National Museum of Singapore

The National Museum of Singapore traces its history to 1849, when a library and museum were set up at the Singapore Institution, and it has occupied its neoclassical home on Stamford Road since 1887. That makes it the oldest museum in the country, and the building, with its white columns, domed rotunda and later glass extension, is a landmark of the Bras Basah area in its own right.

The permanent galleries tell Singapore's story from early settlement and the colonial port through the Japanese occupation of the Second World War to independence in 1965 and the decades that followed. The displays use objects, film, photographs and personal accounts, and they are designed to be accessible to visitors with little prior knowledge of the country's history. Look up inside the rotunda, where the dome is finished with stained glass. The Glass Rotunda in the modern wing houses Story of the Forest, an immersive digital installation by the Japanese art collective teamLab that brings to life drawings of the region's plants and animals from the William Farquhar collection of natural history drawings.

The museum is open daily from 10am to 7pm. On Quiet Mornings, held on the first Saturday and the first and third Thursdays of each month, it opens at 9am with lower light and sound levels for visitors who prefer a calmer environment. The permanent galleries are free for Singapore citizens, permanent residents and children under 6, and other visitors buy tickets, with concessions for some groups. Parts of the building are undergoing restoration and upgrading works, but the museum remains open with exhibitions, dining and retail, so check which galleries are available before you plan a long visit.

Allow two to three hours for the history galleries and Story of the Forest. The museum suits families with older children, first-time visitors who want context for the rest of their trip, and anyone interested in history. The air-conditioned galleries also make it a good choice for a hot or rainy afternoon.

Fort Canning Park rises directly behind the museum, with forest paths and historic sites, and Bras Basah and Dhoby Ghaut MRT stations are each a few minutes' walk away. The Peranakan Museum and True Blue Cuisine on Armenian Street, the Singapore Art Museum area and the shops of Plaza Singapura are all close by, so the museum fits easily into a day around the Civic District.