National Museum of Singapore
National Museum of Singapore
4.5
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
With a history dating back to its inception in 1887, the National Museum of Singapore is the nation's oldest museum with a progressive mind. Its galleries adopt cutting-edge and multi-perspective ways of presenting history and culture to redefine conventional museum experience. A cultural and architectural landmark in Singapore, the Museum hosts innovative festivals and events all year round-the dynamic Night Festival, visually arresting art installations, as well as amazing performances and film screenings-in addition to presenting thought-provoking exhibitions involving critically important collections of artefacts. The programming is supported by a wide range of facilities and services including F&B, retail and a Resource Centre. The National Museum of Singapore re-opened in December 2006 after a three-year redevelopment, and celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2012. The Museum refreshed its permanent galleries and re-opened them on 19 September 2015 for Singapore's Golden Jubilee.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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from S$17.06
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
2,876 reviews
Excellent
1,507
Very good
1,012
Average
268
Poor
62
Terrible
28
dwo99
Washington, DC80 contributions
Jun 2023
They charge S$10 more than the museum, plus they won’t allow same day purchases. Just buy it onsite or on their web page.
Written 3 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Farzana R
United Kingdom4 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
One of the best museums I've ever been to! The museum explores the history of Singapore very sensitively and does not shy away from the impact of colonialism, the war and the fight for independence. The exhibits are excellent and Team Lab have a permanent installation at the Glass Rotunda (Level 2) which tells the story of Singapore's natural habitat.
Written 28 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
franxc
Pinehurst, NC82 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
It’s a nice building, and it is a very pleasant place to spend the day. There is some good art, but really not much great art, not much high-end art at all. Considering the price I would not say that it is a good value to come here. I think the highlight could be that there is a great children’s area, which is quite large, and would be really nice if you brought children, but we did not have kids with us.
Written 2 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travellingdoc
London, UK5,475 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Probably one of the best museums in Asia and certainly probably the best in Singapore.
amazing interior and design- form a palladium design municipal building to the national museum- a beautiful mix of new and old.
$Sg 15 entry for non residents.
Too tip- start off in the group floor as the display is chronologically based with the 1st floor being the 20-th century.
Found the history of the 600 odd years well details including the arrival of Britain, the development to a major port and also the fall to the Japanese.
The top floor is more a recent 80 years.
The enchanting forest was ok- nice to begin with but got rather repetitive. The types of tree display was useful as help to identified the type of specimens a lot of the old trees around Singapore.
The cafe is a nice place to grab something to eat or chill out.
amazing interior and design- form a palladium design municipal building to the national museum- a beautiful mix of new and old.
$Sg 15 entry for non residents.
Too tip- start off in the group floor as the display is chronologically based with the 1st floor being the 20-th century.
Found the history of the 600 odd years well details including the arrival of Britain, the development to a major port and also the fall to the Japanese.
The top floor is more a recent 80 years.
The enchanting forest was ok- nice to begin with but got rather repetitive. The types of tree display was useful as help to identified the type of specimens a lot of the old trees around Singapore.
The cafe is a nice place to grab something to eat or chill out.
Written 18 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VLuo
Singapore, Singapore222 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
My family and I visited the National Museum of Singapore during Chinese New Year and we were delighted to catch The Doraemon Exhibition Singapore 2022. The exhibition was a treat for both kids and adults alike, featuring interactive displays, life-sized installations and a fascinating history of the beloved character. There were also lots of photo opportunities and a wide range of merchandise available for purchase.
The National Museum of Singapore itself is a beautiful and well-maintained building, with spacious galleries and helpful staff. Overall, our experience at the National Museum of Singapore was both enjoyable and educational. It's definitely a must-visit destination for families looking for a fun and enriching day out.
The National Museum of Singapore itself is a beautiful and well-maintained building, with spacious galleries and helpful staff. Overall, our experience at the National Museum of Singapore was both enjoyable and educational. It's definitely a must-visit destination for families looking for a fun and enriching day out.
Written 14 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patricia&Bryan
Houston, TX95 contributions
Apr 2023 • Friends
As an expat living in Singapore, I wanted to learn about the history and this museum is perfect for it. Affordable with lots to see, I highly recommend you do the tour that is included and done by the Friends of the Museum. You get a lot out of it because the volunteers are passionate about history and you learn more than by merely reading the museum plaques available.
Written 13 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Geoff W
Wellington, New Zealand237 contributions
Apr 2023 • Solo
Highly recommended for your trip to Singapore. A well told story of the countries origin and pivotal moments in history that has led to the bustling place that it is today. Something that Singaporeans should feel proud of.
Written 13 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SPAN_Edgbaston
Southampton, UK107 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Beautiful building. The exhibits were extensive, interestingly arranged, varied and really well done.
The signs with QR codes stated “Audio tours at your fingertips”. The audio sections were very good, but the app was slow and very, very clunky. You had to put in the number of the exhibit you were looking at. This was fine, except that not all exhibits had an audio description. Many had only a “read more” section, no audio description at all. It took a very long time to enter each number to find out whether or not there was an audio description attached to it. And you could go through 5, 8 or 10 numbers before finding the next one with an audio description. Plus you kept having to reconnect to the app. This needs work to be good.
There could do with being many more places to sit on the way round.
A guided tour in English at 11am and 2pm Mon-Fri takes you round the main artefacts in the history gallery - very interesting and gives you a taste of what to go back to on your own.
The signs with QR codes stated “Audio tours at your fingertips”. The audio sections were very good, but the app was slow and very, very clunky. You had to put in the number of the exhibit you were looking at. This was fine, except that not all exhibits had an audio description. Many had only a “read more” section, no audio description at all. It took a very long time to enter each number to find out whether or not there was an audio description attached to it. And you could go through 5, 8 or 10 numbers before finding the next one with an audio description. Plus you kept having to reconnect to the app. This needs work to be good.
There could do with being many more places to sit on the way round.
A guided tour in English at 11am and 2pm Mon-Fri takes you round the main artefacts in the history gallery - very interesting and gives you a taste of what to go back to on your own.
Written 11 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jon C
Tampa, FL14 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
They definitely take their history seriously here. Archival footage at several presentations was poignant and very well done. There are plenty of nooks and crannies to SG history that I did not know, but my visit helped fill the gaps.
Written 8 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marpessa2
Singapore, Singapore6 contributions
Apr 2023
I am sure the museum is okay by we never manage to get past the ticket hall. I live in Singapore and pay my Taxes here so when I applied for tickets on the museum website with my Singpass and received a conformation email (see photo) including two QR codes for entrance I though all was good.
When I arrived at the entrance I was told that the email was sent in error and I would have to pay, the staff seemed slightly apologetic but in the end were unhelpful.
Had a plesent walk up nearby Fort Canning to the free museum there instead.
When I arrived at the entrance I was told that the email was sent in error and I would have to pay, the staff seemed slightly apologetic but in the end were unhelpful.
Had a plesent walk up nearby Fort Canning to the free museum there instead.
Written 5 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BEAOPINA
Santander, Spain822 contributions
Según un comentario de septiembre de 2016, no hay audio guía en español. Puedes enterarte bien de la historia y cultura que transmite el museo si apenas entiendes inglés? Gracias
Anita R
Mexico City, Mexico17 contributions
Coincido con Rossana, en realidad lo bueno del museo es que hay muchas fotos, videos, carteles y objetos históricos que te dan una idea muy clara. Está dividido temporalmente en varias salas así que eso también ayuda.
How much time should I set aside to be there?
Robbiejo4866
Bath, UK75 contributions
It depends on your interests, we were lucky to have a personal guide and spent over 2 hours. Lovely cafe and shop so I would allow for 3 hours.
what are prices of the tickets
dave d
Bicton, Australia118 contributions
the actual entry is free, but we paid about $25-30 to see a World Treasures Exhibition. Was well worth it !
Jane
Auckland Central, New Zealand19 contributions
how much in Thai Baht does it cost for entry to both areas?
Anth0ny1968
Greater Wellington, New Zealand41 contributions
HI, it was 7 sing dollars per adult for the special exhibits and the general area is free but you must check if the museum general area is open. In April it was closed for renovations but you didn't know that till you got there. The free guided tour is fantastic I highly recommend it.
Do we need to pay for the entrance?
Rosanna V
88 contributions
Yes. The entrance fee for a no resident is 18 SGD. you will get a ticket for all the rooms and exhibitions. One and a half hour will be enough to see the whole area. The restaurant there is pretty nice! Enjoy your time there.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about National Museum of Singapore
- National Museum of Singapore is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
- National Museum of Singapore admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost S$17.67, while a popular guided tour starts around S$6.76 per person. See all 13 National Museum of Singapore tickets and tours on Tripadvisor
- National Museum of Singapore can be crowded, so we recommend booking e-tickets ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. See all 13 National Museum of Singapore tickets and tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience National Museum of Singapore:
- Uncover local history at oldest museum The National Museum of Singapore (From S$20.43)
- Artoholic Singapore: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Bras Basah Bugis Arts Precinct (From S$7.03)
- Big Bus Singapore (From S$61.20)
- Go City: Singapore Explorer Pass - Choose 2 to 7 Attractions (From S$79.79)
- Private Walking Tour through Singapore and the Two World Wars (From S$138.86)
- Hotels near National Museum of Singapore:
- (0.15 km) YMCA One Orchard
- (0.21 km) Rendezvous Hotel Singapore by Far East Hospitality
- (0.28 km) 30 Bencoolen
- (0.35 km) V Hotel Bencoolen
- (0.38 km) The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore
- Restaurants near National Museum of Singapore:
- (0.02 km) Food For Thought
- (0.03 km) Chef Chan's Restrant
- (0.04 km) Flutes
- (0.14 km) Soi Aroy
- (0.19 km) Din Tai Fung