Virtual Museum Exhibitions And Tours To Check Out In Singapore

Do you know that there are quite a number of local museum exhibitions and tours that you can now visit online? Well, here's a list of digital exhibitions and tours that you can check out from the comforts of your home, or from wherever you are!

1. National Gallery Singapore

Photo Credit: National Gallery Singapore

The National Gallery Singapore is home to the world’s largest collection of modern Singaporean and Southeast Asian art.

The Gallery's Facebook Page boasts a whole range of virtual events, including insightful videos from the museum curators, collaborative showcases with local writers and artists and virtual tours streamed on Facebook Live.

To get your daily dose of artistic inspiration, be sure to check out the #GalleryAnywhere section of the National Gallery Singapore's website. This online initiative offers a whole gamut of virtual experiences, including incisive interviews, riveting videos and even a digital poetry writing project that you can participate in.

2. ArtScience Museum

Photo Credit: Marina Bay Sands

The ArtScience Museum’s website is constantly updated with tours that explore themes like space exploration and the works of prominent women in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

Be sure to check out the Museum's Facebook Page as well to stay updated on other virtual activities - ranging from livestream interviews with filmmakers, online conversations with climate change experts and virtual performances by talented musicians.

3. Asian Civilisations Museum

Photo Credit: Sistic

The Asian Civilisations Museum is a trove of relics and artefacts that trace the trajectory of regional trade, religion and culture.

Visit the tour section of the Asian Civilisations Museum’s website to view Augmented Reality-enhanced models of the Museum’s artefacts, or take a virtual tour of its Material and Designs Gallery.

You may also want to check out Asian Civilisations Museum's Facebook page for exciting updates and live-streamed performances.

4. National Museum of Singapore

Photo Credit: Singapore Heritage Board

Head to the National Museum of Singapore’s Facebook Page for a sample of the Museum’s insightful curation and wealth of knowledge. 

Alternatively, you may also pay a visit to the Museum’s website to explore an archive of digital exhibitions and tours, such as:

• An Old New World: Digital Edition

Sail back in time to the East Indies over 400 years ago as you take a virtual tour to an Old New World. The online exhibition offers two modes of navigation – guided and self-exploratory. The guided tour includes a curated exploration following the themes of Knowledge and Power and Seeing the Indigenous. Alternatively, you may also navigate the galleries at your own pace via the self-exploratory mode.

• Every Body Plays A Part

Featuring a selection from the National Museum of Singapore’s Collection and using the concept of the “body” as a starting point, this online showcase explores a little-known side of Singapore’s history of public health. See how our nation has handled various types of medical crisis in the past and how they are continuing it manage them today. Every Body Plays a Part will feature four exhibits covering the Distancing, Inoculation, Hygiene and Restoration of bodies.

• The Restoration of Bodies

This online section showcases several images related to early hospitals and medical halls in Singapore that played a major role in helping the sick. It also features non-medical options that have been used to restore one’s health over the years, some of which are still available today.

• #NEVERBEFORESG

#NEVERBEFORESG is an online exhibition curated by Yang Derong, that addresses the impact of the global pandemic, COVID-19 in Singapore and serves as a visual documentation seen through the eyes of 87 creatives.

5. Singapore Philatelic Museum

Photo Credit: Singapore Heritage Board

Visit this local museum of stamps from your home. The Singapore Philatelic Museum’s collections range from stamps and archival philatelic material of Singapore from the 1830s to the present day, and stamps from member countries of the Universal Postal Union.

Curious lovers of culture can also embark on a virtual tour of the Singapore Philatelic Museum's premises and explore past exhibits, with themes ranging from the history of Singapore (i.e., The Singapore Journey: 50 Years Through Stamps) to popular culture-based showcases (i.e., The Little Prince and Harry Potter).

The Museum’s Facebook page is also constantly updated with news about its travelling tours, virtual exhibitions and interesting factoids.

6. Former Ford Factory

Photo Credit: Roots.sg

Discover how Singapore survived the Japanese Occupation at the History Former Ford Factory. The site of the British Forces’ surrender to the Imperial Japanese Army in 1942, this virtual exhibition presents the events and memories surrounding the British surrender, the Japanese Occupation and the legacies of the war. This online tour allows you to step through the different exhibits and get a view of the conference room where the surrender took place and more.

7. National Library

Photo Credit: Singapore Heritage Board

• From the Stacks

Embark on the National Library Exhibition Virtual Tour, and discover early Singapore from a fresh perspective through over 100 highlights from the National Library’s collection of rare publications, manuscripts, documents, maps, photographs and more. The collection covers a broad range of topics such as politics, language, religion, literature, travel, nature, food, and more.

• Virtual News Gallery

Dive deep into the history of Singapore’s media through interactive exhibits and multimedia platforms at the Virtual News Gallery - an online permanent exhibition that highlights three interactive zones: early editions, behind every story and fact or fake.