National Heritage Board Happenings

This September, National Heritage Board (NHB) will be running an array of programmes and events for you and your family!  

So much is happening this July and August across the venues managed by the National Heritage Board! Here's a closer look at what you can expect in these two months:

Programmes by Education and Community Outreach (ECO)

HAN@Telok Blangah - Telok Blangah In Our Own Words

Venue: Telok Blangah
Date: 12 Sep 2026
Time: 4pm - 6pm
Admission fees: N/A

Step into the stories of Telok Blangah and embark on a sensory photo walk through various parts of Telok Blangah. Join us for a journey to appreciate and take a closer look at our surroundings, and exchange stories and local knowledge along the way.

We're inviting residents and anyone with a connection to Telok Blangah to join us in documenting the area's rich heritage — identifying places, flora and fauna, memories, and landscape features that hold significance for the community, and preserving these memories for generations to come.

Your stories will contribute to a growing community archive that will be showcased at an exhibition in 2027, bringing Telok Blangah's heritage closer to the community.

This programme is part of HAN@Telok Blangah, presented by Participate In Design and supported by the National Heritage Board, as part of Heritage Activation Nodes.

HAN@Telok Blangah - Blangah Bounty: Guided Trail

Venue: Telok Blangah
Date: 26 Sep 2026
Time: 9.30am - 11.30am; 10.30am - 12.30pm
Admission fees: $5 per person

Join us on an in-depth trail together with our resident tour guides to discover hidden heritage gems and learn about the stories of Telok Blangah!

From forgotten landmarks to little-known local tales, our resident tour guides will bring the past to life as we wander through paths steeped in history. Whether you're a heritage enthusiast, a curious explorer, or simply looking for a meaningful way to spend your morning, this trail brings fresh perspectives and exciting discoveries about the Telok Blangah neighbourhood!

This programme is part of HAN@Telok Blangah, presented by Participate In Design and supported by the National Heritage Board, as part of Heritage Activation Nodes.

HAN@Clementi - Secret Railways of Clementi Photowalk

Venue: Clementi Community Centre
Date: 27 Sep 2026
Time: 3pm - 6pm
Admission fees: $5 per person

Some of Singapore's most compelling stories are hidden in plain sight, waiting for the right eye to find them. Secret Railways of Clementi is a guided heritage photowalk that invites you to explore one of Singapore's forgotten railway routes while learning the art of photography along the way.

In collaboration with Canon, participants will enjoy a hands-on photography workshop led by experienced facilitators, with the opportunity to use Canon cameras to capture unique perspectives of landmarks such as Sungai Ulu Pandan, the Old Jurong Railway Line Bridge, and the Sunset Way railway track.

Whether you are new to photography or looking to sharpen your skills, this is your chance to discover hidden gems, tell stories through your lens, and experience Clementi like never before. 

This Call for Collaboration project is supported by the National Heritage Board as part of the Heritage Activation Nodes in Clementi (HAN@Clementi).

HAN@Tiong Bahru - Kampung Cookhouse

Venue: Tiong Bahru Community Centre’s Culinary Studio (Level 1)
Date: 19 to 20 Sep 2026, 4 Oct 2026 & 18 Oct 2026
Time: 11am - 1pm
Admission fees: N/A

Food is one of the most intimate windows into a family's heritage. Every recipe carries with it a history of traditions passed down through generations, and of the everyday moments that make a neighbourhood feel like home.

Kampung Cookhouse@Tiong Bahru is a fortnightly cooking demonstration series where grassroots volunteers and residents take turns sharing the family recipes closest to their hearts. Led by sub-committees from the Tiong Bahru Community Centre, each session shines a spotlight on a different culture's culinary traditions, offering a taste of the diverse communities that call Tiong Bahru home. Through food, explore what makes us different — and discover just how much we share.

Join to learn, taste, and swap stories with your neighbours. Whether you're here to pick up a new recipe or simply to enjoy good company, Kampung Cookhouse welcomes everyone and is open to participants of all ages.

This programme is part of HAN@Tiong Bahru, presented by Tiong Bahru Community Centre and supported by the National Heritage Board, as part of Heritage Activation Nodes.

Finding Uncle Who? Tracing Stories of Clementi by NHB’s Youth Panel

Venue: Clementi
Date: From 25 Feb 2026 to 30 Sep 2026
Time: 10am to 6pm
Fee: Free admission

"Finding Uncle Who? Tracing Stories of Clementi" is an interactive detective adventure developed by the National Heritage Board's Youth Panel in collaboration with Heritage Activation Node at Clementi, where participants uncover the story of Uncle Weng Fatt whilst exploring significant Clementi locations. The programme features a self-guided hybrid trail hosted on a webapp with 4 trails and accompanying storylines, running from 28 February 2026 to 30cat September 2026. Special guided tours led by the Youth Panel are scheduled for 7 and 14 March 2026 (10am to 12pm each day), starting from Clementi MRT Station Exit D. To encourage public participation, the programme includes a giveaway where the first 100 eligible participants who complete trails 1 and 2 and collect two postcards will receive a $20 Grab voucher. The giveaway runs from 28 February 2026 to 30 May 2026.

Programmes by ArCH Square

[SHF2026] SHIPPED!: Memories from the Sea

Venue: ArCH Square
Date: 2 May to 31 Dec 2026
Fee: Free admission

This exhibition invites visitors to explore Southeast Asia’s maritime past through the fascinating world of underwater archaeology. Rather than presenting submerged finds as isolated relics, it brings them to life as evidence of movement. These objects are shaped by trade, craftsmanship, and the sea routes that connected the region to the wider world. Anchored by artefacts recovered from Singapore waters, including materials linked to the Empress of Asia and ceramics from the renowned Jingdezhen kilns, the showcase traces each object’s journey from production and exchange to submergence, discovery, and interpretation. Through stories, science, and conservation, the exhibition reveals how maritime archaeology works in practice while highlighting the cultural meanings and ethical questions involved in preserving and presenting shared underwater heritage today.

ICH Open Studio

Venue: ArCH Square
Date: 12 Sep 2026
Time: 9am to 12pm | 10am to 1pm
Fee: $15 per person

Welcome to ArCH Square's first ICH Open Studio.

Living traditions, practices, skills, and even cultural expressions that communities recognise as part of their cultural identity and heritage make up Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). Unlike monuments, buildings, or artefacts, intangible heritage is not physical. Instead, it is passed from one generation to another through practice, storytelling, teaching, and participation.

In this edition of ICH Open Studio, we collaborated with Sendok Rakyat, a ground-up initiative working to build community through the joy of Malay food that believes greater involvement through knowledge and action in the food that we eat—whether in community practices of production or consumption—makes for a better world for all. The team specialises in designing and curating meaningful heritage-driven experiences with care, including Rumah Kita, a creative marketplace that showcases and brings together emerging heritage practitioners to celebrate community, culture, and craftsmanship. They are the creative producers for ICH Open Studio 2026 for ArCH Square.

Monumental Hunt in the Civic District

Photo Credit: PSM

Date: TBC
Time: 9.30am to 12pm
Fee: $55 per participant | Register here

Set off on a fun-filled puzzle hunt in the Civic District! Inspired by escape rooms and treasure hunts, participants go on an immersive outdoor expedition featuring nine National Monuments in the area. Facilitated and guided by a game master, get ready to put on your thinking caps to decode the puzzles and discover fascinating facts about these historic buildings and sites along the way!

Note: This Monumental Hunt will be recurring and will usually take place every 3rd Saturday of the month. Participants are encouraged to check the website regularly for the confirmed dates.

Programmes by Children’s Museum Singapore

Launch of PLAY + MAKE

Venue: Children's Museum Singapore, Discovery Room (Level 2)
Date: from Jul 2025
Time: 9am onwards (in accordance with museum timeslots)
Fee: Free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents; Admission fees apply for Tourists and Foreign Residents

From traditional family recipes to iconic hawker fare, food has always played a central role in shaping our identity and bringing communities together. Join us as we celebrate our food heritage with the launch of PLAY + MAKE, CMSG’s new maker’s space – a hands-on, creative environment where children can explore, experiment, and learn through  making!

Programme details: https://www.heritage.sg/childrensmuseum

Into the Hawkerverse Special Exhibition

Photo Credit: Children’s Museum Singapore

Venue: Children’s Museum Singapore
Date: Ongoing till 2026
Time: 9am, 11am, 2pm & 4pm (Please note that entry is by a timeslot basis)
Fee:

• Singaporeans / Permanent Residents: Free
• Foreign Residents/ Tourists: $10* (Child) | $15* (Adult) (*subject to prevailing GST rate)

The Children’s Museum Singapore’s (CMSG) new special exhibition, Into the Hawkerverse, introduces Singapore’s Hawker culture as an important part of Singapore’s food heritage and way of life to children (aged 12 and below). This exhibition is curated in consultation with children and aims to deepen their understanding and appreciation of Hawker Culture through play, activity and object-based learning.

For more information, please visit this link. For further enquiries, please e-mail: NHB_CMSG@nhb.gov.sg.

Programmes by Geylang Serai Heritage Gallery

Geylang Serai Cooking Club with SayurStory

Venue: Geylang Serai Heritage Gallery
Date: 13 Sep 2026
Time: 2:30pm to 5:30pm
Admission fees: $30

SayurStory is a ground-up initiative that explores community-building with migrant domestic workers in Singapore through food and nature-based connections.

In this session, they invite you to get to know the community and plants in the neighbourhood, and plan a meal together with and for the people who show up. In smaller groups, you will gather ingredients together from Geylang Serai wet market and assemble a potluck of dishes (or tea/fruit party as you like), responding to the weather and what's in season on the day. There is no fixed menu, only constraints in shared time and space to navigate together.

Join us if you're keen to explore a different relationship with the kitchen and Geylang Serai neighbourhood.

Programmes by Malay Heritage Centre

Nature's Stories: Exploring Kampong Gelam's Living Heritage

Venue: Sirih & Gelam Room
Date: 8 Sep 2026
Time: 10.30am - 12.30pm
Admission fees: $24 per parent-child pair | $12 per additional adult/child

The grounds of the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) are more than a landscaped garden—they are a living extension of the stories preserved within the museum. Many of the plants found around the compound have long been intertwined with the daily lives, traditions and cultural practices of the Malay community.

Come experience MHC's physical landscape through curiosity, exploration and play with educator and nature guide Sonia Khurana. Through an interactive guided walk, participants will discover selected plants by observing, touching and smelling them while uncovering the stories of how they were traditionally used for food, medicine, fragrance, crafts and everyday life. The outdoor experience is followed by a hands-on activity involving the plants they have seen, such as weaving. Participants will walk away with their very own heritage journal.

By connecting the natural environment with the history of Kampong Gelam, the programme encourages participants to see the grounds not simply as a garden, but as an important part of Singapore's living cultural heritage.

Cerita-Cerita Nusantara: Pak Kaduk dan Si Kunani

Photo Credit: Malay Heritage Centre

Venue: Sirih & Gelam Room
Date: 10 Sep 2026
Time: 2pm - 3.30pm
Admission fees: $16 per parent/child pair | $8 for additional child/adult

Pak Kaduk ialah seorang petani yang menanam impian untuk merubah nasib keluarganya. Dengan harapan memperoleh rezeki, Pak Kaduk membawa ayam kesayangannya, Si Kunani, ke gelanggang sabung ayam di Istana.

Namun, tanpa disedarinya, satu keputusan yang dibuat Pak Kaduk bakal merubah perjalanan hidupnya buat selama-lamanya. Dipersembahkan oleh pencerita Pak Tam, dengan gabungan penceritaan, nyanyian dan interaksi bersama penonton, ayuh ikuti cerita Pak Kaduk!

Selepas sesi bercerita, anda akan berkesempatan untuk memasuki bangunan yang sebelum ini merupakan Istana diraja. Anda boleh pelajari tentang kehidupan di Istana pada masa dahulu di Galeri Tetap Taman Warisan Melayu. Anda juga berpeluang membawa pulang Si Kunani versi anda sendiri melalui sebuah aktiviti kraftangan!

The programme will be conducted in Malay. Find out more here.

Kampong Gelam Festival 2026: Through the Eras

Venue: Sultan Gate Park
Date: 12 to 13 Sep 2026
Time: All day
Admission fees: Free with registration and some ticketed programmes

Join us at the inaugural Kampong Gelam Festival 2026: The Eras Celebration, where visitors can journey through the many chapters of Kampong Gelam's rich history. Discover the precinct's royal beginnings and vibrant trading heritage, and its subsequent transformation into a thriving cultural and creative hub. Through immersive experiences, performances, workshops, and community activities, explore how Kampong Gelam continues to honour its past while embracing the future!

I am a Little Jewellery Designer

Photo Credit: Malay Heritage Centre

Did you know that a diamond village called “Kampong Intan” used to exist in Singapore? It was bustling with diamond traders and jewellery designers!

Join our friends Laila and Oreo in this interactive video game where you can harvest your own intan (diamond), polish it and set it in a beautiful piece of jewellery. Your creation will also be available for download as an image file to keep forever.

Pssst.. redeem a specially designed sticker at the MHC if you flash your creation- while stocks last!

Access this online game here for free.

Programmes by the Indian Heritage Centre

IHC Special Thematic Tours

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre, 5 Campbell Lane
Date: Every last Friday of the month
Time: 11am
Fee: Free (Admission fees to gallery applies for non-Singaporeans)

Embark on a free, thematic guided tour of the Indian Heritage Centre’s permanent galleries! Led by our passionate docents, this immersive experience takes you on a journey exploring the history of the Indian Diaspora in Singapore, including its pioneering figures and rich heritage.

Limited to 20 participants per session (first come, first served)

Step into Play at the Indian Heritage Centre!

Venue: IHC
Date: Level 3 and 4 of Indian Heritage Centre
Time: 10am – 6pm (closed on Mon)
Admission: Admission charges to galleries may apply

Step into Play - Discover Two New Children’s Spaces! Bring your little ones on an adventure through The Little Town of Trades – Lost & Found, our newly launched children’s space on level 3 of IHC, where they can uncover 10 hidden trades that once kept early Singapore bustling. On level 4, experience interactive fun—from shadow-puppet storytelling and a festival Story Wheel to flip-panels on lively folk dances.

To deepen the experience, pick up our two complementary activity booklets along the way, designed specially for pre-schoolers and primary school children.

IHC10 & SG60 Gallery Refresh

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre
Date: 25 Mar 2025 onwards
Time: 10am to 6pm
Fee: General Admission fees apply

In commemoration of IHC’s 10th anniversary and SG60 celebrations in 2025, IHC will embark on a special refresh at its Permanent Exhibition. In line with the SG60 theme, 60 new artefacts—many of which are being displayed for the first time—will be introduced across the galleries in March and September 2025. This refresh will also feature the addition of new digital content and child-friendly interactive spaces to further enhance the visitor experience.

Don’t miss the first phase of the refresh, showcasing 30 new artefacts in Galleries 1 & 2 at Level 4 from 25 March 2025 onwards. Artefact highlights include the vibrant Bommai Golu (Court of Dolls) – a colourful arrangement of dolls and figurines displayed during the Navaratri festival.

Programmes by Changi Chapel and Museum

Photo Credit: Changi Chapel and Museum

Photo Credit: Changi Chapel and Museum

Address: 1000 Upper Changi Road North, Singapore 507707
Opening Hours: 9.30am to 5.30pm, Tue to Sun (Closed every Mon except Public Holidays, Last admission at 5pm)
Fee: Free admission for Citizens & PRs

The Changi Chapel and Museum tells the story of the prisoners of war and civilians interned in Changi prison camp during the Japanese Occupation. Managed by the National Museum of Singapore, the Changi Museum was revamped and reopened in May 2021. The revamped museum features new content and artefacts, including stories and personal objects collected from families of former internees, presented in an intimate and engaging format. The museum’s narrative is centred on remembrance and reflection, encouraging visitors to contemplate both the hardships that the internees underwent, as well as their courage and resilience in the face of difficulties.

Liberation of Singapore

Venue: Changi Chapel and Museum
Date: 11 to 13 Sep 2026

Join Changi Chapel and Museum (CCM) and Reflections at Bukit Chandu (RBC) as we commemorate 81 years since Singapore’s liberation from the Japanese Occupation.

Returning for its second iteration, Liberation of Singapore invites visitors to reflect on key moments of liberation and its immediate aftermath through a weekend of meaningful programmes across both sites. From 11 to 13 September 2026, explore stories of resilience, resistance and remembrance through talks, trails, performances, ceremonies, workshops and family-friendly drop-in activities.

Highlights include Heritage in Harmony at CCM, a public talk by historian and journalist Tom Trumble at RBC, a heritage trees and Pasir Panjang tour in collaboration with NParks, and a parent-child urban sketching and journaling workshop. Visitors can also take part in craft activities inspired by the histories of CCM and RBC or attend the Last Post Ceremony at CCM as part of this commemorative weekend.

Liberation of Singapore takes place from 11 to 13 September 2026 across Changi Chapel and Museum and Reflections at Bukit Chandu. Programme details and registration information will be available on both museums’ websites.

Info or registration details:
https://www.heritage.sg/changichapelmuseum/whats-on/programmes/2026_09---los2026

Heritage in Harmony: A Commemorative Event

Venue: Changi Chapel and Museum
Date: 11 Sep 2026
Time: 5.30pm to 9pm
Admission fees: Free (pre-registration required)

Come experience an evening of music and remembrance. On 11 September, the songs from the Changi Souvenir Song Album will be performed in Singapore for the first time since the war ended.

Presented in collaboration with Changi Chapel and Museum and students from Australian International School Singapore, this concert brings to life songs composed by internees Ray Tullipan and Slim de Grey to sustain morale for themselves and their fellow internees during their time in the camp.

Following the performance, join Assoc. Prof. Hamzah Muzaini from NUS's Department of Southeast Asian Studies as he reflects on what liberation asks us to remember and explores the role museums and memorials play in shaping collective memory.

Through music and shared reflection, the evening invites audiences to sit with themes of resilience and remembrance, and what it means to carry this shared history forward.

Make Your Own Binoculars: A Craft Activity for Children

Venue: Changi Chapel and Museum
Date: 11 to 13 Sep 2026
Time: 9.30am to 5pm
Admission fees: Free for museum ticket holders

Look a little closer at Changi Chapel and Museum with this self-guided craft activity. Children can create their own pair of binoculars before exploring the space at their own pace.

As they move through the galleries, they can observe small details and think about the stories connected to the site, discovering how looking closely can deepen their understanding of history.

Programmes by Reflections at Bukit Chandu

Photo Credit: Reflections at Bukit Chandu

Photo Credit: Reflections at Bukit Chandu

Address: 31-K Pepys Road, Singapore 118458
Opening Hours: 9.30am to 5pm, Tue to Sun (Closed every Mon except Public Holidays, Last admission at 4.30pm)
Fee: Free admission for Citizens & PRs 

Reflections at Bukit Chandu is a World War Two interpretative centre that commemorates the battle of Pasir Panjang and the men of the Malay Regiment who fought in it, as well as the history of Bukit Chandu itself. Housed in a bungalow that is closely connected to the site’s history, the interpretative centre uses immersive experiences and contextual artefacts to present a multi-faceted look at Bukit Chandu and Pasir Panjang, while inviting visitors to reflect on our nation’s wartime experience and the brave sacrifice of the soldiers. 

Liberation of Singapore

Venue: Reflections at Bukit Chandu
Date: 11 to 13 Sep 2026

Join Changi Chapel and Museum (CCM) and Reflections at Bukit Chandu (RBC) as we commemorate 81 years since Singapore’s liberation from the Japanese Occupation.

Returning for its second iteration, Liberation of Singapore invites visitors to reflect on key moments of liberation and its immediate aftermath through a weekend of meaningful programmes across both sites. From 11 to 13 September 2026, explore stories of resilience, resistance and remembrance through talks, trails, performances, ceremonies, workshops and family-friendly drop-in activities.

Highlights include Heritage in Harmony at CCM, a public talk by historian and journalist Tom Trumble at RBC, a heritage trees and Pasir Panjang tour in collaboration with NParks, and a parent-child urban sketching and journaling workshop. Visitors can also take part in craft activities inspired by the histories of CCM and RBC or attend the Last Post Ceremony at CCM as part of this commemorative weekend.

Liberation of Singapore takes place from 11 to 13 September 2026 across Changi Chapel and Museum and Reflections at Bukit Chandu. Programme details and registration information will be available on both museum websites.

Info or registration details:
https://www.heritage.sg/reflectionsatbukitchandu/whats-on/programmes/2026_09---los2026

Make Your Own Malay Regiment Songkok: A Craft Activity for Children

Venue: Reflections at Bukit Chandu
Date: 11 to 13 Sep 2026
Time: 9.30am to 5pm
Admission fees: Free

Discover the significance of the Malay Regiment through this hands-on craft activity at Reflections at Bukit Chandu. Through this activity, young participants are invited to connect with history in a meaningful and creative way, while gaining a deeper appreciation of the people and stories behind the site.

Whispers of War: Public Talk with Tom Trumble

Venue: Reflections at Bukit Chandu
Date: 12 Sep 2026
Time: 2pm to 4pm
Admission fees: Free (pre-registration required)

What stories remained after Singapore was liberated?

Join historian Tom Trumble as he explores the legacy of Operation Jaywick, from its military success to the Double Tenth Incident and its lasting impact on civilians caught in its aftermath.

Through the stories of Elizabeth Choy, Bishop John Leonard Wilson and Hans Schweitzer-Iten, Tom reflects on courage, suffering and resilience during Singapore’s wartime years, and how these personal experiences have shaped our collective memory.

Presented in conjunction with HeritageSG’s Liberation of Singapore showcase, this talk invites us to remember, reflect and bear witness.

Heritage Trees and Historical Tour of Pasir Panjang

Venue: Meeting point is at Pasir Panjang MRT
Date: 12 to 13 Sep 2026
Time: 9am to 11.30am
Admission fees: $25 per person

Ever wondered about the history behind the Pasir Panjang area? Join us for this Learning Journey where we’ll take you down memory lane through the rich history of Pasir Panjang.

This learning journey, which includes a mix of chartered bus rides and a guided walking tour both indoors and outdoors, explores both the natural heritage and history of the area.