Rejuvenating Our Museum
Parts of the National Museum of Singapore are undergoing restoration and upgrading works, as part of our ongoing efforts to preserve the building for future generations and provide a quality museum experience for our visitors.
Our museum will refresh some of the displays in our Level 2 galleries (the four Life in Singapore galleries and the Goh Seng Choo Gallery, which features a rotational selection from the William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings). We are also exploring a larger revamp of our Singapore History Gallery and the Glass Rotunda experience.
We will continue to remain open with exciting offerings, including special exhibitions and programmes, throughout the period.
Project Updates
More information on the restoration and revamp will be shared as the project progresses. You may access the below media documents for updates on the project:
Singapore, 11 January 2024
The National Museum of Singapore continues public engagement efforts with a lineup of vibrant offerings amid ongoing restoration and upgrading works.
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Singapore, 7 June 2023
Parts of the National Museum of Singapore will be undergoing restoration and upgrading works. The museum will continue to remain open with exhibitions, programmes as well as dining and retail offerings.
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Phased Closure and Opening Periods
To facilitate the restoration and upgrading efforts, we will be closing our museum's permanent galleries in phases starting 4 September 2023. The table below presents the planned closure periods:
|
Estimated Closing Period |
| Level 2 Galleries |
From 4 September 2023 |
| Glass Rotunda (at modern extension) |
From 13 October 2024 |
| Singapore History Gallery |
Early 2026 |
The revamped permanent galleries are slated to reopen in 2025 and 2026. More details will be shared closer to the date.
Ensuring a Smooth Visitor Experience
With the commencement of restoration and upgrading works at our National Monument building, the main Rotunda entrance has been closed. Visitors can instead enter via the Museum Office building and the Reunion social space on Level 1 of the Museum. Visitors from Canning Walk at Fort Canning Park can continue to enter the Museum via the Coach Bay on Level 2 and Level 3. All entrances, except for the one at Level 3, are wheelchair accessible.
Drop-offs and pick-ups can only be done at the Coach Bay on Level 2.
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Capital Campaign for Revamp
To support these rejuvenation efforts, the museum is raising capital from individuals, foundations and corporations who believe in our vision to continually inspire the public with stories of Singapore and the world. There are several ways you can contribute:
Adopt an Artefact
Our “Adopt an Artefact” initiative was established to raise monies for the enhancement of our Life in Singapore galleries on Level 2.
The Life in Singapore galleries augment the content in the Singapore History Gallery by “zooming in” to what life in Singapore was like, presenting personal stories and snapshots of everyday life throughout the different eras in Singapore’s history.
Partners and patrons now have the unique opportunity to support our refresh of these galleries by adopting one of the National Museum’s artefacts through a donation. Artefacts for adoption have been curated from the Singapore History Gallery based on their historic significance and rich provenance*.
Please refer to the PDF catalogue below for the list of artefacts for adoption and donor privileges.
View catalogue
*The Singapore Stone and the Revere Bell have been adopted
Make Your Mark on Site
Marked Historic Sites are places of historical significance commemorating important events or personalities. Although the original buildings may no longer remain, their stories continue to be told through their heritage markers.
The heritage markers at the National Museum share stories of the historically important sites within our museum’s grounds and building. They allow visitors to learn more about the museum’s history and key architectural features.
There are a total of 11 site markers, four of which are located outdoors. The site markers are available for adoption for 3, 5 or 10 years at a donation of $110,000, $165,000 and $250,000 respectively. All funds raised will go directly towards the revamp of the museum’s permanent galleries and the preservation of its historic building.
Naming Opportunities
The Glass Rotunda gallery, which currently houses the popular Story of the Forest installation, will be redeveloped into a brand new gallery / showcase and is slated to reopen in 2025. This presents a rare and exciting naming opportunity for interested family foundations and corporations to leave a legacy at the nation's leading cultural institution.
To find out more, please contact us at supportNMS@nhb.gov.sg.
Updates to Dining and Retail Offerings
Flutes restaurant has ceased operations from October 2023, while Supermama the Museum Store @ NMS (the museum’s retail outlet) and the Food for Thought café closed in March 2024 for the building's restoration works.
Visitors looking to recharge over light refreshments and meals during their visit can dine at Café Brera at Reunion, which will remain open throughout. Do also check out our new pop-up retail store, MUSEUM MARTKET by ABRY.
Find out more
The National Museum will continue to work closely with its tenants. Further changes to retail and dining operations will be shared when details are available.
Public Engagement Opportunities
Our two current Open Calls focus on the themes of plastic and toys respectively. We encourage Singaporeans to donate their plastic or play-related items to the National Collection and share their stories about these items. The Plastic Open Call will run from now till 31 December 2024, while our Play & Toys Open Call will run until 5 January 2025.
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The National Museum is also conducting engagements with stakeholders and the public on our approach and content at various stages of the revamp. Through these engagement sessions, we hope to explore more ways to make the museum's content and collection accessible to a wider audience. Those who are keen to participate may register their interest below.
Register interest