The museum (including its galleries) and its facilities are wheelchair and stroller accessible. Service Dogs are also welcome. Access-friendly drop-off and pick-up points are indicated in the NMS Sensory Friendly Map

The following access-friendly amenities are also available:

• Designated accessible parking is available for visitors with disabilities.

• Manual wheelchairs are available free of charge at the museum’s Visitor Services counter on a first come, first served basis. We regret, however, that we will not be able to help users get around our galleries.

• Stroller parking is available outside our galleries. Please approach a staff member to locate designated stroller parking areas.

• Exhibition captions in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, audio-video clips and other interactives are available on Dome Bot.     

• Sensory Bags are available free of charge on a first come, first served basis. These bags are created for families with children on the autism spectrum. Each bag includes ear defenders, sensory maps, a visual schedule and sensory toys.

• Quiet Corners have been designated as rest spots in the Singapore History Gallery.

• Quiet Room on Level 2 provides a safe space for visitors who might experience sensory overload to rest and regulate before resuming their museum visit.

See Amenities and Museum Etiquette for other amenities within the museum.

The Quiet Room at NMS was opened in July 2019 to provide a safe space for visitors who might experience sensory overload, in particular children with autism, and need a private space in which to calm down before resuming their museum visit. The Quiet Room is proudly supported by BNP Paribas Singapore.

Features of the room include:

• A transition area with cubbyholes to keep shoes and bags

 

A padded inner chamber, designed to resemble a womb, where the child can rest and calm down

 

Geometric-shaped cushions that the child can hug for soothing purposes

 

Soft, even lighting with changeable color settings: Caregivers can toggle between different colors to suit the child’s preferences

Photography by Khoo Guo Jie.
Images courtesy of Lekker Architects.

Guidelines for use:

• The Quiet Room is not open to the general public, but is available for use when needed. Please approach a Visitor Services or security officer or call 6332 0110 for access to this room

• Recommended duration of use: 30 minutes

• Capacity: 7 (inclusive of adults and children)

• No food and drinks in the room, except plain water

• Children must be supervised at all times

Designing for Inclusivity and the NMS Quiet Room

In this talk, Lekker Architects will share their inspirations and approaches in designing the Quiet Room and other spaces for persons with additional needs. Come learn about the features of the Quiet Room through photographs and concept drawings, and gain insights into the challenges and considerations of inclusive design.

The museum has designated the first Saturday of every month (9am to 11am), and the first and third Thursdays of each month (9am to 12 noon), as Quiet Mornings. Visitors who would appreciate a quieter and more relaxing environment are welcome to visit the museum during Quiet Mornings. All galleries will be open to visitors from 9am (as compared to usual opening hours from 10am).

The upcoming dates for Quiet Mornings are listed below. The museum will update this page if there are any changes to the dates.

 2023  

• July: 1, 6* & 20

• August: 3*, 5 & 17

• September: 2, 7* & 21

• October: 5*, 7 & 19

• November: 2*, 4 & 16

• December: 2, 7* & 21 

*Drop-in activities and old games will be available at our drop-in stations on Quiet Mornings taking place on the first Thursday of each month. No registration is required.

Group Visits on Quiet Mornings

The museum will prioritise group visits from Special Education schools, the special needs community and seniors during Quiet Mornings. All other group visits will be accepted only after the Quiet Morning hours.

If you wish to organise a group visit on a Quiet Morning, please write in to NHB_NM_Schools@nhb.gov.sg.

If you are planning to organise a group visit to the museum, please visit our Group Visit page for instructions and resources on how to do so.

Sensory Maps

The museum may be a daunting place for those who are sensitive to stimuli or have mobility issues. To plan a visit to suit your loved one, you can use our Sensory-friendly Map to identify high sensory areas as well as areas that are quieter, well-lit and less crowded, or rest spots where you can take a break.

A specific sensory map is also available for our biggest gallery, the Singapore History Gallery. This sensory map also includes a suggested wheelchair-friendly route.

You can obtain a map from our Visitor Services counter on Level 1, or download your own below.

• Sensory map of the National Museum of Singapore (large print version)

• Sensory map of the National Museum of Singapore

• Sensory map of Singapore History Gallery     

Social Stories

These social stories enable schools and family visitors to show children what to expect during a visit to our museum, to allow for a more enriching experience. The step-by-step photo guide illustrates how to enter the museum, galleries that you can visit, and how you can make your museum visit a pleasant experience.

You can read them online as a webpage, or download a copy to print out prior to your visit to the museum.

• Social Story for Families: My Trip to the National Museum of Singapore

• Social Story for School Visits: My Trip to the National Museum of Singapore

• Social Story for Exploring the Galleries of the National Museum of Singapore

Visual Schedule

You can print out our visual schedule and picture cards to plan your visit with your loved one before visiting the museum.

A visual schedule is a simple planner using picture cards to communicate a series of activities to be done at the museum. It is useful for caregivers with children who have a need for structure and predictability in their lives, and who might need guidance with keeping track of activities or help with a sense of time. You can print out the visual schedule and picture cards to plan your visit with your loved one before visiting the museum. A physical copy of the visual schedule will also be included in the sensory bag available for loan.  

Sensory Bag

The Museum has prepared five sensory bags that are available for families with children on the autism spectrum. Each bag includes ear defenders, sensory maps, a visual schedule and sensory toys.

Families may borrow a bag from our Visitor Services counter on Level 1 during their visit. The bags are available on a first come, first served basis and limited to one bag per family. To borrow a bag, caregivers will need to register at the Visitor Services counter with their photo ID, contact number and acknowledge a sign-out form.

[For seniors] NMS Easy Guides *NEW*

The NMS Easy Guides are created for senior visitors to explore the galleries independently, and for organisations that are planning for a museum trip for seniors. Each guide contains an overview of the exhibition gallery, artefact highlights and guiding questions for self-reflection and/or conversations as visitors explore the Singapore History Gallery or Growing Up gallery. 

There guides are also suitable for use as a conversational toolkit by individual seniors and/or senior care organisations, with their care partners and/senior care staff respectively, at home or at senior care centres. 

The NMS Easy Guides are available for download. Limited copies are also available at the museum. 

Kindly swipe right to scroll the table below for the guide download links.