Milestones

The idea of having a library and museum in Singapore was first raised at a meeting called by Sir Stamford Raffles to discuss his vision of a Malay college.

The Singapore Library was officially opened at the Singapore Institution (now Raffles Institution) at Bras Basah Road. It was the first public library in Singapore.

Temenggong Ibrahim of Johor donated two ancient gold coins, prompting the library to embark on a donation drive for artefacts.

The Singapore Library and Museum was handed over to the colonial government and renamed the Raffles Library and Museum.

Colonial Engineer Henry McCallum was tasked to design a purpose-built museum building. His final plans were submitted in 1882.

The Raffles Library and Museum building was officially opened by Governor Frederick Weld on 12 October 1887, in the Golden Jubilee year of Queen Victoria’s reign.

To house the museum’s growing zoological collection, a parallel extension block was built behind the original building. It opened on 13 February 1907, the first day of Chinese New Year.

Dr Karl Richard Hanitsch became the first director of the Raffles Library and Museum. He steered the museum towards scientific research, and embarked on a collections drive for local artefacts as part of Singapore’s centenary celebrations.

During the Japanese Occupation, the museum was renamed the Syonan Hakubutsu Kan, which translates to “Syonan Library and Museum”. It took the courageous and combined efforts of several notable individuals to protect the museum, along with its scientific and cultural materials.

Following Singapore’s self governance in 1959, the museum was placed under the Ministry of Culture and renamed the National Museum, shedding its colonial identity. The National Library moved into its own building beside the museum.

Against the backdrop of Singapore’s industrialisation programme, the museum was transferred to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The museum returned to the Ministry of Culture’s purview with a new mandate to focus on history, ethnography and art. Its natural history collection was moved to the University of Singapore and the newly-formed Singapore Science Centre.

1981 marked the opening of the Singapore History Gallery, the museum’s first gallery dedicated to Singapore’s history. Travelling exhibitions were introduced to encourage community participation.

In the Silver Jubilee year of Singapore’s independence, then Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong reopened the museum on 16 November after two years of major restoration works.

The museum became part of the National Heritage Board, a government statutory board under the Ministry of Information and the Arts. It was subsequently renamed the Singapore History Museum.

The museum temporarily left its Stamford Road home of 116 years, relocating to the Riverside Point shopping mall while the museum building underwent an extensive redevelopment project.

On 7 December, the museum made its grand return to its Stamford Road premises as the National Museum of Singapore. President S. R. Nathan graced the opening ceremony. The redevelopment project had added a new modern extension building, which more than doubled the museum’s total floor space.

The museum launched the inaugural Singapore Night Festival, which featured a series of music performances, light projections, spectacular aerial performances, open-air cinema and interactive activities.

To commemorate Singapore’s Golden Jubilee year, the museum underwent a year-long revamp. The refreshed galleries feature contextual displays and immersive experiences aimed at creating greater emotional connections with visitors.