Singapore History Gallery Reopens at National Museum of Singapore with Interactive Experiences

The Singapore History Gallery at the National Museum of Singapore reopens on 10 October 2026 with a refreshed, interactive journey through more than 700 years of Singapore’s history

Venue: The National Museum of Singapore
Date: Starting from 10 October 2026
Opening hours: Daily, 10am–7pm; last admission to galleries is 6:30pm
Admission: Free 

The National Museum of Singapore reopens its flagship Singapore History Gallery on 10 October 2026. From then on, you can explore more than 700 years of Singapore’s history through historical artefacts, interactive experiences, and immersive multimedia displays. The reopening also kicks off the Museum’s 139th Anniversary Celebrations: Stories of Everyday, with festivities and activities running from 10 to 18 October.

From maritime heritage and wartime stories to hawker culture and modern Singapore, you can explore the island’s history through artefacts, multimedia experiences and interactive installations. Don’t forget to meet Stoney, the Museum’s new mascot inspired by the Singapore Stone.

Timeless Tales Told Anew: Our History Through the Voices of Those Who Lived It

Your journey through Singapore’s history begins even before you enter the Singapore History Gallery. The revamped gallery continues from Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time, an immersive installation in the Shaw Foundation Glass Rotunda that takes you back through regional myths and historical maritime milestones.

From there, you’ll enter the Singapore History Gallery for a more in-depth chronological journey through how Singapore’s identity has evolved over seven centuries. At the entrance, dynamic soundscapes and visual previews set the stage for what’s ahead, before leading you into seven zones featuring new and never-before-seen artefacts, fresh research, immersive multimedia spaces and interactive touch points.

One of the new additions you’ll find throughout the gallery is a series of voice input stations. As you move through each section, you can record your response to questions connected to the stories and perspectives presented. Your contributions then come together in the gallery’s concluding experience, making your own voice part of the story too.

Explore 7 Zones Across More Than 700 Years of History

1. Fluid Beginnings: 1300s–1800s

Start with Singapore’s maritime roots, where a newly commissioned jongkong boat model welcomes you into the gallery.

You’ll discover how ships, goods and people moved through Singapore’s waters and connected the island to a wider maritime network. Look out for sacred figurines, manuscripts and treasures recovered from a 14th-century shipwreck in Singapore’s waters, which offer a glimpse into the island’s cultural roots and place within the Malay world.

The iconic Singapore Stone also takes pride of place here, with a digital interactive that lets you explore its layered history.

2. Colonial City: 1800s–1930s

Next, trace Singapore’s transformation from a trading post into a bustling port city. Maps, early photographs, prints and everyday objects bring the changing cityscape to life, while stories of merchants, migrants and labourers show how different communities helped shape Singapore.

You can also try a recreated rickshaw phygital interactive, before exploring the political awakenings that began taking shape as ideas of nationalism reached Singapore.

3. Fall of the Fortress: Late 1930s–1940s

The journey then takes you into one of the most difficult periods in Singapore’s history: the Japanese occupation. Explore propaganda posters, war photographs, personal effects, military artefacts and letters that reveal the impact of the war on everyday lives. You can also see an interactive display of a painting by Force 136 veteran Tan Chong Tee, presented alongside the original artwork.

At the Morse code station, you can step into the moment of surrender before the section moves into the aftermath of the occupation and the beginnings of a Malayan identity.

4. Towards a New Identity: 1950s–1960s

Moving into the post-war period, this zone explores Singapore’s journey towards self-governance alongside the artistic and cultural movements of the time.

You’ll see woodblock prints, literature and theatre that gave voice to ordinary people, alongside stories of student demonstrations, labour strikes and the emerging generation of local leaders.

One of the key artefacts here is Zubir Said’s piano, the instrument on which he composed Majulah Singapura, displayed in the Gallery for the first time. The section also features a multimedia recreation of Lee Kuan Yew’s televised press conference announcing Singapore’s separation from Malaysia.

5. Becoming Singapore: 1960s–1980s

See how everyday life changed as Singapore underwent major developments in its economy, housing and education.

Everyday artefacts from Fairchild Semiconductor offer a glimpse into the lives of workers, including many women, during Singapore’s industrialisation. You can also see a restored HDB lift and step into a recreation of a typical void deck, where you can sit and read Arthur Yap’s poem 2 mothers in a h d b playground.

The experience then shifts towards the lifestyle and leisure that shaped Singapore’s growing urban identity. Walk through an Orchard Road-inspired passageway, explore hawker culture through a phygital Hawker Table, and discover how food, fashion, film, sports and nightlife became part of everyday Singapore.

6. Being Singaporean: 1980s–1990s

The Gallery shifts to a colourful exploration of the lifestyle and leisure that shaped Singapore’s growing urban identity and aspirations. You can step into a passageway inspired by Orchard Road, complete with street lamps and signboards, before exploring how Singaporeans expressed themselves through food, fashion, film, sports and nightlife. 

Food culture comes alive through a phygital Hawker Table, where you can tap and rotate food items to uncover stories about Singapore’s hawker culture. You can also discover how independent filmmakers brought Singlish to the screen, homegrown designers made their mark internationally, and sports brought Singaporeans together through shared moments of national pride. 

The section also features archival footage of the Great Singapore Workout, capturing a city and its people on the cusp of a new millennium.

7. Looking Global: 2000s–Present

The final chronological zone brings you into modern-day Singapore, exploring its growth as a financial and maritime hub and a global metropolis.

One highlight is The Lion City 2012–2026, a timelapse by photographer Keith Loutit that compresses nearly 15 years of Singapore’s development and redevelopment into just two and a half minutes.

You can also explore an interactive mural about Singapore’s global connections and discover stories around technology, sustainability and humanitarian aid. The section ends with Who Are We Today?, a film featuring conversations with residents from diverse backgrounds and inviting you to reflect on your own place in Singapore’s evolving story.

See Your Voices Shape Singapore’s Future

After travelling through Singapore’s past and present, the journey concludes with an immersive cinematic experience that looks towards the future.

The voices collected from the input stations throughout the gallery come together here, with a projected river carrying visitors’ contributions into a visual landscape. Your shared values, beliefs and aspirations help form a collective vision of a future Singapore, complete with a unique skyline and a reflection created from visitors’ own words.

Celebrate the Museum’s 139th Anniversary

The Singapore History Gallery’s reopening also marks the start of the National Museum of Singapore’s 139th Anniversary Celebrations: Stories of Everyday, taking place from 10 to 18 October 2026.

The celebrations focus on the lived experiences of everyday Singaporeans across generations, with activities happening throughout the Museum.

You can check out The Living Archive: A Living & Design Market by Of Wonder Wander, featuring ceramics, stationery, accessories, food and more. There’s also The National Living Room, an interactive installation that recreates a living room from the past using objects and stories from Singaporeans.

Meet Stoney, the Museum’s New Mascot

There’s also a new face to look out for during the celebrations: Stoney, the National Museum of Singapore’s new mascot inspired by the Singapore Stone.

Stoney’s story begins on the banks of the Singapore River, where he wakes up without any memory of where he came from. He then sets off on a journey across modern Singapore in search of his roots, eventually finding his way back to the National Museum just as the revamped Singapore History Gallery reopens.

During the celebrations, you can meet Stoney, take photos with a larger-than-life Stoney installation on the Museum’s lawn, or bring home a Stoney keychain plush for $13.90, available from 10 October at the Museum Martket by Abry.

More Activities to Look Out For

The anniversary celebrations continue with programmes for different ages, including Searching Blue《寻蓝》 by T.H.E Dance Company, HistoriaSG heritage talks, roving historical figure performances and community music jamming with Ann Siang Sounds.

The reopening of the Singapore History Gallery also marks another step in the Museum’s wider revamp, with the remaining Level 2 Life in Singapore Galleries slated to reopen in early 2027.

For more information, visit go.gov.sg/shg2026nms or the National Museum of Singapore’s Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages to find out more.