With a rich history dating back to its inception in 1887, the National
Museum of Singapore is the country’s oldest museum but with the youngest and
most innovative soul. Designed to be the people's museum, the Museum prides
itself on introducing cutting-edge and offering many varied ways of presenting
history to redefine the conventional museum experience. Previously known as the Singapore History Museum, the institute
has gone through drastic changes over the years. Having undergone three
and half years of renovations and restorations, the refurbished museum was
re-opened to the public on December 2nd 2006. One of the new attractions
that were unveiled not long after the re-opening was the 'Singapore History
Gallery' multimedia tour. Having taken it myself I can say it is an absorbing
(and time consuming) adventure, which takes you back to Tamesek and before. In
truth I never realised what a massive history the island had, before taking the
tour, so I can highly recommend it. The tour itself is interactive and the
'companion' for the tour is a handheld device giving you options and extra
information on the exhibits you are looking at. You can choose your own 'path'
into the past and the device will guide you wherever you want to go. My only
complaint would be that I would need around two full days to get through all
the available information and media on offer! Considering the enormous up-keep
and layout of this tour it is surprisingly well priced costing just S$10 for
entry. And here is another good thing about the museum. Yes, you need to pay
for entry (and it’s not expensive considering what is on offer), but some areas
are free and indeed you can walk straight past the cash desk to take a look
around in the main atrium. The giant video screen and swinging chandeliers you
encounter as you walk in are a foretaste of what to expect from the main
museum.
Described as the latest cultural icon, the
Museum is far from being just a space for exhibitions and artifacts. It hosts
challenging and vibrant festivals and events year-round that unleash new
creative possibilities in culture and heritage.
Four lifestyle galleries (Singapore Living
Galleries: Food, Film and Wayang, Fashion, and Photography) examine themes
close to the hearts of Singaporeans. These galleries are updated regularly with
rotating displays.
Additional activities such as films,
lectures, opera performances, adult and children’s' workshops and theatrical
events continue to attract the public into the Museum's welcoming space. It
reaches out to the community and schools to gain a living history of the Red
Dot.
