through in 30 minutes. We stayed two hours. There's that much to see.
Plan Your Visit
The museum is free, open daily 9:30am–4:30pm, and closed on Mondays. It's a short walk from People's Square Station, Exit 8.
If you're carrying bags or just want a breather, there's a small café right next to the entrance that offers free bag storage — handy if you're museum-hopping downtown.
In short: sports fan or not, this one's worth a detour — for the building, the curation, and the chance to see just how deep Shanghai's love for sport runs.
Create a new List