GLOW Planet Penang: everything you need to know

Have you ever wondered what lies behind those shuttered doors on the beautiful buildings that line the streets of George Town? In some cases, like the Blue Mansion, it’s probably exactly what you’d expect, with ornate rooms decorated in the traditional style. But, if you wander down Lebuh Kimberley, you’ll pass a building with a surprise inside; Glow Planet Penang has taken a historic George Town building and reinvented it as a family attraction guaranteed to light up your world.

Glow Planet is a fun indoor activity in Penang if you’re looking to escape the heat or downpour. But is a visit worthwhile? Read on as we share everything you need to know about visiting as well as a Glow Planet review.

What is GLOW Planet Penang

Glow Planet Penang is an indoor interactive and immersive experience, cleverly squeezed into a traditional Chinese building. As the name might suggest, Glow Planet is all about the neon exhibits that glow in the dark, creating quite the contrast to the bright Penang sunshine outside.

Entry fees and opening times for GLOW Planet Penang

Glow Planet Penang is open seven days a week from 9am to 7:30pm.

Opened in 2024, Glow Planet has a special price to celebrate their launch:

• Adults: RM39
• Children aged 4-12: RM29
• Seniors over 60: RM29
• Ice-cream buffet: RM10 when bought with entrance tickets

There’s also a family bundle for RM136 (two adults and two kids). This is the same price you’d pay for the normal tickets but includes the ice-cream buffet for free.

How long should you spend at GLOW Planet Penang?

Visitors should expect to spend around 40 minutes at Glow Planet, perhaps slightly longer if you prefer to linger and take your time with photos. If you’re visiting with children, they may want to dress up as astronauts and spaceships, so add on some time for this popular side-activity.

What to expect from your visit

The separate rooms that house the exhibits and displays are exceptionally well-designed and imagined, it’s clear a great deal of thought and time has gone into building them. With blackout curtains and meditative music drifting through the rooms, the atmosphere inside is a contrast to outside.

It’s a mix of immersive displays and mind-alerting exhibits, ranging from infinity rooms, a mind-bending icy waterfall, astronaut costumes and beautiful art installations.

As soon as the first blackout curtain is closed behind you, you’re thrust into a different world, illuminated by neon lights and the faint glow of your guide’s torch. On that note, there’s always someone close by to show you the way, acting as part-guide, part-photographer.

On busier days they might also usher you through the exhibits to keep the flow moving, but they’re never in the way, instead preferring to slip into the shadows until you need them.

In total, there are almost a dozen different rooms and exhibits to explore. Some are optical illusions, others play with your sense of perspective and the rest are intricately-designed glowing installations which wouldn’t look out of place in a modern-art museum.

Don’t expect a long visit, even with time to stop, look around and absorb the displays, you’re unlikely to be here for more than an hour.

Some of the exhibits use fairly strong lighting effects with flashing lights and strobe like beams all part of the experience. Keep this is mind if anyone in your group is affected by strobe or flashing lighting.

The ice-cream buffet

After glowing in the dark for a while, you might be in need of a sit down. The people at Glow Planet are one step ahead of you and, as you exit the final room, prepare yourselves for the ice-cream buffet. Unless you’ve bought the bundle package, this comes at an additional charge of RM10 but it’s well worth it, especially as you can go back for seconds, if you have space.

With multiple flavours, there’s plenty of choice and it’s a relaxed place to discuss your visit before emerging back into bustling George Town.

GLOW Planet vs Upside Down Museum

Glow Planet Penang is a very similar experience to the Upside Down Museum which is situated just a stone’s throw away. They both follow the same concept of a George Town house accommodating an interactive experience and they would complement each other if combined in one day.

They both take up about the same length of time and will appeal to the same type of visitor, someone who enjoys a indoor, modern space with a quirky twist.

Final thoughts on GLOW Planet Penang

The streets of George Town are made for walking, with admiring glances often focused towards the heritage buildings. For a change of pace and a chance to enter one of the houses, Glow Planet Penang is a fun-filled forty minutes and something that visitors will enjoy.

If you’re visiting with kids, they’ll enjoy the dressing up area and ice-creams, plus the trippy infinity rooms and waterfall drop. Older visitors will get a lot out of the visit too, with the light installations and immersive exhibits making for a fun and unique experience.

Don’t expect to spend a full day here but, for a short visit, you’re definitely in for an illuminating experience.