Notice of Renovation and Upgrades
based on 3,005 reviewsThe National Museum of Singapore is a museum with a long history in Singapore. Its building was first constructed in 1887, originally as the Raffles Library and Museum, and this century-old building itself is also a national monument of Singapore. The museum focuses on Singapore's history, culture, and art, and its permanent exhibitions unfold around the development of this island city over more than seven hundred years.
The core experience in the museum begins on the second level with "Singapore Odyssey: A Journey Through Time." This is a multisensory immersive exhibition where visitors can receive an RFID wristband and activate a "magical companion" inspired by Singapore's native wildlife to serve as a guide. Descending along a spiral ramp inside the glass-domed gallery, ocean projections, dynamic dioramas of historical scenes, and interactive digital waterfalls unfold in sequence, telling the story of how the sea shaped Singapore's destiny. At the end of the exhibition, all visitors' magical companions converge on a large screen in a visual performance inspired by the mythical giant tree growing in the middle of the sea from Malay folklore. After returning the wristband, visitors can step into the adjacent Singapore history gallery, as the two are designed as a continuous visitor flow.

The Singapore history gallery is divided into seven chronological zones, beginning with the 14th-century maritime trading port and moving through colonial founding, Japanese occupation, and self-governance and independence, all the way to contemporary society. The gallery features many recognizable physical exhibits: the Singapore Stone inscribed with ancient Kawi script, the grand piano composer Zubir Said used when writing the national anthem "Onward Singapore," an old-style elevator that served an HDB block in Ang Mo Kio for decades, and an interactive rickshaw device that visitors can pull by hand. The "As a Singaporean" zone also recreates a passage inspired by Orchard Road, lined with street lamps and signboards, evoking the street life of the 1980s and 1990s. Audio message stations are set up throughout the gallery, and the answers visitors record are incorporated into the immersive projection at the end, making individual voices part of the exhibition.













Other visitors' reviews of National Museum of Singapore
Show More ReviewsGreat exhibitions and overall worthwhile experience. Really loved the interactive experience across all the exhibits.