Welcome to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum!

The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum is one of the newest yet oldest museum in Singapore. Opened in April 2015, the museum inherits much of its natural history collection from its predecessor, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR), whose collection of course stems from the original Raffles Museum that was renamed the National Museum of Singapore in 1965.

Exhibition Gallery

The exhibition gallery of the museum is divided into 2 floors of about 2,500 sq m. The main floor is about the history and diversity of life on Earth, with a strong emphasis on Southeast Asian plants and animals. Take a trip back in time as we transport you to the beginning of life on earth and watch as this slowly transforms into the diversity that we now see.

Come and be enthralled by the myriad of colours and forms of plants and animals in 16 different thematic zones from PLANTS and AMPHIBIANS to MAMMALS and DINOSAURS. 
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Heritage Gallery

On the mezzanine floor, we have two main areas. The HERITAGE GALLERY showcases plant and animal material from the original Raffles Museum, including many iconic specimens from Singapore! SINGAPORE TODAY displays the geology of the island, and highlights the efforts by agencies to conserve the island’s natural heritage!
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The above galleries are internal exhibits and entry can only be via tickets. BUT! Surrounding the museum are four specially designed gardens freely accessible to members of the public. The PHYLOGENETIC GARDEN which stretches around most of its periphery showcases how plants and habitats have evolved; and we have included native plants as far as possible.

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The MANGROVES, SWAMPS AND DRYLAND FOREST section features some of the unique plants which are specially adapted to inundated soils or the mangrove habitat. The BEACH TO LAND FOREST landscaped area has a selection of plants that exist from a rainforest to a coastal habitat.
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The entire gallery is designed along the central themes of heritage and scientific information. That been said, we have adopted a somewhat different approach in selecting and presenting the material. The exhibits are mostly research specimens from the collection, as well as heritage displays from the old Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and the old National Museum. It is designed to evoke excitement and interest in the diversity of life. We have taken a very “specimen-based” approach to the gallery – we strongly believe the experiential part of the visit is very important!

 

While we have included information on almost all the exhibits in the gallery itself, we have focussed on their scientific names and history. It is always tricky to ensure enough information is presented but not to make it too tedious. After all, each visitor has different interests and knowledge levels. As such, we have created a special web-based link that allows visitors, using their smartphones or personal web-browsing devices to search for more information as and when they desire it. Every exhibit has a special coded number (XX-XX) which is linked to a museum webpage that contains additional data, and often a photograph as well.

 

The gallery layout, weblinks and other virtual connections will be made operational on the day of the public opening! We are in the midst of finalising content – and more importantly – testing out the systems to make sure the visitor has a hassle-free experience!