National Museum of Singapore

Original Building

Building, 1887

The front block of the museum building dates back to 1887. It features an elegant neo-Palladian design, a European style of architecture characterised by a highly symmetrical façade and the use of pediments above windows.

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Dislocations: Memory & Meaning of the Fall of Singapore, 1942

29 Jan 2022 - 31 Jul 2022
Exhibition Gallery,
Basement
Daily 10am – 7pm Last admission is at 6.30pm
Free Admission for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents
Dislocations: Memory and Meaning of the Fall of Singapore, 1942 is a commemorative exhibition to mark the 80th anniversary of the British Surrender to the Imperial Japanese Army in Singapore on 15 February 1942.

It features a blend of physical objects, documents and oral histories woven into specially designed spaces meant to evoke reflections and conversations among visitors, as they explore the notion of “war memory” and the different ways it can be remembered and retold.

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Dislocations also utilises interactive methods such as augmented reality and gamification to present different aspects of the Fall, and invites visitors to consider how the centenary of the Fall of Singapore in 2042 may be commemorated.

Complementing the exhibition is a display of a historic Singapore Armed Forces tank on the museum lawn, which serves as a contemporary response on the need for self-reliance in defending the nation.
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Dislocations Special Opening Premiere

Watch the exclusive Dislocations video premiere on NMS Facebook and YouTube with Assistant Curator Rachel Eng for a sneak peek of the specially designed spaces and stories.

Dislocations game
Curious about what different groups of people in Singapore might have experienced in the days leading to the Fall? Choose your preferred ‘character’ in this visual novel, Sunset in Singapore!

Click here to begin

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Catch the recording of our one-day conference organised in conjunction with the Dislocations exhibition. The conference will explore the role of public history in shaping narratives of the Fall of Singapore. This will also be the first physical conference by the Museum since the start of the COVID pandemic.

Head over to our Facebook page to watch the recordings now.

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Join us for a series of Dislocations programmes to dive deeper into the stories of different voices that have come out of the conflict.

Click here to explore

student guide
Explore the exhibition with this activity booklet, designed to guide students to reflect on the Fall of Singapore, observe artefacts and select stories that would tell the story of the 100th anniversary of the Fall in a meaningful way.

This booklet was developed in collaboration with the Academy of Singapore Teachers, and is suitable for use in learning journeys for Social Studies, Lower Secondary History, and Character & Citizenship Education.

Click here to download

Family Time

Visit our permanent galleries with your little ones and play spot-the-artefact! Our colourful Early Learning Resources introduce pre-schoolers to our artefacts according to the themes of Numbers, Colours, and ABCs. Available at $8 per set from the Museum Label shop. For more children's activity booklets, click here.

Museum guide

Download our museum guide (English, Chinese, Bahasa Melayu, Tamil) to find out about the many treasures in our various galleries. In this guide, you will also find the floor plan for easier navigation. Enjoy your visit!