In Singapore, there are plenty of museums to visit if you want to get a dose of culture. The big guns, including the National Gallery Singapore, ArtScience Museum, and National Museum of Singapore, are fantastic places to start, but if you want a more intimate experience, head to the smaller, lesser-known treasures. Museums like The Cathay Gallery and Singapore Musical Box Museum are full of quirky hidden treasures that are concealed in plain sight. Explore these top-secret museums to feed your inquisitive mind.
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum houses a dinosaur skeleton, a sperm whale skeleton, the only specimen of the world’s largest turtle species, and an Asian Brown Flycatcher specimen obtained by legendary British naturalist Alfred Wallace himself. The museum, which has sixteen zones with species ranging from plants, fungi, mammals, dinosaurs, and more, is ideal for anyone interested in wildlife.
SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) has relocated to a hip new location in Tanjong Pagar Distripark. The new facility, which spans two floors and 2,000 square meters, is divided into two halves. When you walk through the doors, you will find two large climate-controlled exhibition rooms with 6-metre-high ceilings, a welcome hall with a variety of art experiences for visitors, and a F&B space with a view of the harbour that acts as a tourist lounge.
Singapore Chinese Opera Museum
Mr Bian Hui Bin grew up in mainland China and was introduced to Chinese opera at a young age. He had a passion for the art form since he was a child and when he moved to Singapore, he wanted to share his passion with locals and visitors alike. The museum, which is tucked away on the second level of a Kampong Glam shophouse, displays the styles, costumes, and props used by several varieties of Chinese opera in Singapore.
Singapore Musical Box Museum
In a museum dedicated to these lovely trinkets, be enchanted by tinkling musical boxes. Hundreds of years of history are hidden behind the museum’s doors, with each ancient musical box presenting a distinct story of yesteryear’s artistry. Learn about the history of musical boxes, how they arrived in Singapore, and how Singapore played a key role in bringing musical boxes to Southeast Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum’s collections are mostly from Switzerland, Germany, and the United States, and it tries to preserve them.
The Battle Box
The Battle Box’s hour-long tour takes you into the name-bearing underground command centre, where the decision to surrender was made, and retells the narrative of how Malaya and Singapore fell to the Imperial Japanese Empire in under 70 days. Guides will also discuss the bunker’s importance in the war while taking you through replica and authentic rooms used by the soldiers at the time.
The Cathay Gallery
If you are at The Cathay Cineplex, the movie does not have to finish when the credits roll. The Cathay Gallery, located on the second floor, has additional cinematic magic. This hidden gem is a cinematic memorabilia time capsule, complete with old theatre chairs, cameras, and projectors. Film fans will like the gallery’s permanent exhibition, which includes a wall covered in antique film posters from some of cinema’s most popular films, including The Jungle Book and The Sound of Music.
The Gem Museum
At The Gem Museum, be captivated by a diversity of gems and minerals from all over the world. The private museum’s mission is to teach the public about gemmology by tracing gems’ journey from formation to cutting and shaping for sale. In the meanwhile, you may see everything from colourful diamonds to a large rock garden. The museum also hosts masterclasses and workshops on the value and classification of various gemstones on a regular basis.