The National Heritage Board's Museum of U & Me is a pop-up exhibition that brings together everyday objects and artefacts from our National Collection. Objects featured range from a retro 1970s made-in-Singapore Setron television to measurements of Diana, Princess of Wales taken by local fashion designer Benny Ong, and even a plaque for the first passenger to fly Singapore Airlines.
This SG60 special spans five themes from our shared history to work, food, leisure and home. It features digital displays, 3D prints, and replicas from the National Collection alongside crowdsourced treasures from everyday Singaporeans. Think of it as our nation's treasure box where you can touch, explore, and discover how your own memories connect to our shared heritage – because this isn't just about the past, it's a museum about us, for us, and shaped by us!
You can also discover the stories behind the artefacts in the special Mediacorp series On The Red Dot: Museum of U & Me, now available on mewatch, as hosts Gurmit Singh and Oon Shu An uncover Singapore’s past through everyday things people have held on to.
The Exhibition
The pop-up takes you on a journey through five easy-to-digest, thematic sections, featuring pre-independence Singapore, labour, food, leisure, and national development.
Highlights include:
From Shores to Singapore
Explore the pre-independence years of Singapore through objects such as 3D-printed reproductions of the "Singapore Stone" and the 1919 Centenary medal marking Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles' arrival in Singapore. Through these artefacts and stories, discover how communities from diverse origins took root on our shores, bringing languages, traditions, and dreams that grew together in unexpected ways.
Hands That Built a Nation
Work shapes life's rhythm. This section gives particular focus to labour and the workforce that transformed Singapore’s economy. Foregrounding National Collection objects such as famed typewriters, and measurements of Princess Diana taken by designer Benny Ong, this section recognises the resilience and determination of the generations who built Singapore with their hands and hearts.
Kitchen Conversations
Stories of food and fellowship are presented here through artefacts such as hawker licences, tiffin carriers, and a traditional mortar and pestle known as a tombok. Together, trace how Singapore's culinary culture evolved from humble street stalls to a national symbol of identity and pride. Explore how meals became a way of belonging – connecting generations, communities, and flavours that continue to shape the nation's shared table!
Time-off!
Centred on the theme of leisure, this section traces how we have found joy and self-expression through music, technology, and popular culture. Featuring objects such as a playable Atari 2600, a retro Walkman, and a cabinet of curiosities filled with childhood toys and playthings, come recall moments of play, style, and sound that defined different eras. Let's celebrate the lighter side of life when imagination thrives, and everyday moments become a shared language of creativity and connection.
The Shape of Home
Revolving around ideas of home and nation-building, this section explores how spaces of belonging have been shaped through shared aspirations and everyday life. Featuring objects such as a television from the 1970s, Rediffusion radio, and collectibles from everyday Singaporeans, get a glimpse into how domestic comforts, communal experiences, and national ideals came together in the making of modern Singapore. Together, let's reflect on how home is both built and felt – a place of pride, connection, and collective memory.
Bring home a piece of our Singapore Story!
Complete our digital interactive game, which challenges you to spot featured objects hidden within cheekily-edited archival photographs, to walk home with limited-edition collectible cards!
A total of 20 different cards – including five limited-edition holofoil designs – will be released in phases over the exhibition period.