Starting this September, the Museum Roundtable (MR) will be commemorating its milestone anniversary with a celebration of programmes, 25 years since its formation by the National Heritage Board (NHB) to encourage a museum-going culture amongst Singaporeans.

The MR was first established in 1996 as part of NHB’s ongoing efforts to develop a vibrant and diverse museum landscape in Singapore, and to position museums as unique cultural destinations. Since then, it has grown to comprise more than 60 public and private museums and heritage galleries members, spanning diverse categories of focus and interest: Art, Culture & Community, Defence, Healthcare, Lifestyles & Collectibles, National History and Science & Innovation.

To kick off the celebrations, the MR is rolling out a series of Mystery Museum Tours which will take place each weekend from 4 to 26 September 2021, and will take the public on a journey of exploration through selected museums in Singapore, including lesser-known ones. The celebrations will culminate in a Museum Roundtable 25th Anniversary Traveling Exhibition in November with educational and fun-filled activities that can be enjoyed by families and children as it travels to various public spaces across Singapore.

Ms Chang Hwee Nee, Chief Executive of NHB and Chairperson of the Museum Roundtable, said: “The MR has grown immensely to welcome many new members over the past 25 years, reaching its highest membership of 62 museums this year. We enjoy a close working relationship with all of them, and together, we have been able to organise countless exciting programmes to enliven Singapore’s museum-going culture over the decades. With the September school holidays approaching, we wanted to let Singaporeans rediscover our vibrant museum and heritage landscape by putting a new spin on the museum-going experience and injecting an element of surprise with our Mystery Museum Tours.”

Visitors can embark on an adventure with a series of Mystery Museum Tours (4 to 26 September, 2021)

The Mystery Museum Tours, organised in collaboration with 10 MR members, will be based around three themes of “Fashion Confessions”, “Mythical Creatures” and “Hidden Secrets”, with a total of 34 tour runs. Each theme will feature a unique itinerary and offer different insights into the collections and workings of the participating MR members. Members of the public can sign up for the themes which interest them, and the exact museum(s) will only be revealed to participants on the day of the visit. Here’s what participants can expect on the tours:

• ●  Fashion Confessions (two routes)
  Tour duration: 2.5 – 3 hours
  Tour format: Bus tour with visit to two mystery museums (includes guided tour and hands-on activities during the bus ride and at the museums)
  Tour ticket fees: $20 per person

Look for your next runway inspiration as this tour brings you through the fashion artefacts on display in some of Singapore’s museums, and showcases the history of fashion and its cultural significance in Asia. Participants will learn about the stories, significance and craftsmanship behind fashion artefacts, such as garments, headpieces, jewellery and other accessories, and explore the ways in which these artefacts empower identities and strengthen community ties.

• ●  Mythical Creatures
  Tour duration: 2.5 – 3 hours
  Tour format: Bus tour with visit to two mystery museums (includes guided tour and hands-on activities during the bus ride and at the museums)
  Tour ticket fees: $20 per person

Prepare for a magical adventure as this tour brings you on a search for fantastic creatures hidden within Singapore’s museums. Participants will learn about the practices and beliefs behind the deities and protective guardians in South and Southeast Asian myths, and the significance of these mythical characters in their respective cultures and communities.

• ●  Hidden Secrets
  Tour duration: 1 – 1.5 hours
  Tour format: Guided tour of one mystery museum (includes hands-on activities) Tour ticket fees: $10 per person

Registration for the Mystery Museum Tours will begin on 30 August 2021, 12 noon, at https://mysterymuseumtours.peatix.com, on a first-come-first-served basis. More information on the tours is also available on www.go.gov.sg/mr25. As a precaution during this Preparatory Stage of Transition to Endemic COVID-19, each tour will be limited to a maximum of 10 participants. Participants will also be required to observe the necessary safe management measures throughout the tours. Details on the applicable safe management measures will be sent to participants upon registration.

Museum Roundtable 25th Anniversary Travelling Exhibition (November to December 2021)

To complete the celebration, NHB will be collaborating with more than 20 MR members to co-present a travelling exhibition that showcases milestone achievements of the MR and individual artefact highlights from participating MR members. The travelling exhibition will launch in November, and travel across various venues until December 2021.

Apart from viewing the unique collections of various museums, visitors also stand a chance to win museum gifts and vouchers for use at the participating MR museums. The travelling exhibition is intended to promote greater public awareness of the diversity of museums in Singapore, and encourage more people to visit the museums and galleries. More details on the exhibition will be shared later in the year.