Singapore History Museum
The Singapore History Museum at Stamford Road (tel: 375 2510),
traces the eventful history of Singapore from the 14th century
to the modern day. It is housed in the historic colonial-style
National Museum building, which was built in 1849 after a suggestion
by Sir Stamford Raffles.
The museum explores the development and rich heritage of Singapore
from its beginnings as a Malay fishing village, to its
prosperity as a port under British rule, the successive
waves of immigration and the struggle for nationhood in
the 1960s.
Visitors can stroll through the impressive recreation of an early
20th century Peranakan house, with its imposing ancestral
hall and elaborate bridal chamber. There's also a high-definition 3-D show that presents the history of Singapore through
animation, virtual sets and historical footage.
Other
permanent displays include an exhibition on the history of the
infamous Chinese secret societies in Singapore; the beautiful Haw Par jade collection, donated by the famous Aw brothers
of Tiger Balm fame; and a fascinating collection of natural history drawings by William Farquhar, who worked with the East
India Company and became the first British Resident and Commandant
to the development of Singapore.
The Singapore History Museum is open from 9 am to 5.30 pm on
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and from 9 am
to 9 pm on Wednesday. Admission is SGD3 for adults, and SGD1.50
for children and seniors. Admission charges for those who wish
to see the 3-D show are SGD4 for adults and SGD2 for children
and seniors
There are free guided tours in English conducted at 11
am and 2 pm daily, with an additional tour at 3.30 pm on Saturday
and Sunday. Free guided tours in Japanese are conducted at 10.30
am daily.
Singapore Art Museum
Home
to the national art collection of Singapore, the Singapore
Art Museum resides in a brilliantly restored historic school
building (the former St Joseph’s Institution). Opened in
1996, the museum has 14 galleries and over 7,500 artworks, making
it the largest collection of 20th century Southeast Asian art in the region.
Open:
Mon - Sun: 10.00 – 19.00
Extended hours on Fri 19.00 – 21.00
*Free admission after
6 pm on Fridays and from 12 noon to 2 pm on weekdays.
Admission:
SGD 5 adults, SGD 2.50 children (6 - 16 years)
and seniors
SGD 13 Family ticket (max 5 members)
*Prices may change
where there are special exhibitions.
Guided Tours:
Monday, 2 pm (English)
Tuesdays - Fridays, 10.30 am (Japanese); 11 am & 2 pm (English)
Fridays, 7 pm (English)
Fridays, 7.45 pm (Mandarin)
Saturdays & Sundays, 11 am, 2 pm and 3.30 pm (English)
Approximate Touring Time:
45
mins
Location:
71 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189555
Tel: (65) 6332 3222 Fax: (65) 6334 7919
Getting There:
Take the MRT
to Dhoby Ghaut (NS24) or City Hall Station (NS25/EW13) and walk
towards Bras Basah Road.
Accessibility for the physically disabled:
The following information is obtained from
Access Singapore.
- Entrance - Accessible to wheelchair and ambulant-disabled.
- Reserved disabled car park lot – Nil.
- Accessibility within the premises - Accessible to wheelchair
and ambulant-disabled. Braille numbers for visually impaired.
Signal equipment for hearing-impaired.
- Lifts - Accessible to wheelchair and ambulant-disabled.
- Public toilets for the disabled - Level 1 and 2. Narrow door
width. Access to wheelchair is limited and assistance may be required.
Accessible to ambulant-disabled.
- Eating outlets - Dome Café.
- Public telephone - Access to wheelchair is limited and assistance
may be required. Accessible to ambulant-disabled.
- Taxi stand - Nil
Asian Civilisations Museum
The Asian Civilisations Museum (39 Armenian Street, tel: 332-3015)
aims to present the history of the various cultures in the region
with the use of high technology and multi-media effects. For instance,
interactive computer displays will help you explore a traditional
Chinese mansion, with detailed explanations on architecture, furniture
and family traditions.
The museum currently only has displays in the First Wing, as the
Second Wing is still under construction. Two-thirds of the galleries
in the First Wing are dedicated to the Chinese culture,
with exhibits and hi-tech demonstrations of Chinese beliefs, symbolism
and the scholar tradition.
Besides highlighting the important social, political and economic
developments in China's past, the First Wing also houses some
beautiful Chinese antique furniture, ceramics, jade and works
of art.
The museum also displays, on rotation, temporary exhibitions on Asian civilisations as well as cultures further afield. A fuller
picture of Asian cultures and history will be displayed when the
Second Wing at the Empress Place Building opens in 2002.
The Asian Civilisations Museum opens from 9 am to 5.30 pm on
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It opens from
9 am to 9 PM on Wednesday. Admission is SGD3 for adults and SGD1.50
for children and seniors.
Free guided tours in English are conducted at 11 am, 2
PM and 3.30 PM daily, with an additional tour at 2.45 PM on weekends.
Free guided tours in Japanese are conducted at 10.30 am daily,
and Mandarin tours at 2.30 PM on Saturday.
Singapore Philatelic Museum
Housed
in a quaint old building which dates back to 1908, a browse around
the Singapore Philatelic Museum (23B Coleman Street, Tel:
3373888) makes for an interesting afternoon for both stamp collectors
and non-collectors alike.
There's a fine collection of local and international stamps,
as well as first day covers. The stamps provide a thought-provoking
glimpse of the development of Singapore and its multicultural
society across the decades, through the pictorial, artistic and
administrative lens of the different historical periods.
There's also a detailed visual display of how stamps are made,
from the drawing board to the printing plates and progressive
sheets, to the final product.
The Singapore Philatelic Museum is open from 9 am to 5.30 PM daily.
Admission is SGD2 for adults and SGD1 for children and seniors.
Visitors may ask for guided tours at the reception area,
or arrange for tours by telephone.
Changi Prison Chapel and Museum
This
sobering museum is situated at Changi Prison (20km Upper
Changi Road North, tel: 5430893), which is still being used as
a prison today. It gives a glimpse of the life of prisoners
of war during the Japanese Occupation of World War II.
The daily life of the prisoners are depicted through drawings made by the prisoners themselves, and through photographs and
other exhibits which give an overview of the war in Asia. A pair
of rail spikes from the infamous Burma railroad, where thousands
of POWs were sent to work under horrific conditions, is also on
display.
Next to the museum is a replica of the simple chapel built by Allied prisoners during their internment. Pinned to the
building are notes from people who lost loved ones in Changi.
The Changi Prison Chapel and Museum is open from 10am to 5pm
from Monday to Saturday. It is closed on Sunday and public holidays.
Admission is free.
Singapore Navy Museum
The Singapore Navy Museum (Endurance Block, Sembawang
Camp, ex-HMS Terror Barrack, Tel: 7505585, 7505565) traces the
development of naval forces in Singapore, from the Straits Settlements
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the 19th century to the Republic
of Singapore Navy of today.
Also on display are antique marine equipment, historic photos
and details of the high-tech missile corvette vessels of the current
Navy. Don't forget to bring along your passport.
The museum is open from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm from Monday to Friday,
and from 8.30 am to 12 noon on Saturday. Admission is free.
Singapore Mint Coin Gallery
This
gallery, at 20 Teban Gardens Crescent near Boon Lay MRT (Tel:
5662626), is housed in the Singapore Mint which makes the country's
coins.
On exhibit are an array of domestic and foreign coins and medals.
The gallery is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Admission
is free. |
