Singapore History Gallery: 700 years of becoming Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore’s flagship Singapore History Gallery officially reopened last evening, following its first full revamp since opening in 2006. Guest-of-Honour President Tharman Shanmugaratnam attended the Opening Ceremony and officially unveiled the Gallery, following an address by Chung May Khuen, Director of the National Museum.
Before the ceremony, President Tharman met Stoney, the Museum’s new mascot, inspired by the Singapore Stone, a National Treasure and key artefact in the revamped Gallery. He also unveiled a plaque marking the Gallery’s reopening and the completion of the Museum’s three-year restoration works. He then toured the Gallery together with Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time, presented as a unified experience, where curators and partners shared the thinking behind the revamp.
Centred on the question “Who are we?”, the Gallery offers a fresh, people-centred narrative on the formation and continued evolution of a Singapore identity. It traces over 700 years of history through historical artefacts and narratives, enhanced by immersive, interactive multimedia spaces.
The reopening anchors the Museum’s 139th Anniversary Celebrations: Stories of Everyday, with festivities and activities running from 10 to 18 October. The Museum will continue the phased revamp of its remaining permanent galleries, slated for completion in early 2027.
