Museums are one of the greatest ways to understand and experience a country’s history, and Singapore is no exception. In fact, Singapore is awash with a plethora of museums, and it might be intimidating to choose which ones to visit! So, here’s a list of the best museums to visit to understand Singapore’s history to help you out.
National Museum of Singapore
This is a must-visit location for anyone interested in Singapore's history! The National Museum holds rich and diverse exhibits that will guide you through Singapore’s past. Take a walk through their Singapore History Gallery to learn about the journey from a tiny fishing village to a first world country, or explore their Modern Colony exhibit where personal belongings paint a picture of life in the 1920s.
The museum makes active use of modern technology in order to let visitors have a more enriching experience of the past.
Aside from these permanent fixtures, the National Museum has an ever-changing rotation of more modern and cultural exhibitions that express Singapore’s living history. It’s always a great idea to visit their website once in a while to see what they have in store!
Address: 93 Stamford Road
Operating Hours: Mon–Sun, 10am–7pm
Malay Heritage Centre
You can’t understand history without understanding people. The Malay Heritage Centre aims to illuminate and preserve the rich cultural history of Malays, through displays of items like tools, clothing, artistic expressions and a whole lot more!
Learn about the original settlers of Singapura and their contributions to the colourful tapestry that is Singapore’s cultural history, and even about the surrounding area of Kampong Gelam — a thriving port even before Singapore’s colonisation by the British.
Address: 85 Sultan Gate, Singapore 198501
Operating Hours: Tue–Sun, 10am–6pm. Closed on Mon.
Contact: 6391 0450
Indian Heritage Centre
Little India is a treasure trove for exploration of Indian culture. Within it lies an expression of their history and culture in the Indian Heritage Centre. While getting through the streets of Little India will be a culture trip in and of itself, here you’ll be able to browse through catalogues of artefacts that showcase India’s history with Southeast Asia.
Experience their multimedia exhibitions and learn about the contributions Indian ancestors had to Singapore’s overall heritage and history — all up until this very day!
Address: 5 Campbell Lane, Singapore 209924
Operating Hours: Tue–Thurs, 10am–7pm, Fri–Sat, 10am–8pm, Sun, 10am–4pm. Closed on Mon.
Contact: 6291 1601
The Intan
The Intan is a house museum with a large collection of Peranakan household items. It offers a much more personal experience, letting you step into a household with Peranakan furniture, household items, and a unique display of items from the past.
Unlike the other listed museums, this collection is owned by an individual that has curated these items over the course of many years, seeking to capture the cultural Peranakan spirit and encapsulate it in a single household. You’ll see many different items ranging from pottery to needlework, immersing you in a curious feeling of homely nostalgia.
For your guided visits, you’ll also get to experiment with some traditional Nyonya cuisine, specially prepared for the occasion.
Due to the private nature of the museum, visits are by appointment only. Visit their website for bookings to an exclusively personal event! As a bonus, you can redeem your SingapoRediscovers vouchers here!
Address: 69 Joo Chiat Terrace, Singapore 4272321
Operating Hours: By booking
Contact: 6440 1148
Singapore City Gallery
Singapore City Gallery is an excellent place to see Singapore’s transformation from a humble colony to an ever expanding metropolis in the last fifty years. As part of Singapore’s living, growing history, the City Gallery uses interactive digital exhibits to demonstrate how city development has evolved over the last few years!
Though a bit on the technical side, this museum definitely documents how far Singapore has come since the 1900s, and shows the efforts of the generations of people that have worked to get us here! You’ll not just be well educated, but can fully appreciate the achievement of the people that came before!
Due to COVID-19, the Gallery is temporarily closed.
Address: 45 Maxwell Road the URA Centre, 069118
Operating Hours: Temporarily Closed
Contact: 6221 6666
Singapore Maritime Gallery
Singapore’s historical significance is intrinsically tied with its authority as a port, and so you can’t explore Singapore’s history without visiting its Maritime Gallery. Learn about the efforts and innovations that led Singapore from being a colonial trading post into a Global Hub Port!
Enjoy a series of interactive multimedia exhibits detailing the growth of the shipping industry. You’ll get to see miniature versions of ships, interact with recreations of ship bridges, and find old detailed plans on how Singapore grew its authority as a port!
Address: 31 Marina Coastal Drive Marina South Pier, Level 2, Singapore 018988
Operating Hours: Tue–Sun, 9am–6pm. Closed on Mon.
Contact: 6325 5707, [email protected]
The Battle Box
Venture into one of the critical turning points of Singapore’s history with this historical monument - the original Fort Canning Bunker. Originally constructed to oversee the defence of Malaya during World War II, it was here that the decision was made to surrender Singapore to the Japanese by the British.
Talk a walk through an authentic underground command centre and view wartime artefacts that will truly bring to light the tension and anxiety of conducting a war effort. You’ll learn and understand the decisions made by historical leaders, and mark down a historic period that made Singapore what it is today!
Tickets come at $20 for adults and $10 for children and come with a guided tour. After the tour you’ll be free to explore the premises afterwards. Alternatively, you can redeem your SingapoRediscovers vouchers with this tour! Find out other ways you can redeem your vouchers here.
Address: 2 Cox Terrace, Singapore 179622 (Fort Canning Park)
Operating Hours: Wed–Sun, 9.45am–4.30pm. Closed on Mon and Tue.
Contact: 6338 6133
Ford Factory Museum
If you’re looking for a continuation into Singapore’s darker side of history, the Ford Factory Museum is a good place to visit. This museum is a national monument, and covers the pre and post-war period of 1929 to 1945. It was here that Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival surrendered to Japanese forces, and the historic boardroom where the surrender took place is preserved for exhibition.
During your journey here you’ll see newspaper clips and maps cataloguing the downfall, and various items and documentaries explaining the life of the people during the occupation. You’ll even get to see common wartime crops that were grown for food during the time. It’s a solemn place to experience and inform us of our history.
Address: 351 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588192
Operating Hours: Tue–Sun, 9am–5.30pm. Closed on Mon.
Contact: [email protected]
Changi Museum
The last stop on the ‘war history’ train we’ve been on is the Changi Museum. This museum is dedicated to those that perished in World War II, and documents many important events of the Japanese Occupation.
Battle Box focuses on the war effort while Ford Factory documents much of the surrender and documentation. What Changi Museum deeply covers came afterward for the most oppressed peoples. Here, the plight of Prisoners-of-War and interned civilians can be viewed through their many letters, photographs and drawings; reminders of both the heroics and horrors suffered by the people of that time.
While the museum is currently closed, it is poised to reopen soon.
Address: 1000, Upper Changi Road North, Singapore 507707
Operating Hours: Temporarily Closed
Contact: [email protected]
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