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.
This gallery shines the spotlight on how the people of Singapore coped with daily life and responded with grit and tenacity to the Japanese Occupation. It celebrates their resilience, resourcefulness and self-reliance – values that still underpin the core of Singapore’s society today. Snapshots of these memories are presented in an immersive setting of crumbling walls, evocative of the uncertain and shattered world our war survivors endured.
Nevertheless, amid the desperation, hope remained. As you walk through the backroom of the gallery, you will find stories and artefacts that bear testament to courage, hope and love in a period marked by fear, hardship and oppression.
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.
What memories bind us together as Singaporeans, and what makes this home, truly? Step into @ Home, Truly: A Digital Experience, and join nine-year-old Nadine and her beloved Gong Gong (Mandarin for “Grandfather”) as they converse with each other about living and growing up in Singapore.
The National Museum is committed to supporting the health and well-being of seniors, including persons living with dementia, through meaningful and engaging programmes and resources that are based on the museum’s collection and galleries.
The museum has refreshed its programmes to offer students a variety of opportunities to discover Singapore's history and culture - through investigation, engagement of senses and conversations - and to relate them to present-day issues. Click here to find out more about the various learning opportunities at the museum!
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