ACM (Asian Civilisations Museum)

31/05/2026

– with the Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore

Vesak Day is observed by Buddhist communities around the world to commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana (freedom from reincarnation) of the Buddha. It falls on the full moon of Vaisakha, the second month of the Hindu-Buddhist calendar, in April or May. In Singapore, Buddhists mark the occasion by visiting monasteries and temples to make offerings, pray, and meditate. Many also observe the Five Precepts and follow a vegetarian diet. Devotees offer food or alms to monks, listen to talks on Buddhist teachings, and organise cultural performances.

Other practices include the “three steps, one bow” ritual held at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery on Bright Hill Road. During the ritual, devotees prostrate themselves after every third step as an act of devotion, humility, and perseverance.

28/05/2026

Play and have fun while discovering the history of games at our first playable exhibition this long weekend ☝️

Enjoy FREE admission on 30 & 31 May, and 6 & 7 June 🎟️✨

📍’Let’s Play!’, Asian Civilisation Museum
📅 Closes on 7 June 2026
🎲 Get tickets now at go.gov.sg/tickets-acm

26/05/2026

Tap and hold to find out which artefact is calling out to you ✨

Don’t keep it waiting — plan a trip down to see it in person!

Enjoy FREE admission on 30 & 31 May, and 6 & 7 June ‼️

📍’Let’s Play!’, Asian Civilisation Museum
📅 Closes on 7 June 2026
🎲 Get tickets now at go.gov.sg/tickets-acm

22/05/2026

POV: Your museum trip turns into a Roblox quest 👀

🐘 Team up with Lucky the Elephant to search for legendary treasures in Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games
🏆 Complete the onsite ACMverse quest to unlock a real-life reward
🏎️ Play TWO mini games – speed through Let’s Race and dodge your way through Let’s Obby
🎮 Available on Roblox now till 7 June!

Enter ACMverse here: https://go.gov.sg/acmverse

22/05/2026

This inaugural showcase features student projects from Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design.

Developed in collaboration with the School’s Product and Experience Design programme, the ten projects explore how games can be redesigned for a new generation of digitally savvy seniors, as well as how play can be used to engage audiences with Singapore’s heritage.

With support from the museum through guided visits to Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games, students explored different aspects of traditional and contemporary games from Asia, inspiring the ideas and designs featured in this showcase.

21/05/2026

Get ready for a weekend of big play and even bigger ideas. Jump into hands-on games, lively performances, and drop-in crafts where everyday materials are reused, remade and transformed into something surprising – inspired by stories and ideas from our galleries. Expect colour, movement and a little bit of mess.

Enjoy free entry to Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games on 30 & 31 May, 6 & 7 June. Don’t miss the exhibition before it closes!

For more details, visit go.gov.sg/csatacm26

20/05/2026

Ever wondered what your little one gets up to on a fun day out? 👀👶

Take this as your sign to relive your own childhood memories — and make new ones together! Join us on a trip filled with games, laughter, and family fun 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧
Don't miss out before it's too late, come spend a family day out with us!

📍 'Let's Play!', Asian Civilisations Museum
📅 Closing 7 June 2026
🎲 Get your tickets now at go.gov.sg/tickets-acm

17/05/2026

Rally up your friends and spend the day at Let’s Play ! 🙌

Challenge each other, explore the exhibition, and turn a regular hangout into a full day of play before it closes in less than a month!

📍’Let’s Play!’, Asian Civilisation Museum
📅 Closing on 7 June 2026
🎲 Get tickets now at go.gov.sg/tickets-acm

15/05/2026

Games, gallery adventures, and hands-on workshops await this school holiday at ACM! Discover sustainability with an Asian games twist through creative, imaginative play for the whole family.

Free admission to Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games on 30–31 May and 6–7 June.

See you at Children’s Season: Play On!🎈
30–31 May
10am–5pm

For more details, visit https://go.gov.sg/csatacm26

12/05/2026

As more seniors become comfortable with digital technologies, engagement through physical and spatial play remains central to healthy and meaningful ageing. Digital tools can support cognitive engagement, but how might games also encourage movement, tactile interaction, and shared, in-person experiences?

This talk explores how designers and educators in Singapore are rethinking games through universal design. Drawing on recent projects and research, the speakers consider how play can be made more accessible and engaging for older audiences – without losing its social and physical dimensions.

Presented alongside the ACM Education Collaboration Showcase 2026 (22–24 May), featuring student projects from Temasek Polytechnic’s Product and Experience Design programme.

The talk and showcase are organised in conjunction with Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games, on view at ACM till 7 June 2026.

Thursday, 21 May 2026, 7– 8pm
Ngee Ann Auditorium
Asian Civilisations Museum
Light refreshments will be served from 6pm at the basement foyer.

THIS TALK IS FREE.
Registration (with a $10 refundable deposit) is required.
Register here: https://reimagininggames.peatix.com/

09/05/2026

Can you guess what they were before the reveal?

These games weren’t just meant for play, they were also seen as a form of creative expression through cultural influence.

Discover more uniquely designed pieces in real life at

📍‘Let’s Play!’, Asian Civilisation Museum
📅 Now till 7 June 2026
🎲 Get tickets now at go.gov.sg/tickets-acm

07/05/2026

We caught up with visitors at Let's Play! - and they've got a lot to say about our first exhibition on Asian board games.

Don't just take their word for it. Come find out for yourself! 🎲

📍’Let’s Play!’, Asian Civilisation Museum
📅Now till 7 June 2026
🎲Get tickets now at go.gov.sg/tickets-acm

06/05/2026

When passion meets AI… things can get competitive ⚡

Meet Jasmin, former captain of Singapore Polytechnic Mindsports (SPMS) Weiqi and current head of Singapore Polytechnic Japan Cultural Club (SPJCC) Shogi Club. We put her up against an AI in a game of Weiqi, and let's just say… the AI didn't see it coming.

Thinking of taking up the challenge yourself? Schedule your visit now!

📍’Let’s Play!’, Asian Civilisation Museum
📅 Now till 7 June 2026
🎲 Get tickets now at go.gov.sg/tickets-acm

05/05/2026

Discover how tea travelled across oceans and became part of life in bustling port cities. Join us to sip and uncover fascinating maritime stories at ACM!

Singapore HeritageFest at ACM
1–24 May 2026
Programmes: 9 & 16 May, 5–8pm
Museum extended hours: 2, 9, 16, 23 May, 10am–9pm
Free all-access admission: 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23 May, 5–9pm

Free and ticketed activities available

05/05/2026

04/05/2026

Join curators Noorashikin Zulkifli and Malvika Agarwal on an exclusive tour of the “Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games” special exhibition. Gain special insights into exhibition highlights and hear behind-the-scenes stories from the curatorial process.

Curator Tours: Let's Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games
6 May 2026, 7.30pm
$25 per ticket (Registration required – limited slots available on Culture Pass)
Culture Pass: https://www.sgculturepass.gov.sg/events/9063330152669?lang=en
Peatix: https://peatix.com/event/4968299?lang=en-sg

24/04/2026

Don’t have anything planned for Labour Day yet? How about a board game day out? 👀

Swing by ‘Let’s Play!’, a playable exhibition where you can have fun (and get a little competitive) all while learning the art and design of Asian board games 🙌

📍'Let’s Play!', Asian Civilisations Museum
📅 Now till 7 June 2026
🎲Get tickets now at go.gov.sg/tickets-acm

20/04/2026

– with Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore and The Bahá'í Faith Singapore

Riḍván is a twelve-day celebration marked by the Bahá’í community as the founding of the Bahá’í Faith. It commemorates Bahá’u’lláh’s declaration as a manifestation of God during the twelve days he spent in a garden along the Tigris River in preparation for his exile from Baghdad to Constantinople in April 1863. He named the garden “Riḍván”, meaning paradise. Riḍván is also when Bahá’í communities worldwide elect their governing bodies.

15/04/2026

Meet Singapore’s youngest Grandmaster — Siddharth Jagadeesh.

From learning the game at 6 to competing on the world stage, his journey is a testament to years of discipline, resilience, and sharp thinking.

A new generation of chess talent is rising — and Singapore is on the board. 🇸🇬

📍’Let’s Play!’, Asian Civilisation Museum
📅 Now till 7 June 2026
🎲 Get tickets now at go.gov.sg/tickets-acm

08/04/2026

Wood? Seashells? Stone?

Mahjong tiles weren’t always what you think 🀄
Swipe through to uncover what they were really made of and how they evolved across cultures over time.

From hand-carved animal bone to modern materials, every tile tells a story of craftsmanship, adaptation, and regional identity.

📍‘Let’s Play!’, Asian Civilisation Museum
📅 Now till 7 June 2026
🎲 Get tickets now at go.gov.sg/tickets-acm

07/04/2026

We’ve expanded "Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games" with exciting new additions! Visit the Special Exhibitions Gallery and L2 Foyer to discover:

A Legacy of Local Weiqi: Get up close to the historic 1988 Ing Cup championship table, used right here in Singapore and donated by the Singapore Weiqi Association. Then, step into the world of mind sports through video interviews with players and enthusiasts, including 15-year-old Chen Yihang, who just made history as the first Singaporean to be awarded a professional 1-dan ranking from the Nihon Ki-in.

SJ60 Shogi Showcase: In celebration of 60 years of Singapore-Japan diplomatic relations, immerse yourself in the world of shogi through the award-winning Japanese manga and anime series "March Comes in Like a Lion", and learn about the Eiou Championship, a major professional shogi title that was recently contested in Singapore.

🎟️ Get tickets to Let’s Play! at go.gov.sg/tickets-acm

03/04/2026

– with Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore

Christians commemorate Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, as the day Jesus Christ was crucified. This solemn occasion is a time for reflection on Jesus’ suffering and his sacrifice for the sins of the world. The date ranges between 20 March and 23 April according to the Gregorian calendar. Churches in Singapore hold special services, and many Christians observe Lent, a 40-day period of prayer, fasting, and repentance.

Easter Sunday, celebrated on the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion, marks his resurrection from the dead. It is the most important festival in the Christian calendar, expressing the triumph of life over death. Christians attend church and join their families for an Easter meal. In some cultures, traditional foods such as roast lamb are prepared, recalling biblical themes of sacrifice and deliverance.

02/04/2026

Save the date – Crossing Cultures is back! Explore curiosities across time and space through a gathering of emerging creators, performers, and creative voices from today’s cultural landscape. 🌟 Look out for The Sanctuary by , gallery immersions, and picnics on the ACM Green!

Fri, 10 April, 5–9.30pm
Sat & Sun, 11–12 April, 2–9.30pm

LAUNCH: ACM x UTme! features exclusive T-shirt designs by Singapore artists, inspired by ACM's collection with a fantastical twist. View the designs at the Level 1 Lobby pop-up by , , .dex, , and Djohan/Knuckles & Notch; curated by .

Stand a chance to win an ACM x UTme! tote bag. Limited quantities available during programme days.

31/03/2026

The veneration of ancestors lay at the heart of social and spiritual life among the Peranakans of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia from the seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries.

While this might seem to suggest a strict continuation of archaic Chinese tradition, the integration of ancestral shrines within domestic architecture in the port cities of island Southeast Asia over this period instigated dynamic adaptations and improvisations of this tradition. These varied responses reveal that Peranakan cultural life was not static and traditional, but in fact modern and global.

Join independent scholar Peter Lee as he explores how ancestral altars and the rumah abu (a hall or house with the family’s ancestral altar), illuminate the ways Peranakan communities adapted inherited traditions to the cosmopolitan world of Southeast Asia’s port cities.

Thursday, 9 April 2026, 7–8pm
Ngee Ann Auditorium
Asian Civilisations Museum

THIS TALK IS FREE.
Registration (with a $10 refundable deposit) is required.
Register here: https://9apr2026.peatix.com/

24/03/2026

Some people lose their marbles over this game—quite literally.

Congkak and its variants bring players together across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines - this is a game for everyone, regardless of age and background.

🎲 Visit “Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games” to discover the history of this uniquely shaped game.
📍Let’s Play, Asian Civilisations Museum
📅 Now till 7 June 2026
🎲 Find out more here: go.gov.sg/acm-letsplay