Changi Museum - History and Facts | History Hit

Changi Museum

Singapore, Central, Singapore

The Changi Chapel and Museum is dedicated to the lives and stories of civilian and Allied prisoners held at the Changi prison camp by the Japanese during WWII.

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About Changi Museum

The Changi Museum is a war museum dedicated to Singapore’s history during the Second World War and the Japanese occupation of Singapore.

History of Changi Museum

The Changi Museum in east Singapore is dedicated to remembering the events surrounding the Japanese occupation of Singapore and specifically the lives and experiences of the thousands of civilian and Allied prisoners of war who were held in the Changi prison camp area.

The museum contains a number of different exhibits including an area holding replicas of the famous Changi murals – painted by British POW Stanley Warren during his time in captivity.

Other sections of the Changi Museum focus on the early days of the war, personal possessions donated by the POWs themselves and a selection of other artwork produced by the prisoners. There is also an area devoted specifically to the infamous Changi Prison itself, including an original piece of the prison wall as well as an original cell door. A final exhibition at Changi Museum focuses on the end of the war as well as the many stories of bravery, survival and heroism which were documented during the occupation.

Conditions at Changi during the war were said to be horrendous and the prisoners’ experiences were often depicted in murals, sketches and even immortalised in a book by novelist, James Clavell.

Changi Museum Today

As well as the many exhibitions, the Changi Chapel can be found at the Changi Museum and allows visitors to light a candle to remember those who were held at Changi during the war.

Overall, Changi Museum offers a very moving insight into the lives of the prisoners and serves as both a place of remembrance and education.

Getting to Changi Museum

As there is no public parking available in the vicinity, visitors are advised to take public transport or private car hire to the museum.

If travelling by bus, you may alight from bus no. 2 and 29 at Changi Chapel Museum stop (97209) or Opposite Changi Chapel Museum stop (97201) (5-min walk). You can also alight from bus no. 5 at Changi Women’s Prison stop (97059) or Opposite Changi Women’s Prison stop (97051) (10-min walk).

If travelling via MRT, you may alight at Upper Changi Station (DT34) on the Downtown Line, then transit to bus no. 2 at Upper Changi Station/Opposite SUTD stop (96041). Get off 7 stops later at Opposite Changi Chapel Museum stop (97201) and cross the road to reach the museum.

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