Once Upon a Tide: NMS charts Singapore’s SG60 Voyage from Settlement to City

Celebrating the 60th anniversary (SG60) of Singapore’s independence, embark on a voyage of learning and discovery at the National Museum of Singapore (NMS). Once Upon a Tide: NMS charts Singapore’s SG60 voyage from settlement to city, through the ups and downs of Singapore’s transformation over the years. Visitors to NMS can visit this special exhibition, Once Upon a Tide: Singapore’s Journey from Settlement to Global City, and also a family-favourite Children’s Season, making its return with Get Curious! Building Our Singapore.

Once Upon a Tide: Singapore’s Journey from Settlement to Global City

Once Upon a Tide: Singapore’s Journey from Settlement to Global City, runs from 24 May 2025 to 9 October 2026. This special exhibition anchors on Singapore’s maritime connections, inviting visitors to discover and learn more about Singapore’s maritime history and heritage, how the sea and river have shaped Singapore’s evolution from a bustling 14th century port to a global maritime powerhouse of today.

Featuring over 350 artefacts from the National Collection, the exhibition traces the constant flows of people, goods, and ideas from around the world that have ben collectively won the rich and diverse fabric of our nation, with centuries of history under its belt to its present day. This also further reflects our shared journey over the years and commitment to build a shared future.

Chung May Khuen, Director of the National Museum of Singapore, said, “As we celebrate SG60, Once Upon a Tide offers a timely opportunity for us to reflect on our nation’s remarkable journey of progress and transformation that is shaped by its connections in the region and beyond. These values of openness and interconnectedness remain relevant and crucial today, as we constantly adapt and innovate to navigate a landscape that is highly globalised and increasingly turbulent. We hope this exhibition will inspire Singaporeans to think about the collective future they envision for our nation.”

Ms Tan Su-Yin, Senior Director (Grants), Tote Board, shared: “Tote Board is honoured to play a role in commemorating Singapore’s 60th year of independence through our support of various SG60 programmes. At the heart of these celebrations is Once Upon a Tide, which chronicles Singapore’s remarkable transformation. The exhibition is a testament to our collective achievements and the unwavering spirit that has defined Singapore’s progress over six decades. Through our support of Once Upon a Tide and other SG60 initiatives, Tote Board continues our commitment to fostering social cohesion and celebrating our shared heritage. These programmes provide platforms for Singaporeans to come together, reflect on our journey, and strengthen the bonds that make our society uniquely Singaporean.”

Ashmita Acharya, Head of International Wealth and Premier Banking at HSBC Singapore, said, “As Principal Sponsor of Once Upon a Tide, HSBC is proud to play a part in celebrating Singapore’s remarkable growth from a small fishing village to a global financial powerhouse –a journey we’ve been a part of since opening our first branch here along the busy port of Singapore 148 years ago. Our support of this exhibition underscores our continued commitment towards fostering meaningful international connections, partnering businesses, and opening opportunities that contribute to the next chapter of the nation’s growth at this pivotal moment in history.”

Five Immersive Sections in your Journey of Discovery at Once Upon a Tide

There are five immersive sections in this special exhibition, each represents different aspects of Singapore’s evolution that are brought to life through experiential storytelling. Let’s begin your voyage journey into Once Upon a Tide: Singapore’s Journey from Settlement to Global City.

First Section – Always on the Map

In the beginning, travel back in time to discover and learn Singapore’s deep historical roots and its prominence on a regional and global scale, long before the arrival of the British in 1819. Observe the maps on display inside this section, learn about how much of Singapore’s neighbouring waters were surveyed and drawn on those maps, prior to the arrival of the Sir Stamford Raffles and the East India Company into Singapore in 1819.

There are key artefacts on display inside this first section, showcasing Singapore’s strategic position at a crossroads of global flows, as one of the key port settlements in the Malay World and Chinese trade networks.

Second Section – The River Road

As you continue travelling through history and time inside Once Upon a Tide, sail through the history of Singapore River. How important is Singapore River in Singapore’s maritime history and heritage? The evolution of Singapore River also mirrors the economic development of Singapore.

Singapore River played key roles in Singapore’s maritime trade routes, with known trading settlements along the Singapore River. Over the centuries, the Singapore River played a vital role in shaping Singapore’s transformation into a global trading hub, from coaling to shipbuilding industries, becoming an icon of Singapore’s growth and progress.

There is a Sampan Challenge for visitors to take on! Come and “row across” the Singapore River!

Third Section – Expanding Horizons

For a small island country, Singapore grew bigger through land reclamation, as she has to constantly deal with land scarcity. Through land reclamation, this allows the widening of further development and growth, and also reshaping Singapore’s relationship with the sea.

There is a digital slider map that you have to experience it for yourself, you can visually trace and view the changing coastlines of Singapore across the centuries, from the colonial times to modern Singapore today.

Forth Section – Flows of People

Singapore’s identity is built on the bedrock of multiculturalism. Flows of People pays tribute to individuals that laid the hard work and foundations for Singapore’s development into a modern cosmopolitan city, from the early settlers to modern workers of today.

For this section, it examines the living experiences of the people who built our nation, provided transport services, those that defended Singapore, and those that cared for others within society. Through intimate audio and video testimonials, visitors can hear directly from them, and be inspired by members of these communities.

Check out the photographic artefacts and personal mementos, offering insights into the various trades, and also a slice of the diversity of those that helped to build the nation of today’s Singapore.

Fifth Section – Making Waves

At the finale section, Making Waves is dedicated to giving spotlight to Singaporeans, homegrown businesses and organisations that make waves and headlines globally, across the areas of diplomacy, humanitarian efforts, innovation and hub development from 1965 to the present day.

On the wall of this section, there is a quote/question, “How do we define success today? What does it mean to make an impact on the world?” Check out the stories of Singaporeans trailblazers who travelled on the road less travelled, redefining success and shaping an ever-evolving Singaporean identity on the world stage.

Don’t miss the Singlish words that make it into Oxford Dictionary, our favourite local cuisines celebrated around the world, celebrate Singapore’s uniqueness that gained international recognition. Do take part in an interactive Singlish quiz to test your knowledge of Singaporean language that has become a cultural marker of pride.

There is a diverse range of artefacts that document Singapore’s achievements across various fields that are on display, they are tangible reminders of Singapore’s global prominence. From athletes Joseph Schooling, Maximilian Maeder, Shanti Pereira, and Loh Kean Yew, to pianist Margaret Leng Tan, and filmmaker Eric Khoo, among others.

If you are inspired by the stories and artefacts inside this section, you are invited to contribute objects and stories as part of National Museum’s Collecting Contemporary Singapore initiative that returns this year, with a focus on “Wave Makers”.

Your contributions will help National Museum of Singapore build up their collection and tell more diverse stories of Singaporeans who make us proud globally. For more information on this public call, please visit National Museum of Singapore website.

Shaping Your Future: What does the future hold? What paths will Singapore take?

Before you exit the exhibition, you are invited to reflect and share, on how Singapore’s identity and definition of success have evolved over time through an RFID-based personalised experience.

The questions are spread across the exhibition sections, and you van use the RFID wristbands collected at the start of the exhibition to answer them.

At the end of the exhibition, visitors will be assigned one of four avatars based on their response throughout the experience. Each avatar reflects one’s individual values, priorities, and aspirations for Singapore’s future. They also contribute to a larger cityscape visual that represents the collective vision of the future of Singapore, co-created by all who participated.

Get Curious! Building Our Singapore

The National Museum of Singapore Children’s Season is a highly anticipated event, returning with Get Curious! Building Our Singapore, designed as a complement to Once Upon a Tide.

Introducing younger visitors to the builders of Singapore

This year’s Children’s Season continues the journey for discovery for young visitors, especially on the themes of people who built Singapore, and how Singapore continues to build her identity and “Make Waves” internationally, in tandem with the Once Upon a Tide exhibition sections four and five, Flows of People & Making Waves.

This year’s Children’s Season edition features an interactive installation and an intergenerational showcase – Get Curious! Building Our Singapore and Our Mama Shop showcase.

The installation invites children to explore how different communities contributed to the growth of Singapore. At the Our Mama Shop showcase, children can connect and learn more about our common Singapore identity and uniquely local cultural elements.

My Personal Journey across Once Upon a Tide

This journey across into Once Upon a Tide was a very enriching and learning experience for me. The content and curation goes a lot deeper and further than what learn in our history books in school, and the time before Sir Stamford Raffles arrival in 1819.

In the first section, this was an area of great interest to me. What was Singapore like before the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819? That’s so much more to learn about Singapore’s history!

For those who love reading and analysing maps of all kinds (navigation, topographical etc), Once Upon a Tide will definitely interest you greatly, as it has done for me. Just by walking through the maps from the first section to the fifth section, you can see for yourselves how much Singapore has transformed over the centuries.

A worthy and fitting theme, Once Upon a Tide is a rich and intense history, heritage and cultural exhibition to mark Singapore’s (SG60) 60th anniversary celebrations, how Singapore is making waves around the world, even though we are a young and small country (by land size).

Once Upon a Tide and Children’s Season Information and Admission Details

Once Upon a Tide: Singapore’s Journey from Settlement to Global City

Venue: National Museum of Singapore, Exhibition Gallery 1 and 2, Basement Level
Date: 24 May 2025 – 9 October 2026
Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm daily (last ticket sales at 6pm, last gallery admission at 630pm)

Admission Fee: