Raise your hands if you love travelling. I don’t know about you but just the thought of going on a trip gets me excited. Leveraging on this, the National Museum of Singapore has two new showcases that focus on what every Singaporean is passionate about — travel and food. The Now Boarding: Experiencing Singapore through Travel showcase will take you on a journey back in time to the 1800s to 2000s. The best part, it’s all free!
The exhibition opens on 27 May 2023, and will offer perspectives about Singapore as a popular travel destination for travellers across the last two centuries. Set against the backdrop of Singapore’s colonial past and post-independence, get ready for a one-of-a-kind learning journey of Singapore’s every-evolving travel landscape.
The first place that comes to mind when you say the word “travel” is Changi Airport. Synonymous with the airport is the iconic flight information flip board — which many people have taken their pre-flight pictures under. It’s a pity that the Solari boards have been replaced by electronic boards.
If you’re like me and you miss seeing the flip board, you’ll now get a chance to see the boards up close. The 5.3m tall flip board will greet you as you enter the museum. The boards also have a customised message that reminds you to “check-in” and get your “boarding pass” to enter the exhibition — it’s almost like you’re going on an actual flight.
The exhibition is split into three sections. The first section, Getting Around, explores Singapore’s reputation as a global hub. Here, you’ll get to see how people used to travel around Singapore in the past. If you thought getting around in a private hire car was hard enough, imagine trying to get around on a trishaw or rickshaw. You’ll also get to see a display of Singapore Airlines’ iconic first-generation suites cabin seat from its A380 aircraft — enjoy it while you can because we reckon this will be as close as we can get to riding in first class.
As with every vacation, you’re going to need a place to rest for the night. The second section is aptly called A Place to Stay, and it features some of the most atas hotels in Singapore like Raffles Hotel and Marina Bay Sands. Make sure to scan your boarding pass to enjoy some lounge music while you wander around and interact with the objects in this section.
As described by a Lonely Planet guide to Singapore, our love for food is something of an obsession — facts. The Eating Out section of the exhibit captures our vibrant hawker culture. If you’ve never stepped food into your own kitchen before, you’ll be totally lost here. You’ll see a range of kitchen utensils and tools used by hawkers, as well as an array of Kopitiam cups, drinking glasses, soft drink bottles and advertisement trays. Just looking at these items will transport you back to your carefree childhood days.
No vacation is complete without going shopping and sightseeing. The Sights and Shopping will showcase some of Singapore’s coolest and most vibrant entertainment spots. For all you Gen Z-ers who think your parents didn’t have fun in the past, you’ll wanna take your words back. Prepare to be amazed at how exciting the entertainment scene was back in the day. There’s even a disco-themed room for you to do the boogie woogie.
Are you ready for a trip down memory lane?
Now Boarding: Experiencing Singapore Through Travel
???? 93 Stamford Road, National Museum of Singapore Exhibition Gallery, Singapore 178897
???? 10am—7pm (Daily)
????️ 27 May to 19 Nov
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Photos by Cindy Abner
I'm either mean or a meme, there's no in between.