National Museum of Singapore, National museum in Bras Basah, Singapore.
The National Museum of Singapore sits on Stamford Road in a white building with a dome and tall columns along the front, while newer glass wings extend from the back. The entrance leads into a central hall beneath the dome, from which visitors reach different exhibition rooms spread across several floors.
The institution began as a library in 1849 and later became a museum displaying collections related to natural history and ethnography. The present building on Stamford Road was completed in the late 19th century, while the glass wings were added after extensive renovation work in 2006.
The rotunda room displays a large 19th-century painting of Singapore showing the harbor view, surrounded by eleven smaller glass panels depicting city scenes. Visitors can walk through galleries featuring reconstructed street scenes that show how people once shopped, ate, and spent their leisure time.
The entrance is on the Stamford Road side, and the grounds are accessible through level paths and lifts in all areas. Audio guides in several languages can be borrowed at reception, and guided tours take place multiple times throughout the day.
A small outdoor garden behind the building displays tropical plants that grew in early Singapore gardens and offers a quiet break between exhibitions. Some galleries show film clips from the 1930s and 1940s documenting street scenes and daily life around the city.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
