It's beginning to look and feel a lot like Christmas!
Enjoy a cosy day out at the National Museum with your family and friends, with carolling, talks, workshops, storytelling sessions and more!
Christmas Carolling
- 2.30pm | Rotunda, Level 1
- 3pm | Entrance of Singapore History Gallery, Level 1
- 3.30pm | The Platform, Level 2
- Free Admission
Bring your family and friends and enjoy popular Christmas tunes by carollers from The Crescendos, a group of youths who aspire to bring good choral music from diverse genres and cultures to people of all ages. Be sure to catch them at one of the venues and witness this age-old tradition of spreading joy and the Christmas spirit through song.
Drop-in Craft Activity: O Christmas Tree
- 10.30am – 12.30pm & 2pm – 5pm | Glass Atrium, Level 2 | Free | Age 4 and above
Get creative and make your very own mini Christmas tree, using a cinnamon stick and other festive embellishments!
Presented in conjunction with An Old New World: From the East Indies to the Founding of Singapore, 1600s–1819.
No registration required. While stocks last. Last admission at 4.45pm.
A Lighter Side of History: A Flavourful Christmas
- 10.30am – 11.30am | Seminar Room, Level 2 | $5 per participant | Age 13 and above
Join us for a delightful session with Ida Cecil, who will share her Eurasian family traditions, personal stories of how their Christmas celebrations have changed over the years, and delectable Eurasian dishes that her family prepares and feasts on during this festive period.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear about Ida’s family recipes for curry debal, fruit cake and sugee cake, which she has remembered by heart.
Limited spaces available. $5 per pax, includes a presentation, printed copies of three Eurasian family recipes and light festive refreshments.
Speaker’s Biography
Ida is a passionate baker who learnt her culinary skills from her mother and grandmother. She enjoys hosting themed parties and is an avid baker and cake decorator. In 2015, Ida was the first prize winner at the Simply Her Magazine Birthday Baking Challenge held at the Suntec Convention Hall. Her forte is Eurasian cuisine, with some adaptation of Western, Italian, Malay and Indian dishes.
A Lighter Side of History: The Ghosts of Orchard Road’s Christmases Past by Jerome Lim
- 2pm – 3pm | Seminar Room, Level 2 | $5 per participant | Age 13 and above
Orchard Road, the jewel in Singapore’s shopping crown, takes on an added sparkle every Christmas. Once populated with trees producing a spice worth more than its weight in gold, Orchard Road’s new “plantations” yield a harvest of a very different gold; one that glitters especially brightly when its Christmas lights are switched on.
Join Jerome as he shares fascinating stories that trace the evolution of Christmas lighting along Orchard Road over the years.
Limited spaces available. $5 per pax, includes a presentation and light refreshments.
Speaker’s Biography
Once told that it was his destiny to wander through life, Jerome Lim wanders through Singapore’s evolving landscape in search of stories that bring places and buildings to life. His blog, The Long and Winding Road, features some of these stories, told through words and photographs. The blog was twice named the Best Photography blog at the Singapore Blog Awards.
Jerome is actively involved in documenting Singapore’s heritage and constantly changing landscapes. He has also collaborated with agencies like the National Heritage Board and the Singapore Land Authority to conduct heritage walks for events such as the Singapore Heritage Festival.
Leather Making Workshop
- 10.30am & 1.30pm (2 hrs) | The Salon, Level 1 | $25 per participant | Age 13 and above
Learn how to make leather craft that you can gift a loved one for Christmas! Create your own Swivel Key Fob and Coin Pouch and take home your unique pieces in this workshop conducted by Epic Workshops. Participants will learn about the different types of leather, the various techniques involved in making leather goods and how leather can be recycled.
The offcut leather used in this workshop is made of cow hide.
Share a Memory: My Christmas Chronicles
- 10am – 5pm | Shorter Concourse, Level 1 | Free
Share with us your stories of Christmas! What customs and traditions do you practise with family and friends during this festive season? Pen your story and see how similar or different your Christmas celebrations are compared to other visitors!
National Museum Building Tour for Families
- 10.30am (45 min) | Rotunda, Level 1 | Free | Age 7 – 12
Join us on a learning journey around the museum and discover more interesting gems about this 132-year-old building.
Limited to 15 pairs of parent/grandparent and child on a first come, first served basis.
Pre-register here or register on-site from 10am at the Rotunda, Level 1.
Storytelling Sessions: Orang Laut Tales by MoonShadow Stories
- 2pm & 3.30pm (30 min per session) | Meeting Point: Entrance of the Exhibition Galleries, Basement Level | Free | Age 4 – 8
Climb on board our magnificent ship deck, and discover An Old New World through the eyes of some of Singapura’s earliest inhabitants, the Orang Laut. Be enthralled by the seafaring life of these skilled sailors and navigators who guided trading ships through the Straits waterways, and try your hand at making your own paper boat!
Presented in conjunction with An Old New World: From the East Indies to the Founding of Singapore, 1600s–1819.
No registration required. Limited to 25 children per session on a first come, first served basis.
Inter-generational Art Jamming Workshop
- 2.45pm (2 hrs) | Canyon, Basement Level | $8 per grandparent-child pair, $15 per parent-child pair, $5 per additional adult | Age 7 and above
Calling all grandparents/ parents and children! Contrary to popular belief, did you know that Singapore and its surrounding regions were less like a sleepy fishing village and more like a bustling Christmas market, before the arrival of the Europeans in 1819? Join sketch journal artist Tham Pui San as he brings you through the An Old New World special exhibition to explore the liveliness of this region, and guides you on the techniques and skills of using oil pastels as a medium to paint scenes inspired by the landscapes and objects of this period in history.
Presented in conjunction with An Old New World: From the East Indies to the Founding of Singapore, 1600s–1819.
Limited to 12 families. Register here
This programme is presented by the National Museum, in collaboration with ACE Seniors Pte Ltd.
“What’s Your Toy Story?” Campaign Booth
- 10am – 12.30pm & 2pm – 5pm | Glass Atrium, Level 2 | Free
This Christmas, children are invited to take part in the museum’s “What’s Your Toy Story?” campaign, and share with us stories of their treasured toys. Entries with the most interesting stories will stand a chance to be displayed in our Growing Up gallery in February! Check out the winning entries from the first run of the campaign here. Visit our booth to find out more and submit your entry for the second run of the campaign!
While at the booth, pick up a copy of our first interactive guide for families based on our permanent galleries! A suitable Christmas gift for children aged 5 to 8, Get Curious! – The Official Interactive Family Guide to the National Museum of Singapore presents information on our galleries and collection in a fun and accessible manner. Get your copy at a special price of $20 (U.P. $24.90) during our Christmas celebrations!
Image Credit: National Museum of Singapore
Age
4+
Price
Free
Links
Address
Singapore93 Stamford Road Bras Basah, South Singapore 178897
How to get there?
By MRT:
Bras Basah MRT Station (5-minute walk)
Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station (5-minute walk)
City Hall MRT Station (10-minute walk)