National Museum of Singapore

Ready, get set, play! Have a friendly retro game competition with your kakis or go solo when you visit Play:Date.

Purchase a Starter Pack and collect points to customise your Play:Mate with Singapore-inspired accessories, such as a teh tarik hat or a kueh tutu pet! Top up with a Booster Pack for more rounds of fun.

Visit www.go.gov.sg/playsonality to start your personalised play experience at Play:Date.

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍 National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission (Separate fees apply for the digital gamified experiences)

The countdown begins till our final goodbye to the Story of the Forest installation :’( All good things must end, but we are throwing a series of farewell sensory activities for you till 13 October!

💆🏻🌳 Unwind in our aromatic forest-inspired lounge and enjoy a healing sound bath session guided by Om Zone facilitators, Nicole Phoon and Mary Ho.
🎨 Feeling creative? Bling up your exclusive postcards or make your very own animal-themed bag charm* during our birthday weekend on 12 & 13 October.
🥳 Enjoy free admission to all galleries on 12 & 13 October!

Nature lovers, assemble! Don’t miss your last chance to immerse yourself in the Story of the Forest installation. Plan your visit now: www.go.gov.sg/nms-anniversary

* While stocks last

Among the treasures at the Play:Date showcase sits the very first Game & Watch handheld electronic game that collector Tony Saw was introduces to – the Manhole (Gold Series). The Manhole belonged to his father, who paid about $40 to $50 for the game at that time.

Tony is one of Singapore’s few (if not only!) restorers of such consoles – check out how pristine his collection of vintage LCD games is when you visit the Batteries Included section at Play:Date.

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍 National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission (Separate fees apply for the digital gamified experiences)

Collector Rachel Liew was about 6 years old, when she first laid eyes on a Tamagotchi. Today, she owns Singapore’s largest collection of these digital pals. How many of you still own a Tamagotchi? Share with us in the comments!

Relive digital fun and memories before social media when you visit Rachel’s collection at the Batteries Included section at Play:Date.

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍 National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission (Separate fees apply for the digital gamified experiences)

More than just children’s toys, model cars have brought immense excitement and joy to adults just like Ian, Ridzal and Farhan! The trio was brought together by their shared love for miniature craftsmanship and the thrill of racing.

Don’t miss the collection of Ian Goh, Mohammad Ridzal and Mohammad Noor Farhan at the Drive-through Time section when you visit Play:Date!

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍 National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission (Separate fees apply for the digital gamified experiences)

Ever heard of the “Sweet Sixteen”? The Original 16 were the first cars ever released by Hot Wheels back in 1968, and they happen to be one of collector Jeffrey Wong’s favourites from his collection!

Did you know that Jeffrey also collects life-sized classic cars?

Zoom down memory lane at the Drive-through Time section when you visit Jeffrey’s collection at Play:Date!

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍 National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission (Separate fees apply for the digital gamified experiences)

Many of us would recognise the iconic green car from Mr. Bean, but have you ever seen one IRL?

Collector Clarence Tan has remodelled not just the miniature, but real-life mobiles to match Mr. Bean’s car! Come and check out the Mini Cooper (sorry, it’s just the miniature version!) up close when you visit Clarence’s collection of cars at Play:Date: www.go.gov.sg/playdate

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍 National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission (Separate fees apply for the digital gamified experiences)

Did you know that Jian’s journey with Barbie was started by accident when he opened a Christmas present that was meant for his sister? And the rest is history!

With each doll, a treasured story and memory forms for Jian, all joyfully documented on his Instagram, .

Unlock cabinets of lesser-known stories of Barbie when you visit Jian’s toys at Play:Date.

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍 National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission (Separate fees apply for the digital gamified experiences)

ba-da-ba-ba-baaa! 🎶 It was heartwarming to hear from collector Swee Hock (McDonald Toys Singapore) about how important his toys are to him, especially the Chinese New Year Ronald, which was part of his very first set of McDonald’s toys from his father.

Explore Swee Hock’s collection of local McDonald’s toys and more when you visit the It’s A Small World section at our Play:Date pop-up showcase: www.go.gov.sg/playdate

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍 National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission (Separate fees apply for the digital gamified experiences)

Which Play:Mate reminds you of your friend? Tag them in the comments!

Take your pick of many more uniquely 🇸🇬Singapore🇸🇬 accessories for your Play:Mate when you purchase a Play:Date Starter Pack and collect points with our digital gamified experiences. 🕹 Up for extra game credits? Have more fun when you top up with our Booster Pack.

Visit www.go.gov.sg/playsonality to start your personalised play experience at Play:Date!

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍 National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission (Separate fees apply for the digital gamified experiences)

We are happy to receive this autographed jersey from Singaporean athlete Yu Mengyu, who wore it for the historic Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medal-playoff table tennis match held in 2021 due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Yu, who was ranked world no. 47 at the time, won her matches against world no. 8 Cheng I-Ching and world no. 9 Ishikawa Kasumi. Unfortunately, she lost to world no. 1 Chen Meng of China in the semi-finals. In the bronze medal-playoff, she was up against world no. 3 Mima Ito of Japan. Yu valiantly played through an injury sustained during her earlier match, but could not prevail against Ito. Yu came in 4th place and was hailed by Prime Minister Lee as embodying the "Singapore Spirit" of never giving up throughout the competition.

Yu retired in 2022 and is presently Assistant Director of Industry Development at Sport Singapore. This year, she was inducted into the Singapore Sport Hall of Fame.

Thank you Yu Mengyu 于梦雨! We would also like to thank Professor David Tan David Tan Photography for facilitating this donation.

We are looking to adopt your play-related items 🧸👾🏎️ from the 1980s to the present! Come and be a part of history when you donate your objects and stories to us, as we broaden our contemporary collection together.

This public call for donation of objects relating to play and toys is open till 5 January 2025. Visit http://www.go.gov.sg/ccsopencall-toys to learn more about what we are looking for and how you can contribute.

Escape Singapore’s heat 🥵 and explore nature 🌿🌸 with our September Family Fun! Browse our special programmes below now.

Don’t miss our special hunt in our beloved Story of the Forest installation that is closing on 13 October. Click our images to plan a fun-filled holiday this September!

📣 GIVEAWAY 📣 We know that many of you are sad to say goodbye to our Story of the Forest installation, closing on 13 October 2024, so we have something special for you! Stand a chance to win a William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings inspired tea strainer when you follow these steps:

🐻 Follow us on Facebook and like this post
🌸 On your feed, post a photo or video of yourself or your loved ones visiting the Story of the Forest installation. Remember to tag us!
🦌 Ensure that your profile is public. For private accounts, kindly send us a message of your screenshot.

Giveaway ends on 25 Aug, 11.59PM SGT. A total of two winners will be selected randomly on Facebook and Instagram. View our Terms & Conditions at www.go.gov.sg/storyoftheforest.

Congratulations to our National Day colouring competition winners! It was a blast celebrating Singapore’s birthday at the museum with our budding artists – their creativity and talent have set the bar high in our competition. 🎨

Look out for more exciting programmes happening at the National Museum coming your way 😉 Plan your next museum day out at www.nationalmuseum.sg.

Prizes supported by STAEDTLER Singapore
(Image 1) Top 5 best and most creative entries
(Image 2) Consolation prize winners

We celebrated National Day with some of our most creative and best dressed winners who attended our Intergenerational Special: Wear (We’re) As One programme yesterday. Celebrating the spirit of unity and achievement across generations! ❤

Stay tuned for more multi-generational programmes happening at the museum. 😉

Happy 59th birthday to Singapore! 🇸🇬🎉 Enjoy free admission to all our galleries at the museum today, as well as free activities all day to celebrate National Day: www.go.gov.sg/nms-national-day

📺 Don't miss the live telecast of the National Day parade next to our grand Banyan tree this evening at 5.30pm. Receive a special gift when you sign up for the National Heritage Board mailing list at our open house today! While stocks last.

🚗 Kindly note that our carparks are currently closed due to the ongoing restoration.

[Retro Arcade Zone will run from 7pm to 11pm] Get ready for a playful this year at the National Museum. 🌙🎉

⭐ Did you know that our Sun Deck on level 3 is open exclusively during Singapore Night Festival, where you can play board games under the stars? ⭐ Explore the whimsical theme ‘Art of Play’ with our special programmes, and don’t forget to visit our experiential showcase, Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play, and our Story of the Forest installation!

Find out more at www.go.gov.sg/nms-night-fest.

[Change in Operating Hours for Singapore Night Festival]
🗓️ 23, 24, 30 & 31 Aug, 6 & 7 Sep
🕗 10am to 5pm
🕗 Re-entry to museum: 7pm to 11pm
📌 Free admission to galleries for all during night openings, except for ticketed programmes

📣 Extended till 7 Sept! 📣 Take a night stroll 🌙 to the National Museum this coming August and reminisce about the good old days spent playing outdoors with your friends when you visit our special light-up installation for National Day!

Pose with life-sized old-school games from now to 9 August, 7.30pm to 12mn daily. Can you name the games in our post?

Don’t forget to share your photos with us by tagging us on social media and with the hashtag . Enjoy free admission to our permanent galleries and free activities happening on National Day: www.go.gov.sg/nms-national-day

Posting your OOTD ❌ Feeding your digital pet ✅

Relive your memories before social media at our Batteries Included section of Play:Date, featuring Nintendo and Casio retro game consoles as well as Tamagotchi devices from collectors Tony Saw and Rachel Liew respectively.

Did you know there is a unique calculator that allows students to play a boxing game in secret, or a Tamagotchi restaurant game edition? Try to find them at the showcase! 😉 Play now at www.go.gov.sg/playdate

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍 National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission (Separate fees apply for digital gamified experiences)

Celebrate National Day 🎉🇸🇬 around the National Museum, from intergenerational bonding and creative activities, to indoors and outdoors fun! Reminisce the joy of playing with toys with our special light-up installation (1 to 9 Aug) and experiential showcase, Play:Date (open till 5 Jan 2025). 🎈

Admission to our permanent galleries is free on 9 August. Don't miss visiting our Story of the Forest installation before it closes on 13 October. Pre-registration is required for selected programmes, so register now: www.go.gov.sg/nms-national-day

Kindly note that our car park is closed due to ongoing restoration works.

🏎 🚙 🚚 Gear up for a trip down memory lane at the Drive-through Time section at Play:Date!

Take a ride with your favourite vehicular brands like Hot Wheels, Tamiya, Matchbox and more from the collections of Clarence Tan, Jeffrey Wong, Ian Goh, Mohammad Ridzal and Mohammad Noor Farhan.

🕹 Don’t miss our gaming experience inspired by old-school gaming arcades, just around the corner – accumulate points in a virtual race and personalise your avatar with customisable accessories. Find out more at www.go.gov.sg/playdate!

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission

Visit our latest pop-up shop, MUSEUM MARTKET by ABRY, and bring home a souvenir after your museum day out.

Browse innovative brands from artists and designers in Asia, and the National Museum’s very own collection such as unique postcards and publications.

📍 Outside Singapore History Gallery, Level 1
⏰ 10am – 7.30pm

Long before clocking in countless hours of online entertainment, we created our own form of drama by playing with character toys.

Step into a miniature world of well-loved toys at our latest showcase, Play:Date! Explore avid collector Tay Swee Hock’s collection of local McDonald’s toys and Jian Yang’s Barbie dolls collection when you visit the It’s A Small World section.

Plan your Play:Date now: www.go.gov.sg/playdate

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
🗓️ Open till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission

We are happy to receive an autographed swimming racing suit and cap belonging to Singaporean swimmer Joseph Isaac Schooling – this donation was facilitated by Prof David Tan, featured on the left of the image. This racing suit was worn by Joseph during the men’s 100m butterfly final at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where he won Singapore’s first-ever Olympic gold medal and also reached the semi-final of the 100m freestyle event. He was also awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (Pingat Jasa Gemilang) at the National Day Awards 2016.

Joseph went on to win many more medals and has been named Sportsman of the Year at the Singapore Sports Awards six times between 2012 and 2019.

Thank you, Joseph and David Tan Photography!

Our Play:Date yesterday was a blast! ✨🥳 The museum was jam packed with laughter and fun, as everyone came together to reconnect over nostalgic memories of our favourite toys. 🧸

🗝️ Missed your play time? You can still have a go at our free tabletop games and giant claw machine today from 10am to 5pm. Admission to our permanent galleries is also free today, so come on down for a day of reminiscence with your loved ones!

Please note that we expect a larger-than-usual crowd during this opening weekend, and you may expect a longer waiting time in general, especially for the toys collectors’ showcase. The last admission timing may be brought forward to an earlier timing where necessary, and we seek your understanding.

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ Now till 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission

Life is more fun when we play 🎈, so why not join us for a Play:Date? 🥳 Enter a world of playful nostalgia at our latest toy-themed experiential pop-up Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play 🗝️, opening from now till 5 January 2025!

Come relive your favourite childhood memories as you uncover fascinating stories of toys across the eras in Singapore. Get ready to immerse yourself in our large-scale artworks 🎨, extensive toy displays 🚗, and interactive experiences 👾, co-created with local toy collectors and artists.

What are you waiting for? Plan your Play:Date with your family and friends now: www.go.gov.sg/playdate

Play:Date – Unlocking Cabinets of Play
📍National Museum of Singapore, Level 1 & 2
🗓️ 5 Jul 2024 to 5 Jan 2025
🎟️ Free Admission

*Terms & Conditions Apply

It pains us to say that our beloved Story of the Forest installation will be closed on 13 October 2024, for the Glass Rotunda's upcoming revamp. 😢

If you have not checked this off your to-do list or would love to revisit this beauty before it goes, now is the time! Stay tuned for something exciting coming soon 😉

Plan a relaxing day to the museum now: www.go.gov.sg/storyoftheforest
🔊 Free for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents