The National Museum of Singapore proudly showcases this heritage inside a Neoclassical building and a year-old, glass-and-steel addition.
Designed by Colonel Sir H.E. McCallum, the museum first opened in 1887 when Singapore belonged to the British Straits Settlements.
In 2000, the government decided to double the museum’s capacity and update its contents without demolishing previous expansions.
The museum underwent refurbishment for three-and-a-half years and it was opened after the renovation on 2nd Dec 2006. On the 8th of Dec in the same year, the Singapore History Gallery was also opened in the museum. Singapore's President, Sir S R Nathan officially opened the revamped Museum.
There are four national museums in Singapore and this is one among them. The museum got its name as the National Museum in the year 1965. Earlier it was called Raffles Library and Museum. In its early years, the museum was renowned for its zoological and ethnographic collections from South-east Asia.