After nearly a year of anticipation, the National Museum of Singapore reopens its iconic rotunda with a multi-sensory installation that reimagines 700 years of Singapore’s past and future.
Singapore’s oldest museum is retelling a familiar tale, but this time, it begins with the sea.
Opening 8 August 2025, Singapore Odyssea: A Journey Through Time invites you to journey across centuries in an immersive, time-travelling voyage through Singapore’s rich and layered history.
Housed in the newly renamed Shaw Foundation Glass Rotunda, this installation replaces the beloved Story of the Forest with a four-part animated experience spanning pre-colonial Singapore to imagined futures guided by light, sound, and the sea.
The Rising Tide Of Change
Presented as the National Museum’s SG60 gift to the nation, Singapore Odyssea offers more than a recounting of the past. It links Singapore’s transformation to the natural forces that shaped it, guided by one enduring element: water.
You’ll begin your exploration in a cabin overlooking a reimagined tomorrow: lush, green, and powered by connection. Then, descend through a spiral ramp that unfolds a visual narrative of Singapore’s journey. It all starts with a suspended LED globe – the first of its kind in any local museum – and a two-minute light show tracing centuries of maritime exchanges.
Next, watch stories come to life through animated projections and interactive touchpoints. Relive defining milestones like the inaugural National Day Parade, or the coastal roots of ancient Singapura.
At the rotunda’s base, your experience culminates in a multisensory finale: a digital waterfall, a ripple-reactive floor, and responsive media that bring time and memory together.
Don’t Forget Your Personal Guide!
As you step into the exhibition, you’ll receive a personalised RFID-enabled wristband. This will serve as more than just your entry pass, it becomes your interactive guide. With it, you can ‘adopt’ one of nine mythical animal companions, inspired by native species like the pangolin, hornbill, and crab. These digital guides light your path, trigger hidden animations, and respond to your movements as you explore.
At the final installation, you’ll be invited to release your chosen creature into a digital “well” — a symbolic act that ties into the exhibition’s deeper reflection on sustainability. This experience is featured alongside an immersive story where myths of legendary creatures such as the giant tide-moving crab, and the magical tree of life Pauh Janggi.
“The launch of Singapore Odyssea in the momentous year of SG60 is an opportune time to revisit our nation’s remarkable journey, while reflecting on our relationship with the environment,” says Principal Curator Priscilla Chua. “We encourage visitors to draw connections between the evolution of Singapore’s natural environment through the ages, with urgent global challenges like climate change.”
Celebrating SG60 At Singapore’s National Museum
Singapore Odyssea is one of several key installations launching this August. The museum will also host Once Upon A Tide, a commemorative exhibition exploring Singapore’s maritime history, and Canvas of Light: Our Nation’s Journey, a large-scale projection show on the museum’s façade on 9 August.
Live performances, LEGO installations, and art activities are also planned for the SG60 weekend, making it an ideal time to revisit the museum grounds, or experience them for the first time.
Admission to Singapore Odyssea is free for Singaporeans and PRs.
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