Musing About Museums

There’s more besides plain old sculptures and relics in Singapore’s museums. With the rise of unique museums in Singapore, Lifestyle Writer Sheryl Tay Shu Wei uncovers hidden gems to visit and discover the various facets of what our local culture has to offer.

By Sheryl Tay Shu Wei

With the summer break coming up in a jiffy, what better way to celebrate the start of holidays than by exploring some of Singapore’s unique museums? Museum-hopping is a great way to learn more about different cultures, interests and even local history. Singapore is home to some of the quirkiest museums in the world, and this is the best part: ticket prices are extremely affordable and sometimes even free.

PHOTO: SHERYL TAY

Museum Of Independent Music

Admission fee: $4

1B Aliwal Street
S199894

Opening Hours:
11am – 7pm daily

The Museum of Independent Music (MOIM) is an up-and-coming destination for local indie music lovers to check out. Opened in late March just this year, this museum pays homage to Singapore’s indie music scene that dates all the way back to the 1960s.

Indulging in old but gold tunes by the likes of The Oddfellows, The Quests and The Stoned Revivals, I learned more about the rich history and culture of the local indie music scene.

PHOTO: SHERYL TAY

Artefacts such as vinyl discs, cassette tapes, and even a guitar from veteran guitarist Suhaimi Subandie of the pioneer local hardcore band Stompin’ Ground, are on display in MOIM.

Past music events are documented through band merchandise and posters while upcoming concerts are publicised — this serves as a platform for local bands to showcase their music and achievements.

PHOTO: SHERYL TAY

What came across as something interesting to me was the section catered for aspiring local bands. This special corner that provides a step-by-step guide for them to advance in the industry, while taking reference from a seven-year-old local screamo band, Yumi.

Yumi is a five-piece band that has managed to break into the international market and is currently signed on to UK record label Dog Knight Productions. The carefully curated section includes band merchandise, concert posters, cassette tapes and even a rare vinyl disc from the band.

Take note though, the museum caters more towards alternative genres and not too much on mainstream pop local music. While I may not be very well-versed in the local indie music scene, it is indeed comforting to find out that there are avenues for the alternative genres to preserve their historical roots and even showcase up and coming pieces.

PHOTO: SHERYL TAY

Children Little Museum

Admission fee: $2

42 Bussorah Street
S199460

Opening Hours:
12pm – 8pm daily

If you are pining for the good old days, relive your childhood at Children Little Museum (CLM), where a huge collection of retro toys, school supplies and other knick-knacks await you.

Tucked away in a row of quiet shophouses in Kampong Glam, the first level of the two-storey shophouse features Trippies, a retail store selling all kinds of collectibles from vintage grandfather clocks to toys. What caught my eye was an old-school music jukebox and a black-and-white television that was on display. I didn’t know these items still exist in our modern era!

PHOTO: SHERYL TAY

The second level houses the museum — a treasure trove of memorabilia filled with toys and playthings from the 50s to 70s. Tin toys, big dolls, and plastic soldiers are just some of the items displayed in shelves, and visitors are allowed to play with them. There, I spotted familiar kampung games such as chapteh, which requires players to keep a rubber disc fixed with colourful feathers in the air by using only their feet. Also spotted was kuti kuti, a traditional children’s game where two opposing players take turns to deftly flip colourful plastic tokens on top of those of their opponent.

All these games really hit me with a sense of nostalgia — they were games that I used to play with my friends when I was in primary school. Seeing them again sure brought back waves of treasured good memories.

PHOTO: SHERYL TAY

Interactive exhibits such as a vintage hairdresser station, a kampung school and even a drink cart with soft drinks in glass bottles stand in corners of the room. Visitors can immerse in past memories while browsing through the many shelves of toys and can even play a game or two with some of the artifacts lying around. It is evident that the owners really poured their hearts and souls into preserving the childhood memories of the older generations.

For a keepsake, do take a picture with the groovy Vespa motorcycle back on the first floor after your visit. The staff will be more than happy to assist you in creating some happy memories in CLM.

Be prepared to be whisked away on a trip down the memory lane.

PHOTO: SHERYL TAY

Live Turtle And Tortoise Museum

Admission fee: $5

1 Chinese Garden Road
S619795

Opening Hours:
9am – 6pm daily

Animal lovers will be pleased to visit the Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum, which holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of tortoises and turtles.

PHOTO: SHERYL TAY

Just a 10-minute walk from Chinese Garden MRT, the museum is the perfect place for a family outing. Home to more than 800 turtles, tortoises and terrapins, visitors can get up close and personal with more than 50 different species, which include the rare snake-necked turtle and the golden softshell turtle of Asia.

Despite the numerous aquarium tanks and even open areas like a big pond for the turtles to swim in, the museum is odourless, making the whole experience very pleasant as visitors observe and learn more about the aquatic animals. What’s more, it’s a safe haven for abandoned terrapins who were abandoned by their owners.

PHOTO: SHERYL TAY

Children will enjoy interactive activities such as photo-taking opportunities with tortoises and terrapin feeding sessions, where food pellets and lettuce will be on sale ($1 for food pellets, $2 for lettuce). Be careful though, these creatures are very accustomed to human attention and may be a little nippy during feeding sessions.

I also managed to interact with the giant tortoises that were lounging about in the courtyard, under the sun. These gentle giants are tame and free to roam about on land, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with them for a chance to pet, feed and even snap pictures.

In a nutshell, my hour-long trip exploring the museum compound was filled with fun and interaction with many different species of turtles and tortoises — certainly well worth the entrance fee.

PHOTO: HILLARY TAN

Old Ford Factory Museum

Admission fee: $3
Free for all children under 6, Singaporeans and permanent residents, Singapore Student Pass holders and Museum Roundtable members.

351 Upper Bukit Timah Road
S588192

Opening Hours:
Monday to Saturday: 9.00 am – 5.30 pm
Sunday: 12pm – 5.30 pm

For the history buffs, take a trip down to Old Ford Factory Museum and learn more about Singapore’s dark times during the Japanese Occupation of 1942. Remembered by Singaporeans as the site where the British surrendered the country to the Japanese, this factory of the past is now a national monument that houses a permanent exhibition about Singapore under the Japanese rule.

PHOTO: HILLARY TAN

Packed with artefacts, war records and primary documents, the exhibition also shares an interactive archival holding featuring personal oral history recounts of those who had lived through the Japanese Occupation.

There were extremely life-like statues of Japanese soldiers on display, as well as realistic sculptures of the people present during war time. The bronze-coloured statues were made with extreme precision and intricacy — every feature was carved with amazing detail, and chills went down my spine as I looked into the eyes of these statues.

PHOTO: HILLARY TAN

Strategically placed at different corners of the exhibition area, the soldier statues emulated the actual feel of the Japanese Occupation, where people were always under the watchful eyes of the Japanese. This made for full immersion into the exhibition — I actually felt somewhat afraid as I went around reading various stories and anecdotes.

Outside the museum, a small garden is dedicated to crops grown during wartime such as tapioca, sweet potato and yam. While you cannot eat them, these produces on display allow visitors to learn more about the food eaten during Singapore’s dark times.

Being part of the National Archives of Singapore and the National Library Board, the museum is a good starting point for those who wish to educate themselves on the Japanese Occupation in Singapore. Free guided tours are available once daily on weekends, starting at 2pm and lasting till 3.30pm.