National Museum of Singapore

A beautifully preserved landmark and the oldest museum in Singapore, the museum offers an engaging and insightful look into the nation’s history, culture, and identity. Located in the Civic District, the museum combines its stately 19th century façade with thoughtfully curated exhibitions that bring Singapore’s evolving story to life. What truly sets this museum apart is its seamless blend of heritage and modern relevance. From early artefacts and colonial-era memorabilia to recent additions like parts of a decommissioned MRT train, Singapore Airlines’ A380 seats, a 1970s coffee roasting machine, and more. The collection reflects the country’s dynamic transformation across generations. The Singapore History Gallery provides a compelling narrative of key events and figures that shaped the nation. Exhibits are informative, interactive, and accessible to both history buffs and casual visitors alike. Designated a National Monument in 1992, the museum underwent an impressive restoration completed in 2006, blending old world charm with contemporary museum experiences. It’s a great place to connect with Singapore’s past and present in one meaningful visit.

We had a fantastic day exploring Singapore's rich history at the National Museum of Singapore. From its humble beginnings as a small fishing village to its current status as a thriving nation, the exhibits were engaging and informative. My child thoroughly enjoyed the interactive displays and was constantly asking thoughtful questions. A wonderful experience for the whole family!

Amazing museum, so we'll paced, lots of information, I learned so much about Singapore having known almost nothing beforehand. A little expensive as a foreign tourist (25$, approximately €16) but honestly worth it if you enjoy learning history and culture. The park outside is also stunning with even more historical marks that mean even more once you get some historical context from the museum. Very friendly and helpful staff as well.

Visited the National Museum of Singapore and really enjoyed the experience. The exhibits were engaging, and I loved how history was brought to life through multimedia and design. Still feel like there’s more to explore—definitely planning to go back again soon.

The National Museum of Singapore is more than just a museum—it’s a beautifully curated deep-dive into the soul of the nation. If you’re interested in understanding Singapore beyond its gleaming skyline, this is the place to begin. The highlight is undoubtedly the Singapore History Gallery, which charts the island’s transformation from a sleepy fishing village to a thriving global city. The exhibits are immersive and thoughtfully designed, weaving together personal stories, multimedia displays, historical artifacts, and interactive elements. From colonial rule to independence, the Japanese occupation to modern-day challenges, each section offers a nuanced perspective on the nation’s evolution. What sets this museum apart is how it balances historical depth with accessibility. Whether you’re a history buff or a casual visitor, the storytelling is compelling and clear. Audio guides and touchscreen kiosks enhance the experience without overwhelming it. Special attention is also given to pivotal moments like the 1965 separation from Malaysia and the rapid industrialization of the ’70s and ’80s.

A really great lace to visit. Telling the story and history of Singapore was brilliant. Probably spent 2+ hours wandering around listing and reading to so so many stories. Really is worth a visit.

A truly impressive museum that beautifully captures the essence and history of Singapore. From its early beginnings to its rise as a modern global city, the exhibits are thoughtfully curated and rich with stories that bring the nation’s journey to life. A must-visit for anyone looking to understand Singapore’s cultural heritage and remarkable transformation.

This is a must for any visitors interested in the history of Singapore. Apart from a very short intro to the prehistory and pre-British history, the rest is well documented. Exhibits and sections mostly devoted to the British colonial era, the WW2 Japanese occupation, pre-independence years with Malasia then full independence. Allow several hours!

Wonderful museum and definitely worth a visit. Very large facility with a variety of exhibits, almost overwhelming but in a nice way. The architecture is amazing and the exhibits wonderful.

The gallery is great, so much to learn about Singapore. I recommend the docent tour - you get to learn a lot about the local perspective. Try the exhibit downstairs, which makes it interactive. Children will have fun with the treasure hunt activity. The one area that stopped me from giving five stars: high priced food at Cafe Brera. We were looking for a cultural experience but the cafe is pretty standard western fare at an exorbitant cost. Traveler's tip: for a bit more of a cultural immersion, take a break for lunch, leave the building (make sure your museum stickers are on you so you can return), cross the street over to the Singapore Management University and take the escalator down to their basement to reach their canteen/food court. Just ask any student to point you to the right direction. The food there is diverse, excellent, and you will probably get the full family fed for the price of one entree at Cafe Brera back at the museum. Hot tip: try the Korean hawker for some amazing kimchi dishes (they can make it vegetarian on request). If Cafe Brera had more of a Singapore touch, featuring kopi and Singapore snacks, we would have considered it.

Started a bit different. Going to the second floor and walking through a 2 story video called the Story of the Forest. The National is located at the bottom of Fort Canning Hill on Stamford Road. Nonresident entrance is $10SD. After being a bit disoriented from the video walk, I almost missed the slightly hidden entrance into the main museum. Here was the Singapore History Gallery covering Singapura, a Crown Colony to today. 1299-1818 prehistoric tools, early writings, and early trading. 1819-1941 the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles and new trading lines, and the beginning of the Crown Colony. 1942-1945 WWII struggles and occupation. 1945- present how Singapore separates from Malaysia and becomes an independent nation. This part was fascinating, as they ran authentic news coverage of the President giving his speech of the changes that were about to happen. This museum and the Asian Cultural Museum were my two favorites. Allow at least 2 hours, there is a lot to take in.

I was very fortunate to have entered right on time for an English docent guided tour which made my experience at the National Museum of Singapore that much richer and more fun. Our docent, Ian, was excellent and I highly recommend that you look for this experience. These tours last about an hour and give you the meaty bits of history. You are then free to go back and fill in the gaps at your own pace. The gallery itself was well designed. I especially loved the rotunda exhibit and I appreciated the thoroughness of the history telling without it being propaganda-y. I learned a lot from today's tour! I opted not to do the special exhibit so my trip only cost SGD 10 for entry.

I came here for the doraemon exhibition and I didn't really walk to the other parts of the museum so this review is mostly based on my experience for that exhibition. I was raised in Asia and I grew up watching doraemon so I was really excited when I found out that the national museum of Singapore was holding the doraemon exhibition when I was there! There were three parts to the exhibition--two of them were in the basement where they showcased the doraemon modern art pieces and the third one was on the ground floor where they showed the original drafts of the manga. Right outside of the exhibits in the basement, they had a very cute Doraemon themed cafe where they served dorayaki. I didn't really try it since I'm not a big fan of red bean but it smelled good and the price was pretty reasonable! The art pieces in the exhibition were really cool! It was very interesting to see artworks of doraemon with a modern twist and my favorite ones had to be the ones with Takashi Murakami's flower! They also sold some limited edition merchandise outside of the exhibits that were difficult to find anywhere else! My boyfriend and I couldn't help ourselves and bought a puzzle and a magnet that were made based on the Takashi Muramami's Doraemon art! Overall, my boyfriend and I had a great time here! The staffs were very helpful and nice and the directions was very clear. If you have a chance to come, don't forget to go to the second floor! While they don't have any exhibit there, you can take a picture with doraemon's anywhere door!

I am a sucker for museums, especially "National" museums representing a country. The NMS is located in a prestigious English parliamentary type building with large columns, sweeping staircases, wide corridors and numerous wings. Bottom floor entry has a Singapore History exhibit which talks of the Native People, early Chinese / Indian / Malay traders, Dutch and British colonizers, Japanese Imperialists, and eventual separation from Malaysia. The latter with film clips discussing the hard decision on the separation from Malaysia. Quite poignant. Artifacts throughout the exhibit including a Japanese WWII replica tank. Second floor has an animation exhibition in the round and also streaming along a winding corridor depicting animals, trees, flowers, etc.. impressive to kids and adults. Other exhibits on fashion, women's changing roles in Singaporean society, the benefits of government housing, changes between 70s and 80s Singapore. You can easily spend 3+ hours here! Cost is $15 Singapore Dollars per Adult.

I believe the National Museum of Singapore should be the first thing everyone visits during their travels to this beautiful country This museums shows you the history behind this amazing metropolis and all the hardships they've been going through before and after their independence in 1965. This museum will definitely give you a greater understanding and appreciation of how this country works and how they've been so successful. During my visit I got to enjoy a special exhibit in World War II, which was very eye-opening. Growing up in Mexico and then moving to the United States, I only learned what happened in Europe and North America during WWII, and it was somewhat scary to learned everything the Japanese empire did in this side of the world during the same time period. I couldn't believe we were never taught any of this at school. Thank you National Museum of Singapore for teaching me something new and opening my eyes to new possibilities and world views.

Excellent museum that showcases Singapore's history in a very informative and aesthetic manner. They have several permanent exhibits as well as a rotating selection of temporary ones. Visit is free if you are a citizen or PR.

Entrance is $15 for regular adult and $10 for senior citizens,however it's free for all local residents. Nice way to soak into the history and culture of Singapore. Place is huge and immaculate. Wanted to see the Janice Wong exhibit,however it was closed for a private function.

Well organized overview of the history of Singapore. Nice use of senses in this museum. Ticket purchase online or in person. Educational for kids and adults. Rated G PG version of the war. Non-residents/visitors $23 admission. Steep discount for Singaporeans.

A great place to learn about the history of Singapore. Highly recommend taking the guided tour at 11 AM. Tixs are $12 per person SD. Our docent was a retired pilot who spent 1 hr 40 mins taking the group thru the gallery. He was excellent and knew his history well and passionate about sharing his knowledge. The museum is very modern and pretty. Several things to see besides Singapore's past history, also modern growth since the 1920s onward in the upstairs area and an animated 3D area with a sky fall of flowers and a forest of local animals, habitat, and flowers. I found it to be dark for the animated portion but it was very pretty. There is a section which talks about all the colonial occupation of Singapore including the Japanese occupation during WW2 and the suffering endured by the Singaporeans. When we were in Japan 2 yrs ago, the museum in Japan made their war invasion sound like a patriotic thing and how their citizens suffered and the recovery efforts after they surrendered. No mention of their atrocities to the countries they invaded nor regrets or public apologies. There is a tiny cafe on the bottom floor if you are in need of rest or nourishment.

As far as national museums go, this appears to need a major overhaul. Completely skipping the Dutch influence on Singapore's history is a major faux-pas especially considering how Singapore wants to be seen as inclusive. They apparently had no problem setting up a comprehensive display on the brutal Japanese occupation and that was only three years. For the admission price the facility leaves a lot to be desired though the effort made is certainly commendable.

Great museum, especially if you want to take advantage of their air conditioning. Lot's of history and you get to finally learn all the western influences had on Singapore. And there are exhibits that talks about Singapore during World War 2 and their independence several years later.

I was visiting Singapore for a few days, and as someone who is used to dry heat, the Singapore humidity is a lot to handle, especially midday. As such, it was important to us to find things to do that would be both interesting and allow us to escape the heat. One of the things we did was to check out the National Museum. As the name suggests, this is a museum dedicated to all things Singaporean. The exhibits detail Singapore's history throughout the years, and smaller exhibits will go into more detail of certain eras or certain facets throughout the ages (e.g.: pop culture, fashion, plants). Even if you're not a huge history buff, I think that you can definitely find something interesting. One of my favorite exhibits was the special Story of the Forest exhibit created by teamLab. It has digital images projected onto the walls. Maybe not everyone would find it interesting, but I happen to be a fan of teamLab's work! Although all the descriptions are provided in English, they did have handouts in 3 other languages for non-English speakers. This was useful for my mom, as she reads and understands Chinese a lot more easily than English. Overall this is not a bad way to escape the heat for a few hours. You'll be able to see some interesting things, while learning more about the development of Singapore as a country.

The building is flashy and the interior itself is worth seeing. If you're a Singaporean PR, you can get in for free, otherwise, it's not too much to pay either. I give this place three stars because most of the exhibitions here are from other countries. Yes, granted that people of Singapore did come from many other places and they're all immigrants so to speak but there aren't many interesting contents in the museum apart from the time when they were colonised by the Great Britain. Museum-wise, it's ok, bordering on the must see, because what else do you do in Singapore after eating laksa and chilli crab, right? (Kidding), but Chinese Heritage Museum gives you so much more story than this place.

The previous time I was in Singapore I gave this place a miss, namely because I thought that it was basically a natural history museum. However, as it turned out, it had nothing to do with natural history and eveything to do with the city of Singapore. Basically the museum looks at the whole period of the city from the prehistoric eras, through colonialism, World War II, and the birth of the Island republic (and the problems that arose therein). It is interesting, but really only if you are hugely keen on knowing more about the city itself, or are bored and looking for something to do. As for me, I found it interesting, but not hugely fantastic.

A good museum for Singapore's history. But I went here after going to the Asian Civilisations Museum, so it seemed a bit repetitive, although cheaper. The second floor of the museum is Singapore through the decades. That portion was a bit fun, especially the 1950-60s room. Lots of reminiscing for my mom. I guess the culture over in Hong Kong wasn't too different during that decade.

Good place for a quick rundown on Singapore's history. Ground floor is currently about the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who was instrumental in making Singapore what it is today. The lower floors are about Singapore's history: how the major ethnic groups (Chinese, Malays, Indians) came here, and what they did. Also, some colonial history, and about the Japanese occupation of Singapore during the 2nd World War. I found the Revere Bell (see pic) interesting: I bet most Americans do not know that American Patriot Paul Revere's daughter gave this bell (made in Boston) to a church in Singapore in 1843.

Great place to learn about Singapore's history, especially the guided tour by a passionate volunteer guide. A lot of coverage on life during and post WW2. Lunch options are rather limited and overpriced though.

It's always a good thing to learn a thing or two about a new place when traveling. We visited the museum to learn more about Singapore's past, present, and future. I loved the exhibits and the artistry the museum offers! Great for the whole family. Did I mention that there's AC and escalators?!

A born and raised Singaporean, my first trip here was long overdue. This is a world-class museum of the history of Singapore, with plenty of interactive audio and video exhibits to tell Singapore's story from its roots as a sleepy fishing village to bustling global city-state. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and spent 5-6 hours here by myself. I explored every nook and cranny and there was always something exciting to see. One of the highlights of my trip were the Glass Rotunda, which houses teamlab's Magic Forest interactive exhibit. If you're familiar with teamlab you'll know they make the most entrancing, magical interactive exhibits. When you first enter you'll be captivated by a large room with magical plants projected on the walls swirling around as ambient background music enveloping you. Amazing. There's also a larger room like that with comfy bean bags that you can lounge in and just soak in the atmosphere. I loved it so much I visited twice. Another highlight was the exhibit Life in Singapore: Surviving Syonan. It documents life under the Japanese Occupation and was completely fascinating. I've heard stories of the occupation but never visited an exhibit showcasing the documents and personal accounts beforehand. There is also a cute room with a heartwarming story of how a couple fell in love during those harsh times. This exhibit gave me great insight into the Japanese occupation and I loved every moment. The main exhibit, History of Singapore, is large, comprehensive, and beautiful. It covers Singapore's entire history and I believe Singaporeans and tourists alike should visit! Admission for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents is free - just flash your IC - and it's only $10-18 for non-residents. If you're on a budget, skip the special exhibit that's going on right now (what is not visible is not invisible) because it's not really worth $8. Its the kind of art that is only art because of what the artist writes about it. There are two cafes and a restaurant to choose from when you get hungry. Clean and beautiful bathrooms are everywhere. The architecture of the museum is both traditional and modern and will take your breath away. Overall an amazing museum. It makes me proud of my homeland and to be Singaporean.

I love this museum! It is an awesome way to learn about Singapore's history and a must visit! First of all, on the day I went there were very few people at the museum. I practically had it all to myself! I checked in and got my temperature taken really quickly. The tickets are a little expensive - $15 for adults, $10 concession - but once you go inside you won't regret it. I first went to the Singapore History Gallery. There were a lot of cool artifacts, books, maps, letters etc. Lots of interesting stuff about Lee Kuan Yew. Some of the highlights were a rickshaw, replica WWII tank, replica 60's HDB kitchen, and LKY's Rolex watches. Definitely don't rush through this gallery - take your time and see everything. Don't skip the paintings, they are like windows into the past. Great learning opportunity. Next I went to the Glass Rotunda. It's just like a light show. Wonderful photo and video op and cool animals. Although if you don't go - ehh, you're not really missing anything. Lastly I checked out the second floor exhibits. The haunted spiral staircase is pretty cool! In my opinion the best exhibitions on the second floor are the Modern Colony and Surviving Syonan. Modern Colony had a lot of old dresses, shoes, etc. Very interesting to me! A museum employee (forgot to ask his name) gave me my own mini tour about how Malay became the national language of S'pore and how LKY united Singaporeans through culture. He was obviously very knowledgeable. Surviving Syonan is my favorite. It's all about the Japanese occupation of Singapore in WWII. You can hear the survivors' stories too. On my way out I stopped by the gift store. The books are all really interesting, wish I had bought one or two. As I was getting hungry, all I got were two postcards ($1 each, not bad). I didn't go to the museum cafe, but if you are a seasoned traveler like me you would know better than to eat there. Overall this museum is an awesome place to beat the heat and learn about Singapore's unique history. I highly recommend it!

Museum is free admission to all Singaporean and PR now during school holiday. It is Sn other holiday place for your family with kids to go and enjoy ... Food for thought definitely positioned themselves with an excellent location that people would in any case to love and enjoy with the venue and the selections in the Manu ...

The rather iconic colonial white structure and dome really stands out in this part of town, and it's quite a lot bigger than one might think. The gift shop at the front entrance has an interesting collection of Singapore-designer souvenirs which make for great gifts for tourists to pick up. I enjoy visiting the various exhibitions from time to time - the last one I saw was the wedding dress one, and I'm also a fan of the swinging lamp installation on the second level. Parking here can be expensive! You might be better off parking at SMU instead and taking a quick walk over...

Really nice building where we spent some time waiting for our battle box tour. Learned about the history of Singapore which I didn't know much about. Really liked the sculpture or is it a display of all the pots and pans making a huge sphere in the entrance. I didn't have time to see the rest of the museum but apparently goes into detail for specific eras in history. I enjoy historical museums a lot more than art museums so this was good. I think entrance was about 7? 10? But worth it to get outta the rain.

As the name suggests, the National Museum of Singapore is one of the biggest museum in Singapore. With frequent installations and rotating exhibitions, there is always something new to expect from National Museum. There are many different types of exhibition there, from artefacts to film, photos from the past and even interactive exhibitions. It holds a lot of history and cultural facts about Singapore, a good place to learn and appreciate the place we call home. At the gift and souvenir shop, it holds a lot of creative and unique stuffs about Singapore, from badges to T-shirts. Cups and mugs! I even bought myself a 'Choy Charm' which was simple adorable. Really cute items sold there, most stuff are suitable for gifts too!

Located next to the SMU School of Law/Accountancy, this place is very good to chill at during a break between lessons. There is a restaurant called Novus as well as a museum cafe to cater to the crowd. I love the architecture of the National Museum and the interior too which is a nice simplistic white. There is a swinging light installation on the second level by Suzann Victor - titled "Contours of a Rich Manouvere". They have housed popular exhibitions such as the ruins of Pompeii, and more recently, famous art works from Europe and more. Admission is free for all tertiary students.

Any nations you go for the first time it is respectful to learn about their history and culture. A museum like "The National Museum Of Singapore" would be the best example. Underneath the glitzy hotels, and swanky retails. lies a more profound Singapore. A history that started with the entire nation being tropical agrarian land. Before the arrival of the westerners, it was more "Man Vs Wild" than "Crazy Rich Asians ". It starts off with the indigenous people aka the Malays and their methods of cultivating land. Then the arrival of Chinese mainly from provinces of Hainan and other parts of south China who arrived as early as the 11th century. Both groups worked along side each other in the jungles. Later traders from India mostly from Tamil arrived. Museum murals depicted how each of the groups worked side by side. Later segments in museums depicts the arrival of Europeans and especially Stamford Raffle the founder of modern Singapore. It focus the control of Singapore under the British East India Company. It was still a colony with current day Malaysia known as British Malaya until 1962 when it joined Malaysia as a soverign nation. Rest of the museum focused on its succession from Malaysia in 1965 and the formation of todays Singapore which is the modern metropolis of success.

The NSM's permanent exhibition was being revamped for the nation's 50th anniversary when I visited, but I can't imagine I would have enjoyed it more than the "Singapura: 700 Years" which very thoughtfully presents Singapore's lengthy history of human habitation. I'm guessing here that it was way more rewarding for this visitor than any bus tour around the city could have been. We also got complimentary Chinese New Year photographs and enjoyed a comfortable if unmemorable lunch in the restaurant.

So this review is solely for my visit during the Singapore Night Festival 2014. The National Museum is very much a centerpiece of the Night Festival, and they open it up with a bunch of cool exhibits for free! As a tourist, it was really exciting to be able to check out the museum. When I went, they had a really neat exhibit for young photographers and a pretty interesting, in-depth history exhibit on Singapore's past. Very informative. It's also a huge museum--there are three floors, I believe the top floor is a play area for younger children. All in all, great experience and I was glad to be able to stop by while during the festival!

best place for history ever. I love it so much. It makes me feel proud to be from Singapore. The building is so nice and the layout is fantastic. Admission is always FREE which is so much fun. however my tour guide was very silly last time but whatever

Fantastic place to learn about Singapore's history. I spent about 4.5 hours here but could easily have seen more. There is a cafe in there but bring snacks if you plan to stay long. They have great bathrooms, water fountains, Wi-Fi and of course air conditioning. There is so much to see. Closest MRT station is Bras Basah but Dhoby Ghaut is walkable too.

This is possibly the museum that I have been to the most! It is located just a little distance away from Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, and the building is easily recognizable. Apart from the special exhibitions, there are several permanent exhibitions at the National Museum that tells retells the history of Singapore. It includes the Singapore Living Galleries (namely on food, fashion, photography, fashion, and film & wayang) and the Singapore History Gallery. For the living galleries, I would say I enjoyed the section on food the most! It is really telling of our country's culture, colorful and vibrant. There are even videos on the process of preparing the local dish, which keeps people interested and easy for tourists to understand our culture as well! I like the Singapore History Gallery as well. Firstly, it takes on a story telling approach, which makes it more engaging. It covers the major national events in the development of Singapore, as well as personal stories of people from the past. It comes with an easy-to-operate multimedia handheld device called the companion, which facilitates the audio visual tour. The device is available in four languages, namely English, Mandarin, Malay and Japanese. Definitely a place to visit once in a while, and to introduce to your overseas friends when they come by Singapore for a visit!

Been here a few times for Night Festivals but today I caught the last day of the Princely Treasures of Lichtenstein. Went to the 2:30 guided tour and it was informative and fun. Saw Baroque, Flemish and other lovely paintings. I also liked the decorative works like pottery, drinking vessels and "pietra dura" chests.

I think this is a good way to get a little picture of how Singapore has evolved over the years - there are several galleries that cover sort of one or two decade stretches of time, and those are really interesting and presented in very engaging and creative ways. The main Singapore history gallery has information dating back to about 800AD and forward to the economic powerhouse that it's become - careful to point out that Singapore existed before Raffles landed and "started" it. Plus for the WWII buff in me, the downstairs traveling exhibit covers the experience under Japanese occupation. I wish some of the exhibits had gone in to a bit more detail - I'm the guy who loves the most minute details about some of this stuff, but all in all, worth visiting. More expensive than the nearby Asian Civilizations Museum, but definitely covering very different content.

Audio companion was not provided as mentioned in some other comments. Level 1 is just great. Level 2 is fine for quick glance. Must visit place.

Absolutely phenomenal. The NMS is one of the best museums I have every visited. Beautiful building with terrific architecture both inside and out. For the main admission fee of $15 SGD, you get access to several art galleries and two exhibits on Singapore history. There is also one special exhibit that you need to pay extra for, which I opted not to pay extra for. The art exhibits are okay (full disclosure I only had time to check out two), but in my opinion, the stars of the show are the history exhibits. There is one of the first floor that offers a fairly comprehensive overview of Singapore's history starting from pre-European contact through the present. I felt like I really learned a lot about the different eras in Singapore's history and there were plenty of cool artifacts, along with mNy different oral histories that you could listen to by picking up the receivers places along the walls. The past 100 years of Singapore was a smaller exhibit upstairs in a beautiful wing of the building. This was split into four parts, each in a different room: pre-war colonial era (through 1930s), Japanese occupation (1940s), post war / independence (1950s and 60s) and the beginning of the modern era (1970s and 80s). Each room gave an interesting snapshot of the era depicted. My favorite was the last one covering through the 1980s. It was quite elaborate, with a giant mosaic screen in the far wall facing two rows of stadium seats that were taken from the original Singapore Stadium. The screen changed every 30 seconds or so to show a new scene. There was also a second smaller room behind the giant screen that was set up like a drive in theatre complete with mock up cars that you could sit in to watch the short film that was playing on repeat. Brilliant. Visit this museum. If you don't, you're really missing out.

The national museum is one of the more popular local museums. There are always interesting international exhibitions going on, with a small section bringing the traveling exhibition to a local context. For example, in the recent Wedding Dress exhibition from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, there was a small section on local traditional wedding outfits and symbolisms such as the cheongsam. In the exhibition on treasures from Ukraine, there is a bit at the end describing the importance of gold in Asian cultures as well. The permanent exhibitions are also quite worth exploring to find out about Singapore and our history. The Singapore History Gallery, in particular, offers a very personal interactive experience with your own audio companion and different paths that you can take throughout the exhibit. My only complaint is that there is insufficient time to cover all the exhibitions in the building in one day, which is a pity as there is so much to see.

This is the only museum I know that has galleries devoted to food! Other than the special exhibitions, there are a few permanent exhibitions at the National Museum on the history of Singapore, such as the Singapore Living Galleries (namely on food, fashion, fashion, and film & wayang) and the Singapore History Gallery. I don' tfind the permanent exhibits tthat exciting, however. The historical building is a great place for taking photos. A friend of mine posed for dance pictures here. She was featured recently in the Chinese newspapers and must say, they turned out beauttifully.

I highly recommend a visit; if only to escape the scorching heat/ humidity of midday S'pore. The history section on Singapore is amazing- I learnt so much about my own country, even though i grew up and lived there for almost 18 years. Worth every penny

I like to learn about the history of the countries (or city-states!) I visit and this was a perfect introduction to Singapore. I was fairly ignorant of Singapore's history before visiting the museum, but after I left I felt I had a much better understanding of how it came to be what it is today.

I had fun here as a tourist from USA. Loved the exhibits and the price is just about average. Great accommodations for kids as far as I can tell, with areas designed just for kids and whatnot. We easily spent 2 hours here, reading about the history of Singapore.

I traveled to Singapore by myself in the summer of 2011 and had a fantastic time here. I'm not an expert on museums but I have visited several in Europe and Asia. This is by far my favorite museum in Asia. Prior to my trip, I took a quick glance of the country's background so I was happy to see the collections of trinkets. I felt the museum did an awesome job at presenting the history in a way that was entertaining and informative. The bright green audio guide is probably the best device I've ever used at any museum in the world.

Great museum that focuses on the history of Singapore. Lots of rotating exhibits through a well-directed variety of galleries. Easily 2 hours spend inside. With cheap admission and air-conditioning, it seemed like a no-brainer to stop in to kill some time in the afternoon. Immaculately maintained and clearly updated regularly.

I was visiting Singapore for a work vacation and had the opportunity to check out the national museum. The museum provides a great overview on the history of Singapore, from pre-historic times and early civilizations, to the period of European colonization, to early modern history, to Japanese-controlled Singapore during World War II, finally to modern-day society. Great museum.

Nice museum depicting the history of Singapore. Air conditioned museum.

I went to Singapore for a few days and made my way to the National Museum of Singapore to learn more about the country, since I pretty much had no knowledge of its history. I have to say, the building is absolutely beautiful, though its mostly empty because the main galleries are underground. I kind of walked around the empty spaces wondering where the "museum" part was until I found the main entrance, but once I was inside, I found the NMS the most well-curated museum I've ever been to... You enter the main exhibit and galleries via a cylindrical building and go through a movie...which was the most unnecessary part of this whole experience, since it was just a gathering point. They give you (for free!) an audio guide connected to an iPad-like mobile device that has every artifact with a There was SO MUCH information, it was kind of overwhelming. Every different room was a new group of info (everything had audio), and then the artifacts in that room are listed at the bottom of the touchscreen if you want to find out more info about anything. All the time periods of Singapore are covered, and there is a lot of primary sources and pictures tracing the history. One thing this museum did very well was understand that not everyone "likes history" and maybe some people are dragged here by someone else in his or her party. I say that because throughout the museum, there are two different "tracks" you can take -- events and personal stories. Some people love history, and some people don't care for it and would rather hear about personal stories and have history interpreted that way instead of just by dates and battles and conquests, etc; that was this attempts to mollify. I followed the events track, so I actually didn't see the "other" part of the museum based on the personal stories. I checked out one room just out of curiosity and it seemed like a completely different museum. (The one room I checked out talked about women's rights in Singapore, yet I didn't see that topic discussed at length in the events track, so it made me wonder what was not covered in the other track and vice versa?) I see in other reviews here that the audio guide is slow and there's actually nothing to "read" on the walls since everything is in the audioguide. To that, I say that Singapore is a multi-cultural place with four predominant languages (English, Malaysia, Chinese, and Tamil), what exactly do people want, extended explanations in four languages under every single artifact and picture and portrait? That is untenable, which is why the handheld device is so invaluable and makes the experience much better. Imagine the crazy clutter everywhere if everything in the mobile device had to be printed and put on display? And the audioguide is great for visitors, because I saw one guide in Japanese, and that would not have been a language on any of the walls, but now those visitors can understand what the museum is showing them. Yes there is a lot of information and the guide is slow, but pretty much everyone around me rushed through the museum because they didn't want to go through the trouble of typing in the number "40" on a touchscreen (seriously?). I compare this to other major museums that I have been to like the Louvre or the Uffizi and I'm struck by how much "better" this museum was than those. That is not to say the actual information or art is "better" here than at the Louvre (of course not), but moreso I mean how the experience here is so much more user-friendly and there aren't surly museum workers standing around in a perpetual state of being pissed off with having to deal with tourists. The price of entry is SGD$11, and I got in free with a student ID, and the audioguide is free for everyone -- and that stands in contrast to price-gouging at poorly-kept European museums where entry and audioguide are easily 25euros and there's not nearly as much information and ease-of-use as here. Overall I would definitely recommend a visit to the National Museum of Singapore. There is enough information to spend all day, but after about 3-4 hours, it gets a bit daunting to learn so much. There is a cafe/restaurant at the museum, but Raffles City is close as is the Colonial Quarter, so there's plenty of places to eat around.

Lovely colonial building, on the 'oldest' part of Singapore! The building is lovely, but the museum is so well worth a visit! There is a long of history without it being overwhelming, the displays are lively and I so loved that some rooms were re-enacted at they were. I would certainly advise anyone to take a few hour to visit.

If you want to kills sometime. You an walk around the museum for hours. I went in for a exhibit and it was only S$6. Very educational and well maintained. The building is pristine and I see people taking wedding photos there. The area is nice as well. There not a bad walk on a Sunday morning.