National Museum of Singapore

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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Admission tickets
from S$20.09
All you need to step foot in the door.
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  • Wongaburra
    Sydney, Australia142 contributions
    Informative and enjoyable
    Always on the lookout for the history of where we were visiting the National Museum of Singapore was a must. We had booked a guided tour which was well worth the cost as the guide was informative and knowledgeable. Well worth the visit.
    Visited July 2019
    Written 24 January 2020
  • ddilling30
    Loughborough, United Kingdom71 contributions
    Outstanding, world class museum!
    Without doubt, this is a brilliant, world class museum and a MUST for all visitors. We took the combined ticket(reduced rate for Seniors) and spent 4 hours on the special exhibition and the History Gallery only. It id possible to return another day on the same ticket. Ask and you will be issued with a new sticker. The museum is housed in a beautifully maintained colonial style building and is very well laid out, so the story flows. Helpful interpretation panels are not too wordy. The language is accessible and the text the right length. The cafe has a nice selection of reasonably priced light meals, snacks and drinks. Altogether an excellent museum!
    Visited February 2020
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 10 February 2020
  • Della G
    Coquitlam, Canada808 contributions
    National Museum of Singapore
    A beautiful museum experience. National Museum of Singapore is housed in a formidable, elegant neo classical building with the establishment of the museum dating back to 1887. The displays are extraordinary and well displayed. It appeals to anyone who likes history and definitely gives visitors a detailed outline of this unique island country. Interesting informative diorama visuals and hands on exhibits that are suitable for youngsters and accompanying family alike. The second floor houses different galleries that focus on special themes as fashion, food, progress within the island community, photography etc. Each area takes time to explore. The most impressive display was the Story of the Forest which is a fascinating digital experience. It is a colorful, lively and fanciful digital display that leaves a pleasant memorable images in your mind. The museum is not free and the admission is more than a nominal fee but it is truly a first rated museum in Singapore.
    Visited November 2019
    Written 16 February 2020
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.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
2,886 reviews
Excellent
1,514
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Average
268
Poor
62
Terrible
28

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, UK5,533 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.
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.
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, TX96 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, UK108 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.
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, Singapore8 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.
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.

TassieTravellers99
Launceston, Australia3,182 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
Located near Fort Canning Park and Dhoby Ghaut MRT station is this grand looking museum. Alas the displays inside were not as captivating as we had hoped. There was a staged display of Singapores history which was interesting as it covered several centuries of its development. There was a 3D graphic installation called the story of trees which was set in a big dome and was something different. We left a little disappointed compared to what we had hoped to experience and learn.
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.

VickySmale
Bristol, UK55 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
One of the best things we did in Singapore!

The museum is immersive and takes you through time, there are lots of interactive exhibits and the history is fascinating.

Well worth a visit
Written 3 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.

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NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)