Reunion Space Hero Banner
Reunion Space Hero Banner

Reunion Senior Programmes

Level 1,
Reunion Social Space
9am – 6pm
Varies with Programmes

The National Museum of Singapore has created the first purpose-built dedicated social space for seniors in a local museum, in partnership with Lien Foundation. Named Reunion, the space is an inclusive one for seniors, including those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia, to engage in meaningful activities and conversations inspired by the museum’s collection. It is where the museum organises programmes for seniors. Pre-registration for the programmes is required. 

Reunion comprises a café and an activity space. The activity space features a group activity area, an immersive projection cave, a Quiet Room, and music booths, to encourage group activity during the museum’s programmes for seniors and also enhance their museum-visiting experience. 

Reunion seeks to provide a space for seniors to build relationships with old and new friends, as well as to relax and be rejuvenated from the day-to-day routine, through the museum’s programmes. Seniors can look forward to reconnecting with the past and relating their own stories and experiences with each other through programmes organised in the activity space. They can also enjoy wholesome meals and conversations in the adjacent café space, Café Brera at Reunion. To participate in the museum’s programmes, seniors and their caregivers may refer to the museum’s website for information and to register for the programmes. 

While Reunion is developed for seniors, the café is open to all visitors. Seniors, and all other visitors, can also walk in and enjoy the music booths or virtual exhibitions in the space before continuing their exploration of the museum, especially on days when there are no programmes being held in the activity space.

This initiative is made possible with the support of Lien Foundation and RSP Architects Planners and Engineers. 

Photographed by Madeni Jais

Important: Check the calendar* below before visiting Reunion. When there is a programme taking place in Reunion, it will remain accessible for visitors to get through the space to the café with little disruption.

*Reunion's Quiet Room will be closed every Monday for maintenance.

Visiting Reunion – Can I visit Reunion?

  1. Yes, you can. The space is open from 9am to 6pm daily. Visitors are welcome to walk in and enjoy a selection of music at the music booths and the virtual exhibitions. The cafe is open daily from 9am to 5pm.

  2. Do note that the museum will be holding programmes in Reunion from time to time, and we seek all visitors’ understanding to move around quietly if there are programmes taking place.

    For groups of seniors (more than 5 pax) intending to use the space for an activity, please write in to 
    nhb_nm_programmes@nhb.gov.sgat least 21 days prior. Groups may be liable to a fee that includes the use of the museum’s resources and Reunion.

What are some of the programmes that are held in Reunion?

The museum organises programmes for seniors, including persons living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment, and their accompanying caregivers. Please see below for our list of programmes held in Reunion.

Should you be interested in organising a self-facilitated group activity for seniors in Reunion, please check out Gather at Reunion below and write in to nhb_nm_programmes@nhb.gov.sg, at least 21 days prior. Groups will be liable to a fee that includes the use of the museum’s resources and Reunion.

How do I go about signing up for a museum programme for seniors?

Check out our list of programmes below or visit our senior programmes webpage to find out about the available programmes and follow the sign-up instructions on the respective webpages.

What do I need to take note of when visiting Reunion?

Look out for others in need

- This space is designed for seniors, including those with additional needs 

- Caregivers should always accompany visitors with additional needs.

Handle all items with care

- Return the items where they belong so that future users can use them too

- Do not remove any items from this space

Keep this space a peaceful space

- Activities such as gambling or any politically-related actions are not permitted

- The museum reserves the right to remove and/or report individuals who are involved in such activities in Reunion

- Should you notice or suspect any visitor engaging in such activities, please call our security team at 6332 0110.

Be kind and considerate to others

- If you notice other visitors waiting to use any of the stations in this space, please limit your usage time and allow others to use the stations.

Keep this space clean and spill-free

- No food and drinks other than water are allowed

- Smoking is not permitted 

- Dispose your rubbish in the designated bins

Respect all other social etiquette 

- No pets allowed, except for guide dogs

- Please switch your mobile phones to silent mode and take your calls outside Reunion

- No loud music outside the Music Booths

- Sleeping or studying is not allowed here 


How do I get to Reunion?

Click here to our photo story for directions on how to get to Reunion.

Reunion Quiet Mornings

Quiet Mornings* Drop in Activity 

Every first Thursday of each month | 9am – 12pm
Free, unless otherwise stated | Reunion, NMS Level 1 unless otherwise stated. 
 
On the Quiet Mornings that take place every first Thursday of each month, you can look forward to participating in our drop-in hands-on activities between 9am and 12pm. 
 
Each month’s activity is different and is designed for our seniors to learn about our collection while enjoying a hands-on activity and conversation with each other.
 

Upcoming Drop-in Activity Sessions:

Follow our social media webpages for the latest updates on our activity for each month: 
To find out more about how our Quiet Morning activities can support your well-being, click here

The Quiet Morning drop-in activities do not require pre-registration and are free of charge, unless otherwise stated. 
 
Walk-in seniors and senior groups are welcome to organise visits to the museum to participate in our Quiet Morning activities. For group visits, please write to nhb_nm_programmes@nhb.gov.sg.
Makan with Seniors

Makan with Seniors

Bi-monthly, see below for upcoming dates and timings | 3 hours | Level 1, Reunion Social Space | Free | Pre-registration is required (see below)

Makan with Seniors is a community initiative started in 2018 by Ms Eleanor Yap, the founder of Ageless Online, aimed at bridging the gap between seniors and youth to have conversations over their favourite meals. With support from the National Museum of Singapore, Makan with Seniors is now offered as a regular bi-monthly programme at the museum's Reunion social space. In each 3-hour session, senior and youth participants will be paired up / groups together to converse with one another while enjoying their favourite food. These conversations will be facilitated with a "menu" of questions for seniors to answer, ranging from their memories of past events and their growing-up years. 

Check this space for more updates about the upcoming Makan with Seniors programme. For more enquiries and/or to sign-up, please write to eleanor@agelessonline.net. Sign-ups will be on a first come, first served basis. 

Upcoming Dates

  • 9 September 2023 (Saturday), 12pm - 3pm [Click here for more information]  [Completed] 
  • 11 November 2023 (Saturday), 12pm - 3pm [Click here for more information] - [Completed] 
  • 21 November 2023 (Tuesday), 2pm - 5pm [Click here for more information] - [Completed]
  • 13 January 2024 (Saturday), 12pm - 3pm 
  • 16 March 2024 (Saturday), 12pm - 3pm 
IMG_9252

Now Boarding Tea Dance Workshop for Seniors

Various dates, please see below | 2.30pm - 4pm | $15.80 per senior | $25.30 per pair | Pre-registration is required. Sign up here 

Upcoming Fixed Dates and Timings

In this 1.5-hour programme, participants will enjoy a 1-hour guided dance class by Decadance Co, followed by teatime in Reunion. This programme will provide opportunities for seniors to learn a new skill and share stories about places of entertainment in Singapore with their fellow participants.

About Decadance Co

Decadance Co is a socially conscious contemporary dance company based in Singapore, providing a wide range of classes from children (decaK!DS) to seniors (Decasilver). Decasilver is a highly energetic and interactive workshop that aims to heighten kinetic and cognitive well-being in seniors. Participants are promised a fun and engaging session guided by highly experienced dance facilitators. With its consciously curated blend of dance, music, tactile props, conversations, rhythm, breathing, and vocal exercises, everyone will leave the session feeling refreshed and rejuvenated!

For more enquiries, please email: nhb_nm_programmes@nhb.gov.sg

Publicity Image 8

Monthly Workshops for Seniors

Every second Tuesday of each month (unless otherwise stated) | 10am – 12pm
$15.80 per person, inclusive of GST (each ticket allows 1 accompanying caregiver / care staff)

Create new mementos and experience with us, as you explore our collection and stories through hands-on activities featuring different art forms.
 
Upcoming Sessions: 
  • 12 September 2023 (Tuesday) – Eco-craft by Eco-artist, Didier Ng (Completed) 
  • 10 October 2023 (Tuesday) - Food-making by Cafe Brera at Reunion (Fully Subscribed) 
  • 12 December 2023 (Tuesday) - Eco-craft by Eco-artist, Didier Ng (Fully Subscribed) 
  • 9 January 2024 (Tuesday) - Food-making by Cafe Brera at Reunion (Fully Subscribed) 

 

To register, book your ticket here.
 
For enquiries about the programme, please email us at nhb_nm_programmes@nhb.gov.sg.
Reunion Refresh and Reconnect

Refresh and Reconnect!
An 8-week signature programme to offer a non-medical heritage-based intervention programme for seniors living with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. 


The 8-week long programme will be held over consecutive weeks and will be about 2 hours in duration per session. The 8 sessions will include guided gallery tours led by the museum’s Care Facilitator volunteers and artist-led hands-on activities based on various art forms (e.g. music and movement, craft etc.) to encourage new learning among participants, while leveraging the museum’s collection to spark reminiscence conversations. 

Upcoming Dates 

  • Upcoming dates in 2024 to be announced.
  • The first run of this 8-week programme will be held from 16 August to 4 October 2023, on every consecutive Wednesday, 10am - 12pm. More information about this programme can be found here. (Completed)
  • The second run of this 8-week programme will be held from 25 October to 13 December 2023, on every consecutive Wednesday, 10am - 12pm. More information about this programme can be found here. (Completed)

For enquiries about the programme or to register for the programme, please email us at nhb_nm_programmes@nhb.gov.sg.

Reunion Senior Tours

On-site Senior-friendly Tours 

Every first Saturday of the month | 10.30am – 11.30am
Tour is free but pre-registration is required* | On-site at NMS
 
Experience Reunion at the National Museum of Singapore through a facilitated programme for seniors! 
 
Explore the gallery through a conversational tour and Reunion, the museum’s social space for seniors, with our Care Facilitator volunteers. Engage with the museum’s handling objects in the activity area and look forward to creating your own digital exhibition at our Memory Lane immersive interactive experience.

The tours are led by the museum’s Care Facilitator volunteers, who are trained to engage seniors, including persons with dementia. These tours are conversational in nature, and the themes for the tours vary each month. 

 
Upcoming tours:
  • 2 December 2023 – Theme: Special Tour based on Now Boarding Special Exhibition
  • 6 January 2024 – Theme: Special Tour based on Now Boarding Special Exhibition 
  • 3 February 2024 – Theme: Special Tour based on Now Boarding Special Exhibition 

*Each sign-up submitted is for 1 senior (including persons with dementia) and an accompanying caregiver | Standard admission charges to our galleries will apply for non-Singaporeans and non-Permanent Residents

Memories Reunion Space

Memories Café
Join our programme dedicated for persons with dementia and their caregivers to interact through activities and conversations in a safe, supportive and conducive environment within our social space, Reunion. 

It offers a fresh change of environment to caregivers who may have long been attending support groups held in more formal settings such as dementia day care centres, while encouraging the interaction and bonding between the person with dementia and their family members. 

 

Each Memories Café programme is typically 2-hours in duration, with the first hour focused on engagement activities such as sing-along, enjoying a music performance, drumming, puppet and drama activities led by community artists, volunteers and staff. The second hour is designed for social interaction among persons with dementia, caregivers and customers at the café accompanied with drinks and snacks, courtesy of Cafe Brera.

More details about Memories Café can be found here.

Reunion Gather at Reunion

Gather at Reunion – A Self-facilitated Programme for Seniors
2 hours | $10 per person (w/o GST) | Reunion, NMS level 1

Groups are welcome to organise self-facilitated senior-/dementia-/Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)-centric activities in the activity space within Reunion. Each self-facilitated programme is 2 hours in duration and will include:

  • The use of Memory Lane, an immersive interactive experience for seniors to curate their own digital exhibition and send a copy of their completed exhibition to themselves as a souvenir, and

  • Heritage-based resources (e.g. NMS Easy Guides, NHB Conversation Starter Kits) that can be used to spark conversations inspired by artefacts from the National Collection.

Each programme booking is subject to a minimum capacity of 20 persons and maximum capacity of 50 persons. For groups comprising fewer than 20 persons, a minimum charge of $200 (w/o GST) is applicable based on the minimum capacity of 20 persons.

Click here for the recommended programme itinerary

Please write to us at nhb_nm_programmes@nhb.gov.sg for booking and enquiries with a minimum lead time of 21 days before the intended programme date.

IMG_0401

Singing to Remember – Dementia Choir

Sundays (see full list of dates below) | 1.30pm - 3pm | Reunion, level 1 of the National Museum of Singapore 

Choir Dates:

  • 22 October 2023
  • 29 October 2023
  • 5 November 2023
  • 12 November 2023
  • 19 November 2023
  • 26 November 2023

*More dates may be added after this trial at Reunion. 

This weekly Dementia Choir programme is organised by Angelina Choo, with support from the National Museum of Singapore. 

The Choir is looking for performers who are keen to come together to bond and share their time and rehearse. This choir is open to persons living with dementia and their caregivers and volunteers. The organiser would prefer that participants attend this programme with an accompanying caregiver. For participants who come without a caregiver, there will be volunteers present who can partner up with these participants. 

For interested participants, please apply directly to urbanmp@gmail.com by sending in a video of your singing, along with your name(s) and contact number. The first intake will be limited to a total of 30 spaces. 

Reunion Resources

Other Senior-friendly Programmes and Resources

For more information about our other heritage-based senior-friendly programmes and resources, please visit our Senior Resources and Virtual Tours page for updates.

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!