Singapore History Gallery reopening on 10 October 2026 also anchors NMS 139th Anniversary Celebrations: Stories of Everyday. Taking place from 10 to 18 October 2026, there would be festivities and activities taking place, this also marks the debut of Stoney – NMS new mascot inspired by the storied Singapore Stone. The celebrations also mark the completion of NMS’s three-year restoration works while it continues with phases revamp of the rest of its permanent galleries, slated for completion in early 2027.

“The reopening of the Singapore History Gallery is a milestone that carries deep meaning for us. It is the culmination of years of work, shaped by the voices of our communities and grounded in our belief that Singapore’s story belongs to everyone who has lived it,” said Chung May Khuen, Director of the National Museum of Singapore. “Opening on the weekend of our 139th anniversary, it is a reflection and affirmation of our enduring mission as the People’s Museum – a place where every visitor, regardless of background, new and returning alike, can find themselves in the living tapestry of Singapore’s story.” 

Singapore History Gallery – Our History Through the Voices of Those Who Lived It

The Singapore History Gallery tells our timeless tales told anew: telling our history through the voices of those who lived it. 

Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time

Before you step into the revamped Singapore History Gallery, enter into Shaw Foundation Glass Rotunda’s immersive installation, Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time, the revamped Singapore History Gallery forms an integrated narrative experience for you to journey through.

After travelling back in time through regional myths and historical maritime milestones, you are now ready to continue your journey into Singapore History Gallery, on a chronological, in-depth, diverse, wider and deeper exploration of Singapore’s story that traces how the nation’s identity has been shaped over seven centuries, and the journey till today and beyond, what it means to be a Singaporean today.

Are you ready to travel back in time with the Singapore History Gallery?

Are you ready to travel back in time over seven centuries? Your journey ahead is going to be a different and unique experience, dynamic soundscapes and visual experiences that you see at the Gallery’s entrance would set the stage for your travel across the various zones in the Gallery. Be ready to mesmerised by never-before-seen artefacts and fresh research alongside multimedia spaces and interactive touch points.

There are also voice input stations, a new addition planted throughout the Gallery, inviting you to share your reflections on the presented stories and perspectives. At each station, you are invited to record your personal responses to a question relevant to the main theme of each zone of the exhibition. These visitor contributions come together to shape the concluding experience at the end of the Gallery.

Let’s begin our time travel journey back in time to a few centuries before Sir Stamford Raffles arrival in Singapore. 

Fluid Beginnings (1300s-1800s)

Your maiden experience in the Singapore History Gallery begins with Fluid Beginnings (1300s-1800s). A newly commissioned jongkong boat model welcomes you into the revamped Gallery, connecting between Singapore’s maritime heritage and the living communities that still continues to carry it forward today. 

Fluid Beginnings invites you to explore a region defined by the sea, where ships, goods and people moving constantly throughout Singapore’s waters, weaving the island into a vibrant maritime network that shifted with trade, politics and power. 

Visitors would be encountering artefacts that speak to Singapore’s deep cultural roots and its place within the Malay world, from sacred figurines and manuscripts to treasures recovered from a 14th-century shipwreck in Singapore’s own waters. 

Don’t miss the iconic Singapore Stone, take pride in this layered and still-unfolding history, that can be discovered through an accompanying digital interactive. 

Colonial City (1800s-1930s)

The era that started Singapore’s shift and transformation from a fledging trading post into one of Asia’s most dynamic port cities. At the start of this section, visitors would know more about the world before British arrival, before tracing the rapid growth that followed Raffles declaration of Singapore as a free port, drawing merchants, migrants and labourers from across Asia whose toil and enterprise built the colony’s prosperity.

Observe the maps, early photographs, prints and many more that capture the physical transformation of the island. Keep a lookout for the everyday objects and stories of traders and immigrants that made Singapore home, providing insights into a city of both cosmopolitanism and marked inequality. 

A recreated rickshaw allows visitors to try their hand at lifting and pulling it, through a physical digital interactive. This can be a fun and memorable experience to interact and understand some parts of life in Singapore back in those days.

Next up would the political awakenings taking shape as global currents of nationalism reached Singapore’s shores and its diverse communities began to imagine a future beyond imperial rule.

Fall of the Fortress (Late 1930s-1940s)

What was Singapore’s social fabric like during that turbulent and dark times? This section examines the rupture of Singapore’s social fabric during the Japanese occupation alongside the resilient it forged. 

Learn more about the mounting tensions of the Sino-Japanese War through the propaganda posters and war photographs capturing how distant conflict drew residents into opposing camps.

Through an interactive display of a painting by Force 136 veteran Tan Chong Tee, presented next to the original, visitors can trace the arc of tension during that period. The painting chronicles key events of the Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1939, and the rising pressures that brought war to the shores of Singapore.

Thereafter, follow the swift collapse of Britain’s “impregnable fortress” through personal effects, military artefacts, and letters that tells the high human cost from the Fall of Singapore. Visitors can step into the moment of Japanese surrender at an interactive Morse code station, before ending your tour in this section with the aftermath of the occupation and stirrings of a Malayan identity. 

Towards a New Identity (1950s-1960s)

The post-war years, towards a new identity with a push for self-determination. This section captures the hard-fought journey taken by Singapore towards self-governance while also exploring the artistic awakening that formed the backdrop to the bird of a sovereign nation. 

Post-war Singapore grapples with poverty and colonial discontent, artists and activists during that era channelled their aspirations into woodblock prints, literature and theatre, giving voice to the ordinary people in that era. 

Through student demonstrations and labour strikes during that era, feel the energies unleashed by them onto the streets. On the other hand, a new generation of local leaders emerged to contest competing versions for Singapore’s future. 

Anchoring that era’s civic heartbeat in this zone is Zubir Said’s piano, the instrument on which he composed “Majulah Singapura”, displayed in Singapore History Gallery for the first time.

Watch a multimedia recreation of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s televised conference announcing Singapore’s separation from Malaysia, inviting visitors to sit with and contemplate this pivotal moment in Singapore’s history. 

Becoming Singapore (1960s-1980s)

Becoming independent and post independence years, discover how Singaporeans built new lives alongside major government reforms to the economy, housing and education. Singapore’s industrialisation is brought to life through everyday artefacts from Fairchild Semiconductor, capturing what it meant to be part of a generation of workers – many of them women – who found livelihoods in the factories that helped transformed Singapore’s economy.

A restored HDB lift might invoke some nostalgia memories for those that grew up in this era, showcasing the spirit of adaption extending to the experience of high-rise living. There is a poem that accompanies it that captures the mix of enthusiasm and anxiety that came with leaving the kampongs behind.

In this era of growth, rising incomes, it brought about modern conveniences and a new generation of Singaporeans coming of age under a revised bilingual education system, a shared Singaporean identity gradually started to take shape. 

At the end of this section, a recreation of a typical void deck where visitors are invited to take a seat and read Arthur Yaps’ poem “2 mothers in a h d b playground” – an intimate snapshot of everyday life in a nation finding its footing.

Continuing on this journey, the Gallery shifts to a colourful exploration of leisure and lifestyle that defined Singapore’s bolder urban identities and aspirations. Step into a passageway inspired by Orchard Road, complete with street lamps and signboards, setting the tone for you to explore how Singaporeans expressed themselves through food, fashion, film, sports and nightlife. 

Unlock stories about Singapore’s hawker culture through a hawker table installation, tap and rotate the the food items. Explore how independent filmmakers brought Singlish to life on screen and homegrown designers made their mark on the world stage.

For those retro Mambo music lovers, do you remember the good old Zouk at Jiak Kim Street? How about techno music at Phuture? 

Explore how sports brought Singaporeans united together in shared moments of national pride. If you haven’t experienced the Great Singapore Workout before, why not join in and try it out while watching archival footage of it?

As Singapore approached the eve of a new millennium, see how a city is ready on the cusp of change and the people ready to meet it.

Looking Global (2000s-Present)

Not only has the Singapore History Gallery goes further back in time to the 1300s, this section traces the more current and recent times of Singapore’s modern history, from the 200s to the present as Singapore is looking global and beyond. 

Singapore grew into a major financial and maritime hub, a world-class metropolis defined by its diverse and dynamic cosmopolitan people, and a cityscape that is constant reinventing and improving themselves. 

First and foremost in Looking Global section, there is an amazing and mind-blowing timelapse by photographer Keith Loutit, titled “The Lion City 2012-2026”, compresses nearly 15 years of Singapore’s development and redevelopment into two and a half minutes. 

Next up is an interactive mural charing Singapore’s place in global networks of trade, travel and communications. Discover ow have Singaporeans engaged with the world, from technological innovations with global impacts, to efforts in sustainability and humanitarian aid, while turning to the more personal question of what it means to belong to a city that never stands still.

Who Are We Today? – a film featuring candid conversations with residents of diverse backgrounds that poses the Gallery’s central question to the visitor, inviting them to reflect on their own place in Singapore’s ever-evolving story. 

Before you exit Singapore History Gallery, enjoy a cinematic concluding experience that carries you from Singapore’s past into its future. An immersive experience that draws together Singapore’s past to present in the form of a connected landscape, a projected river send glimmer of voices contributed by visitors drifting towards the walls. 

From the various voice input stations throughout the Gallery, collecting the values, beliefs and aspirations shared by the visitors, this collective vision produces a unique skyline of future Singapore, accompanied by a reflection crafted from visitors’ own words.

NMS 139th Anniversary Celebrations: Stories of Everyday

The National Museum of Singapore (NMS) celebrates its 139th anniversary through Stories of Everyday, taking place from 10 to 18 October 2026, with programmes and activities themed around the lived experiences of everyday Singaporeans across generations.

The Living Archive: A Living & Design Market by Of Wonder Wander

A curated selection of ceramics, stationery, accessories, food and more is taking place. That would be a refreshed vendor line-up on 14 October. There is also a special interactive installation, The National Living Room, at the Museum’s Platform space, recreating a living room of the past, featuring objects and stores from Singaporeans that breathe life into a house and transform it into a home.

Official Debut of Stoney

Stoney, NMS charming new mascot inspired by the Singapore Stone, a National Treasure on display at NMS, is going to make its official debut.

Stoney’s story begins as he awakens on the banks of the Singapore River with no memory of where he came from. Longing to find his true kin, he embarks on an island wide trek through modern Singapore – this journey ultimately leads him back home to the National Museum of Singapore, just as the doors of the revamped Singapore History Gallery opens its doors to welcome him.

Come meet-and-greet Stoney at NMS reopening celebrations, there are also photo opportunities with a larger-than-life Stoney installation on NMS lawn. Want to own Stoney? You can take Stoney home in the form of a keychain plush, available at the Museum Market by Abry store for $13.90 from 10 October onwards.

Exciting and Fun programmes at Stories of Everyday Celebrations

There is a diverse line-up of programmes for all ages, check out contemporary dance performance Searching Blue《寻蓝》T.H.E Dance Company, HistoriaSG heritage talks, roving historical figure performances and community music jamming with Ann Siang Sounds.

For more information on Singapore History Gallery Reopening on 10 October 2026 and NMS 139th Anniversary Celebrations, visit (insert website link) or find out more on NMS Facebook, Instagram or TikTok pages. 

The post Singapore History Gallery Reopens on 10 October 2026 appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time

When you set sail with Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time at NMS, you would be experiencing a time travel journey of Singapore, as it chronicles the major milestones in Singapore’s 700 years of history, presented through special animations and interactive experiences, in a personalised and immersive journey that gives visitors something different and unique to experience Singapore’s history from a fresh perspective. 

“The previous installation, Story of the Forest, featured animals inspired by our prized William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings. Well-loved by visitors, it sparked wonder and curiosity about the collection. With Singapore Odyssea, we wanted to continue drawing on our collection and rich stories to present Singapore’s history in an engaging and relevant way – this creates an accessible entry point, while honouring the depth and significance of our history,” said Ms Chung May Khuen, Director of the National Museum of Singapore.

Ms Chung added: “In presenting Story of the Forest, we pushed the boundaries of a conventional museum-going experience through technology and multimedia to create a highly immersive space. It was very well received by visitors, who called for similar experiences and even greater interactivity. This was the impetus behind incorporating further multisensorial and interactive elements in Singapore Odyssea that we hope will continue to excite and enchant our visitors.”

“The Shaw Foundation is proud to support the National Museum in its continued efforts to share the rich and storied history of our nation,” said Mr Mark Shaw of Shaw Foundation. “We hope that the bold and innovative storytelling in Singapore Odyssea will captivate and inspire visitors to take pride in our heritage and develop a deeper interest in Singapore’s remarkable history.”  

Experiencing 700 years of Singapore’s history in four episodes 

The Singapore Odyssea blends history, art and technology together, shaping into an evocative time-travel voyage through Singapore’s history that centres on the sea as an ever-present witness and enabler of our country’s evolution. 

Designed by local creatives, Singapore Odyssea offers visitors a vivid, immersive, experiential overview of Singapore’s journey over 700 years. This journey spotlights key moments of Singapore’s history, layered with local stories and myths associated with Singapore’s origins. 

This installation gives cultural and historical context to Singapore’s identity, adding depth and enhancing appreciation for Singapore’s place in the region and the world. When you visit Singapore Odyssea, you can look forward to “setting sail” from an imagined futuristic Singapore to our pre-colonial beginnings.

Join me! Let’s Set Sail with Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time!

When you set sail with Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time, what would you be experiencing? Here are the time travel stages that you would be going back into:

• Opening: Glimpse of the Future – Singapore, as a futuristic, green and connected city
• Episode 1: Setting Sail – Scenes from independence to present-day Singapore
• Episode 2: Riding Out the Storm – Scenes from wartime and postwar Singapore
• Episode 3: Age of Exploration – Scenes from Colonial Singapore
• Episode 4: Shores of Singapura – Scenes from pre-colonial Singapore period 

Opening: Glimpse of the Future (Singapore, as a futuristic, green and connected city)

You are now going to embark on your journey, it’s now boarding time to “board” a time-travelling vessel. Take in the futuristic view of the Singapore skyline from the “cabin”, this sets the stage for your time travel journey back in time.  

As you enter into the gallery, you will be greeted by a stunning light show anchored by a suspended LED globe – the first of its kind in a Singapore museum. The room is now immersed in vibrant hues of blue, the scene transiting into a two-minute show that maps the intricate network of maritime routes that have connected Singapore to the rest of the world over the years. 

Episode 1: Setting Sail (Scenes from independence to present-day Singapore)

Starting episode 1 of your time travel journey back in time as you descend the spiral ramp, you are now experiencing the pivotal chapters of Singapore’s history. Be mesmerised by the visual wall projections that you will encounter, coming alive through animated scenes and rich soundscapes. 

Immerse yourself into those key moments of Singapore, such as Singapore’s first National Day Parade before wartime evacuations, and ancient coastal communities. 

Episode 2: Riding Out the Storm (Scenes from wartime and postwar Singapore)

Entering into episode 2, you are now entering the time of wartime and postwar Singapore. Key scenes include the sinking of the HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse., Japanese air raids, and early nation building efforts. Experience the feelings and emotions of turbulence, uncertainty, and suspense.

Episode 3: Age of Exploration (Scenes from Colonial Singapore)

Continuing your journey back in time, to Singapore’s colonial era, with the sea as a gateway to the world, evoking wonder and surprise. Relive Singapore as a thriving port city, set against a tropical landscape that welcomed traders, immigrants, and new ideas. 

Episode 4: Shores of Singapura (Scenes from pre-colonial Singapore)

You are now entering into episode 4 of your time travel journey, the final episode of your Singapore Odyssea adventure. Dive into Singapore’s mythical pre-colonial past, sparking a sense of curiosity and wonder. 

Encounter the Orang Laut, the legend of the Palembang prince Sang Nila Utama’s arrival on the island, and story of Padang and the Singapore Stone.

Grand Finale at base of the Glass Rotunda 

Your time travel journey has now reached the base of the Glass Rotunda. A grand finale awaits you, where a cinematic digital waterfall curtain opens up in segments to reveal pivotal moments from Singapore’s history as you approach towards it.

On the floor, it’s dynamic as it responds to visitors movements, with each step creating ripples on the surface that interact with surrounding ripples generated by others. An interactive and fully immersive experience enhanced by a curated sound design, creating a powerful grand finale to your time travel voyage at Singapore Odyssea.  

Sustainability as a thematic undercurrent 

In the previous interactive exhibition edition at the Glass Rotunda, Story of the Forest sparked the topic and conversation on environmental awareness. Today, in Singapore Odyssea, this continues on, showing how Singapore’s identity has been shaped by its natural environment and the sea – from the lives of coastal communities from early Singapore, to the nation’s post-independence greening efforts and visions of future climate resilience.

Ms Priscilla Chua, Principal Curator of the National Museum of Singapore, shared: “The launch of Singapore Odyssea in the momentous year of SG60 is an opportune time to revisit our nation’s remarkable journey, while reflecting on our relationship with the environment. We encourage visitors to draw connections between the evolution of Singapore’s natural environment through the ages, with urgent global challenges like climate change and rising sea levels that are pertinent issues that will shape Singapore’s present and future.” 

Buddy Buddy Time Travel at Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time

Before visiting NMS for a Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time, don’t forget to invite your bestie/buddy along for this interactive and immersive experience. 

Pick up a personalised RFID-enabled wristband before you go onboard your time travel journey. You can “adopt” one of nine companions, each inspired by Singapore’s native fauna. 

Whether it’s a forest dwelling pangolin, a coastal crab, or a sky-gliding hornbill, these companions respond uniquely to their visitor’s movements and environment by lighting the path forward, triggering hidden animations, and deepening emotional connection at every turn.

Release your RFID-enabled companions at a Digital “Well”

You have reached the end of your Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time adventure, before you leave and return back to modern day Singapore, you are invited to release your RFID-enabeld companions at a digital “well”. 

This symbolic gesture reinforces the saying that what is borrowed from nature should be returned with care – A call to action to build a sustainable future for people and the real-life counterparts of those (RFID-enabled) companions.

This experience is featured alongside immersive media where myths of legendary creatures such as the giant tide-moving crab and the magical tree of life Pauh Janggi are reinterpreted. All these offer poetic entry points into today’s urgent ecological conversations and topics on climate change, rising sea levels, and biodiversity loss not as isolated modern concerns, but as part of Singapore’s long and evolving story.

Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time Opens 8 August 2025

The Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time officially opens to the public on 8th August 2025. Admission to Singapore Odyssea, is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents. 

Leading up to SG60 Celebrations at the National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Odyssea will run alongside other complimentary showcases happening at National Museum of Singapore – including the commemorative Once Upon A Tide, that explores Singapore’s maritime evolution from settlement to global city, and a curated series of programmes for the National Museum of Singapore’s SG60 National Day 2025 celebrations on 9th August 2025. 

These include community-built LEGO installations, digital and hands-on art activities, live performances, and a spectacular evening projection show, Canvas of Light: Your Nation’s Journey, on the facade of the National Museum of Singapore.

For more information, please visit go.gov.sg/singapore-odyssea or the National Museum’s Facebook and Instagram pages. 

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