National Museum of Singapore

The museum was established in 1849 by the then Singapore Institution Committee, and is the oldest museum in Singapore, hence its 19th century exterior design. Upon establishment, it was known as the Raffles Library and Museum, starting out as a section of a library at the Singapore Institution before moving to 93 Stamford Road in 1887 after several relocations, where it is currently located. The museum was designated a National Monument of Singapore on 14 February 1992 by the National Heritage Board. Between 1993 and March 2006, it was known as the Singapore History Museum, before it subsequently returned to its present name that was first given in 1965 as the National Museum of Singapore. Over the decades, the National Museum of Singapore has expanded and undergone various expansions and renovations, with a three-and-a-half-year restoration that was completed on 2 December 2006, and was officially reopened on 7 December 2006 by President of Singapore S. R. Nathan and the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lee Boon Yang. Its most recent restoration and upgrading works began in September 2023 with staggered gallery closures, and is slated for a full reopening in October 2026. The museum remains open in the meantime with exhibitions and programmes. ==Collection==

In 2019, Tang Holdings donated a large collection of Sir Stamford Raffles memorabilia, including 46 holograph letters and his book The History of Java, to the museum. In 2022, seats from Singapore Airlines's first Airbus A380 were added to the museum's collection. In 2023, a Solari board previously used at Changi Airport's Terminal 2 was added. In 2024, a 1970s Nanyang coffee roasting machine and a 1979 Housing and Development Board lift were added. In the same year, some parts from a decommissioned 1995 SMRT Siemens C651 train that served the North–South and East–West lines (NSEWL) until 2024, such as train doors, seats and map displays were also added to its collection. ==Singapore History Gallery==

The Singapore History Gallery is a gallery located within the museum. The gallery adopts a story-telling approach, unveiling different perspectives through tales of the past. The Singapore History Gallery closed for restoration works in November 2025. It will reopen with a new experience in October 2026. When visitors walk into the gallery's main entrance on level 1, they are welcomed by the nice breeze of the multimedia projections of a map of Singapore from 1700s made by a European traveller who navigated the world in that century. The exhibits that are found in the gallery are found below: • Sejarah Singapura • Founding in 1819 (1800 - 1825) • Straits Settlements (1825 - 1867) • Crown Colony (1867 - 1941) • Battle of Singapore (1941 - 1942) • Japanese Occupation (1942 - 1945) • Post-War Period (1945 - 1949) • Self-Governance (1950s) • Merger (1963 - 1964) • Independence (1960s & 1970s) • Modern Developments (1980s & 1990s) • Singapore Millennium (2000 - 2015) • The Future Singapore (which is after SG50) • In Memoriam: Lee Kuan Yew Battle of Singapore and Japanese Occupation Well before World War II began, the British had developed the “Singapore strategy” to defend the British empire in Asia. In Singapore, they built a naval base at Sembawang, strengthened the air force and installed large 15-inch coastal guns. Singapore became known as the “Gibraltar of the East” or “Fortress Singapore”. At the same time, the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 stirred up the Chinese community in Singapore. They formed “patriotic” organisations, which raised funds for China’s war effort and organised boycotts of Japanese goods and businesses. On 8 December 1941, Singapore experienced war for the first time when the Japanese bombed the city. On the same day, Japanese troops landed on the northeast coast of Malaya and began their invasion. After a swift 70-day campaign, the Japanese – to almost everyone’s surprise – defeated the British and occupied the Malay Peninsula and Singapore. The British surrendered on 15 February 1942. Singapore was placed under military occupation and renamed Syonan-To (“Light of the South” in Japanese). While the war continued elsewhere, the Singapore population struggled with food and fuel shortages, disease and, at its worst, violence and harassment from the Japanese. The occupation ended only when Japan surrendered to the Allies in 1945. Independence In February 2012, the Toh Chin Chye's exhibit (which is Deputy Prime Minister and the Singapore flag) was also added into the Singapore History Gallery. Modern Developments Modern Developments showcases the brief history including the late 1990s, at least where Ng Pei Seng placed his D&T semi-preserved exhibit, that is from 1999. Singapore Millennium Singapore Millennium also showcases the PSI readings in the year 2006, 2010, 2013 and 2014 due to the Southeast Asian haze. In Memoriam: Lee Kuan Yew In Memoriam: Lee Kuan Yew is an exhibit dedicated for the late Lee Kuan Yew, who had died on 23 March 2015. The exhibits will include the following: • Lee Kuan Yew's barrister robe • Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch • Two of the late Lee Kuan Yew's jackets • Charcoal and ink drawing of Lee Kuan Yew • A desk that Lee Kuan Yew worked over the years red briefcase for local use == Gallery ==

File:KITLV - 105738 - Raffles Museum in Singapore - circa 1900.tif|The museum, 1900 File:National Museum of Singapore 3, Dec 06.JPG|The eastern wing of the museum at night File:National Museum of Singapore 5.JPG|The museum's dome consists of 3,000 zinc fish-scaled tiles and stained glass panels File:20250628 singapore stone.jpg|The Singapore Stone, 10th to 14th centuries. File:20250628 ship.jpg|A mockup of, apparently, a 19th-century British warship, installed in 2019. File:20250628 rickshaw.jpg|An exhibit on Singapore as a growing port city in during the late 19th century to early 20th century. File: Diorama depicting a coolie room in the 1900.jpg|Diorama depicting a coolie room from the 1900s. File:Reconstruction of a 19th-century Singapore shop.jpg|Reconstruction of a 19th-century Singapore shop. File:Coolie house sign, early 20th century.jpg|Coolie house sign, early 20th century. File:Once Upon a Tide exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore, a major maritime-themed exhibition.jpg|The 2025 Once Upon a Tide exhibition on Singapore's maritime history. File:Tank in exhibit of World War II.jpg|Exhibit on World War II. File:Items found in mass graves due to the Sook Ching massacre of 1942 by the Japanese.jpg|Personal items found in mass graves resulting from the Sook Ching massacre of 1942 by the Imperial Japanese Army. == See also ==