National Heritage Board

What National Heritage Board does

The National Heritage Board (NHB) is a Singapore statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), formed on 1 August 1993 through the merger of the National Archives, National Museum and Oral History Department. As the custodian of Singapore's heritage, NHB operates eight national museums and heritage institutions directly — National Museum of Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, The Peranakan Museum, Children's Museum Singapore, Malay Heritage Centre, Indian Heritage Centre, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, Changi Chapel and Museum, and Reflections at Bukit Chandu — and oversees the HeritageSG subsidiary (launched 1 August 2024) which manages additional precincts and signature festivals. NHB also stewards the National Collection of 100,000+ digitised artefacts (accessible via Roots.gov.sg), gazettes and protects 75 National Monuments under the Preservation of Monuments Act, and supports Singapore's two UNESCO inscriptions: Singapore Botanic Gardens (World Heritage Site, 2015) and Hawker Culture (Intangible Cultural Heritage, December 2020).

NHB's operating model is government-funded (MCCY budget allocation) with free admission for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents at all national museums, supplemented by donations, special exhibition ticketing, and MUSEUM LABEL retail merchandise. Its technology and digital surface includes Roots.gov.sg as a one-stop heritage portal, DigiMuse as a digital-innovation open-call programme since 2017, BALIKSG Augmented Reality trail (2019, with National Parks Board), mobile telepresence robots deployed at three heritage institutions (a first in Asia, 2019), and the BookMuseums@SG e-service for school cohort bookings. Community engagement runs through Heritage Activation Nodes, Heritage Champions volunteers (including Friends of the Museums, Mandarin Docents, Japanese Docents), the Youth Panel (ages 18-35), the Heritage Businesses Scheme, and the 50+ member Museum Roundtable collective. Strategic direction is set by Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0 (2023-2027) across four pillars: Heritage X Identity, Heritage X Community, Heritage X Industry, Heritage X Innovation.

Name

National Heritage Board

Legal name

National Heritage Board

Website

https://nhb.gov.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Singapore statutory board under MCCY operating eight national museums and heritage institutions, stewarding the National Collection of 100,000+ artefacts and 75 National Monuments, coordinating heritage festivals, community programmes, and the 50+ member Museum Roundtable across Singapore.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Heritage Administration and Museum Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120), Museums (71211)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Monuments, Statues & Memorials (THAJACAB)

Keywords

• National heritage preservation
• Museum and heritage institutions
• Cultural heritage education
• Community heritage engagement
• Monuments conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, NHB receives government funding to support its mandate of preserving and celebrating Singapore's heritage.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: NHB accepts donations through online platforms (Giving.sg), cheque donations, artefact donations, and in-kind support to support museum operations and heritage initiatives.
3. Museum Retail (Museum Label): MUSEUM LABEL creates and sells cultural products inspired by Singapore's National Collection through retail merchandise at museum shops.
4. Special Exhibition Admissions: While Singapore Citizens and PRs enjoy free admission to national museums year-round, special exhibitions may have admission fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The National Heritage Board (NHB) is a Singapore statutory board that preserves and celebrates Singapore's shared heritage. It directly operates national museums and heritage institutions, curates the National Collection of 100,000+ artefacts, manages 75 National Monuments, runs heritage festivals and community programmes, administers heritage grants, and provides digital access to heritage through Roots.gov.sg. NHB also coordinates the Museum Roundtable ecosystem of 50+ museums and supports Singapore's UNESCO inscriptions.

Product overview

The National Heritage Board (NHB) operates as a statutory board managing Singapore's heritage ecosystem comprising national museums, heritage institutions, digital platforms, community programmes, and festivals. Its portfolio includes four national museums (National Museum of Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, The Peranakan Museum, Children's Museum Singapore), five heritage institutions (Malay Heritage Centre, Indian Heritage Centre, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, Changi Chapel and Museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu), plus the Singapore Philatelic Museum. Supporting infrastructure includes the Heritage Conservation Centre for artefact preservation and Roots.gov.sg as a digital heritage portal. NHB runs signature festivals (Singapore HeritageFest, Singapore Night Festival, Children's Season), community engagement through Heritage Activation Nodes, grants schemes, the Museum Roundtable collective of 50+ museums, and strategic planning via Our SG Heritage Plan. Subsidiary HeritageSG manages additional heritage sites. The MUSEUM LABEL brand handles retail merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HeritageSG: Subsidiary of NHB launched on 1 August 2024 to manage heritage operations including Bras Basah Bugis precinct, Changi Chapel and Museum, Children's Museum Singapore, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Singapore HeritageFest, and Singapore Night Festival.

Products and services

• National Museum of Singapore Singapore's oldest national museum and national icon presenting the Singapore story through galleries and exhibitions connecting past, present and future generations. Free admission for Singapore Citizens and PRs.
• Asian Civilisations Museum Museum covering 5,000 years of Asian history and culture from West Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia to East Asia, located at Empress Place.
• The Peranakan Museum Boutique museum on Armenian Street focusing on the colourful history of Peranakans in Singapore with one of the world's best collections of Peranakan culture.
• Children's Museum Singapore First museum in Singapore dedicated to children 12 years and below, functioning as a 'starter museum' to introduce young visitors and families to museum-going experience.
• Singapore Philatelic Museum Museum dedicated to philately, showcasing Singapore's stamp history and collection. Wholly-owned subsidiary of NHB since 2000.
• Malay Heritage Centre Heritage centre dedicated to preserving and showcasing Malay culture and heritage in Singapore, located in Kampong Gelam.
• Indian Heritage Centre Centre tracing the history of Indian and South Asian communities in Southeast Asian regions through exhibitions and programmes.
• Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall Memorial hall dedicated to Dr Sun Yat Sen and his local supporters, highlighting Singapore and Nanyang's role in the 1911 Revolution.
• Changi Chapel and Museum Museum focusing on wartime period experiences during Japanese Occupation, 1942-1945.
• Reflections at Bukit Chandu World War II interpretative centre focusing on the last battle of the Malay Regiment.
• Heritage Conservation Centre Purpose-built facility in Jurong housing centralised conservation laboratories for object, painting and textile artefacts, plus scientific analysis and research capabilities.
• Roots.gov.sg One-stop heritage resource portal providing access to over 100,000 digitised artefacts from the National Collection, heritage trails, National Monuments, stories, and multimedia content.
• HeritageSG Subsidiary of NHB launched on 1 August 2024 managing heritage sites including Bras Basah Bugis area, Changi Chapel and Museum, Children's Museum Singapore, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Singapore HeritageFest, and Singapore Night Festival.
• MUSEUM LABEL Retail brand of NHB museum shops creating cultural products inspired by Singapore's National Collection, offering heritage-inspired merchandise at museums and heritage institutions.
• Singapore HeritageFest Annual heritage festival raising awareness and appreciation of Singapore's rich heritage, managed by HeritageSG.
• Singapore Night Festival Annual cultural extravaganza featuring spectacular performances and activities across heritage sites, managed by HeritageSG.
• Heritage Activation Nodes (HAN) Community nodes empowering local residents to celebrate and champion their neighbourhood's heritage through volunteer-led programmes and activations in neighbourhoods including Clementi, Telok Blangah, and Tiong Bahru.
• Heritage Trails Guided heritage trails exploring various Singapore neighbourhoods including Tampines, Little India, Bedok, Hougang, and others.
• Heritage Grants Scheme Grant schemes promoting greater community ownership and participation in heritage content creation, including Minor and Major Project Grants, Heritage Research Grant, and Organisation Transformation Grant.
• Museum Roundtable Collective of over 50 public and private museums established in 1996 to promote museum-going culture and develop museum professionals in Singapore.
• Heritage Businesses Scheme Scheme supporting time-honoured heritage businesses as community anchors, providing brand visibility, markers of heritage status, and business support.
• Stewards of Intangible Cultural Heritage Award Award recognising ICH practitioners dedicated to promotion and transmission of intangible cultural heritage practices, with S$5,000 cash prize and up to S$20,000 project funding.
• SG Culture Pass MCCY initiative providing S$100 credits to Singapore Citizens for offsetting ticket purchases to eligible arts and heritage activities and programmes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 artefacts digitised from National Collection and accessible online
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• HeritageSGflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024HeritageSG is a subsidiary set up under NHB, launched on 1 August 2024. It manages heritage programming including Singapore Heritage Fest and Singapore Night Festival, managing heritage institutions at Bras Basah Bugis, Changi Chapel & Museum, Children's Museum Singapore, and Reflections at Bukit Chandu.
• Lien FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with Lien Foundation to create 'Reunion' - a dedicated social space for seniors at National Museum of Singapore. The purpose-built inclusive space is designed for seniors, including those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia, to engage in meaningful activities inspired by the museum's collection.
• National Environment AgencyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2020Collaborated with National Environment Agency on the successful UNESCO inscription of Hawker Culture in Singapore on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 16 December 2020. The two-year nomination journey involved strong collaboration between NHB, NEA, Federation of Merchants' Associations, and public community support.
• Federation of Merchants' Associations, SingaporeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2020Partnered with Federation of Merchants' Associations, Singapore for the successful UNESCO inscription of Hawker Culture in Singapore on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
• National Parks BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019NHB and National Parks Board co-presented BALIKSG, an augmented reality (AR) trail for the Singapore Bicentennial Commemoration that brought visitors on an immersive journey along the Singapore River and around Fort Canning.
• Ministry of Culture, Community and YouthflagshipOthersNHB is a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). MCCY oversees the heritage sector and coordinates national cultural policies including SG Culture Pass initiative.
• Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsian Civilisations Museum co-organised the Terracotta Warriors exhibition with Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau and Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center, bringing the exhibition to Southeast Asia for the first time in 2011.
• Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHB works with MOE through close, long-term collaborations on heritage education programmes, school learning journeys, and curriculum-aligned museum-based learning for primary and secondary schools.
• Museum Roundtable Members (50+ museums)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum Roundtable is a collective established by NHB in 1996 to promote museum-going culture. Members comprise over 50 public and private museums collaborating on exhibitions, festivals, programmes and best practices.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga: New Zealand's Crown entity responsible for identifying, protecting, and promoting historic places. Most directly comparable to NHB as a government heritage agency with statutory protection authority, monument/heritage site registration, and public education mandates.
• National Museum of Australia: Australian Government-operated national museum chartered to preserve, interpret, and share Australian heritage through exhibitions and community programmes. Parallels NHB's mandate of curating a national collection and running educational outreach for a young, multicultural nation-state.
• Smithsonian Institution: US federally-chartered complex of 21 museums, galleries, and a zoo that curates national collections and operates multiple heritage-facing institutions. Comparable to NHB as a government-backed multi-museum operator with mandate-driven stewardship of national artefacts and monuments.
• National Palace Museum (Taiwan): Taiwan's national museum housing one of the world's largest collections of Chinese imperial artefacts, with strong digitisation and exhibition programming. Comparable to NHB in operating a major national collection, digital portal, and curated public exhibitions.
• Australian National Maritime Museum: Australian Government-operated national museum focused on maritime heritage, comparable to NHB's specialty heritage institutions (Changi Chapel, Reflections at Bukit Chandu). Both are government-funded specialty museums with strong educational programming.
• National Trust for England, Wales and Northern Ireland: UK charity operating hundreds of historic houses, gardens, and monuments with a stewardship mandate similar to NHB's role over 75 National Monuments. Both organisations are anchor heritage institutions combining conservation, public access, and educational programming.
• National Museum of Korea: South Korea's national museum operated under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, housing national collections and providing exhibitions on Korean history and culture. Comparable to NHB in operating a flagship national museum under government oversight with substantial digitised collections.
• Korea Heritage Service: South Korean government agency responsible for cultural heritage policy, including UNESCO nominations, ICH inscription stewardship, and management of national heritage sites. Closely parallels NHB's role in Singapore's UNESCO inscriptions and National Monument protection.

Broad incumbents

• British Museum: Long-established globally dominant museum with free general admission and major international exhibitions. Comparable to NHB as a flagship national museum with free-entry policy, large permanent collection, and active international loan/partnership programme.

Regional players

• National Gallery Singapore: Singapore-based leading visual arts institution operating under the National Heritage Board ecosystem context. While not under NHB direct operation, it shares the same visitor market, statutory board heritage context, and Singapore cultural tourism ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@nhbsg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ilovemuseums
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-heritage-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Heritage Board