How do I book for IHC's Museum-Based Learning (MBL) programme?

Please use the BookMuseums@SG platform to book your school’s visit to Indian Heritage Centre.

Can IHC staff book the programme on behalf of schools?

No, we can’t. The site is only accessible to educators so please ensure you have your Singpass details and MOE email address i.e your @moe.edu.sg email to log in.

Connect with our teammates at NHB_Digital_Services@nhb.gov.sg if you need technical assistance.

How far in advance should the visit be booked?

Educators should do so at least 42 days or 6 weeks ahead of the intended visit.

I am attempting to book a certain date, but the portal keeps showing me an error message. What has happened here?

There are two likely possibilities. The date you picked might be unavailable or the number of students you keyed in might have exceeded the museum’s limit.

Can I book the guided or self-guided tour instead of the MBL programme for my school's Primary 5 cohort?

No. Educators should book the MBL programme for Primary 5 students.

What’s the maximum number of students I can bring along for the programme?

We can accommodate a maximum of 100 students per slot. Educators are encouraged to maximise each slot as far as possible.

While we allow schools to book a slot for 2 classes of 80 students for instance, educators must refrain from booking 1 slot for a single class.

We will merge MBL sessions in the event the Primary 5 cohort in your school is very small. The groups from different schools will not have to intermingle.

How many educators/parent volunteers are allowed per session?

We recommend 1 adult per group of 15 students.

What are your MBL programme time slots? What time should we arrive?

These are our slots:

Morning: 9am-11am
Afternoon: 12pm–2pm
Afternoon: 2.30pm-4.30pm

Please ensure that everyone is present at least 15-20 mins before the above start times. This will ensure that we start and end the programme on time, taking into consideration, for instance, subsequent batches of students.

Will IHC be able to adjust your time slots to suit my school's schedule?

We regret to inform you that the timings are fixed to allow us to maximise the number of slots we allocate to students and schools per day.

What is the duration of IHC's on-site MBL programme?

The programme is about 2 hours long.

Can students take a short snack break at IHC?

Yes, they can have their snacks at our holding area at Level 2. Schools must ensure that students arrive 20-30 minutes ahead of the allocated time slot to allow sufficient time for this desired activity. IHC does not recommend shortening the MBL programme to accommodate the snack break.

How much does IHC's MBL programme cost per student?

The programme costs $8.72 per student (inclusive of prevailing GST rates). Schools will be billed based on the actual number of students who visit our centre approximately within 30 days of the school's last MBL visit.

Does IHC provide tour guides for your MBL programme?

Yes. Students will be divided into groups of 15 and attached to 1 of our Museum Educator Guides.

Will students be provided with resource kits?

Yes, we will provide an activity booklet to aid their learning journey.

Will students be provided with writing materials?

No, students will have to bring their own writing materials. Do note that only pencils are allowed in our galleries. We do not permit pens and erasers in our space.

Will students be able to leave their belongings in a room?

They may leave their bags and water bottles at our holding area on Level 2. They should, however, bring along their valuables such as wallets, handphones, etc.

Does IHC team provide transport to IHC for students attending the MBL programme?

No, schools must make their own arrangements.

Is there a sheltered walkway connecting IHC to the pick-up/drop-off point?

There is none. However, it is less than a minute’s walk from the drop-off/pick-up point to our centre. Schools are encouraged to bring umbrellas in the event of wet weather.

Where should students alight and board the bus?

Please do so at Clive Street.

Are we allowed to book guided visits for Primary 4 or 6 cohorts?

Yes, you are but we strongly encourage you to sign-up for the following MBL programmes instead:

i. Primary 4 cohort:
Book the MBL programmes at the Kreta Ayer Heritage Gallery and/or the Geylang Serai Heritage Gallery.

ii. Primary 6 cohort:
Book the MBL programme at the Asian Civilisations Museum.

Do note that our IHC MBL slots are limited and that our priority goes to Primary 5 cohorts.

How do we cancel our MBL bookings? Is there a cancellation fee?

Educators must cancel their booking(s) via BookMuseums@SG at least 30 calendar days prior to the date of their visit.

Please note that the school will be levied a cancellation charge of $30 per group of 20 students for no-shows and cancellations made less than 30 calendar days from the date of the visit.

How do I book a visit to IHC for my school?

Please use the BookMuseums@SG platform to book your visit.

Can IHC staff book the programme on behalf of schools?

No, we can’t. The site is only accessible to educators so please ensure you have your Singpass details and MOE email address (not your @schools.gov.sg email) to log in.

For educators from non-MOE institutions, please use your work email address to log in.

Do not forget to create an account on BookMuseums to log in.

Connect with our teammates at NHB_Digital_Services@nhb.gov.sg if you need technical assistance.

How far in advance should I book my visit to your centre?

• For schools that require a guided tour, educators should do so at least 42 days or 6 weeks ahead of the intended visit.
• For self-guided visits, educators should do so at least 7 days ahead of the intended visit

Is it possible for the entire school/cohort to come for a guided tour or self-guided visit?

Unfortunately, due to capacity constraints and other concurrent school programmes, we only permit a class of 40 students at any one time. You will have to stagger your visits by the hour or day.

What time can I visit IHC?

You can visit from Tuesdays to Fridays, from 10am-11am and 12pm-5pm. We are closed on Mondays.

Can I request for a guided tour?

Yes, if you’re requesting tours for primary and secondary school-going children.

We can arrange for docents to give your students a tour of our galleries. However, this is subject to the availability of our docents. If we are unable to secure docents, your visit will be automatically converted into a self-guided one. We typically endeavour to provide 3 docents to guide a class of 40 in smaller groups.

No, if you’re requesting for a guided tour for preschoolers as we have no such programme. You may choose to bring them on a self-guided visit instead.

Does IHC offer guided tours in Tamil?

Yes, we do. Select the Tamil language option on the BookMuseums@SG platform.

My students will be visiting the Little India precinct and would like to visit IHC. What time can we visit?

This is subject to the other bookings on your intended date of visit. We recommend that you book a slot ahead of your visit to Little India.

My school has hired a vendor to bring our students around your galleries. Is there anything we need to take note of?

Please ensure that you have engaged at least 3 guides to bring a class of 40 pax in smaller groups around our galleries. It is disruptive for other visitors when a class of 40 crowds around a showcase.

How do we cancel our bookings? Is there a cancellation fee?

Educators must cancel their booking(s) via BookMuseums@SG.

With effect from 1 March 2024, educators who have requested for guided tours must cancel their booking(s) at least 7 working days prior to the date of their visit.  

Please note that schools which request for guided tours will be levied a cancellation charge of $50/docent for no-shows and cancellations made less than 7 working days from the date of the visit. Schools that bring 15 pax lesser than the number of pax booked for, will be levied with a penalty fee of $50 per docent.  

How do I book a visit to the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) for my organisation?

Please book your visit by completing this form and we will get back to you in 5 working days. 

How far in advance should I book my visit to IHC?

Please submit your booking at least 42 days or 6 weeks ahead of your intended visit.

What time can I visit IHC?

You can visit from Tuesdays to Sundays, from 10am-11am and 12pm-5pm. We are closed on Mondays.

Can I request for a private guided tour?

Yes, we can arrange for docents to give your friends/colleagues a tour of our galleries. However, this is subject to the availability of our docents. We typically endeavour to provide 1 docent to guide a group of maximum 20 pax.

What is the duration of a private guided tour?

Each tour is about 60 minutes.

Are the private guided tours chargeable?

Yes, private guided tours cost $150 per guide for corporate groups, private groups, non-profit organisations and government agencies. Tours, however, are free for social welfare organisations and the like.

How do I make payment for the private guided tour?

Please make payment for your party’s admission and guiding fees at our Visitor Services Counter on Level 1 before your visit. The following modes of payment are accepted for both fees due: Cash/Nets/Visa/ MasterCard/E-invoice. We also accept cheques for the guiding fee.

Can I opt for a self-guided visit to IHC?

Yes, you can opt for a self-guided visit to IHC but remember to book your visit with us.

I am chartering a bus to IHC. Where can the driver drop us off?

If you’re chartering a bus, please inform your driver that he can drop your group off at Clive Street. Please note that parking is not allowed on this street.

How do we cancel our guided tour bookings? Is there a cancellation fee?

With effect from 1 March 2024, requestors must email IHC team to cancel the booking(s) at least 7 working days prior to the date of their visit.

Please note that organisations/private groups will be levied the full guided tour fee of $150 per docent for no-shows and cancellations made less than 7 working days from the date of the visit. Organisations/private groups that bring15 pax lesserthan the number of pax booked for, will be levied with apenalty fee of $50 per docent.

What kind of lighting and special effect set-up do you allow in your galleries?

Please check in with us before embarking on any photography and/or filming set-up.

We DO NOT allow:

• Flash photography, spotlights and heavy lighting installations to protect and preserve the longevity of our artefacts;
• The installation of additional lights on our ceilings and walls as they may affect the humidity levels within our galleries and damage our artefacts;
• Smoke and haze machines as these will affect temperate settings within the galleries;
• Large props and tripods as these could obstruct our visitors.

Do you have a venue that we might be able to use for makeup and attire changes during the course of our photography/filming session at IHC?

Please use our washrooms for all such purposes. Do not set-up styling, make-up and makeshift changing stations in any of the public spaces within the IHC. Thank you for your cooperation!

Can we consume food and drinks inside the galleries during filming?

Please step out of our galleries if you need to eat and/or drink. Do not consume anything within our galleries.

How do I book a travelling exhibition?

To book a travelling exhibition, please complete the following form.

Is there a minimum lead time for booking a travelling exhibition?

We recommend booking travelling exhibitions at least 6 weeks in advance. Please note that festive seasons such as Pongal, the Tamil New Year and Deepavali, as well as Racial Harmony Day, are popular loan periods. We advise booking the roadshows at least 6 months ahead of these occasions.

Are there any fees involved?

We do not charge for outreach materials such as our travelling exhibitions. With effect from 1 March 2024, schools/organisations will be levied a cancellation charge of $100.00 for cancellations made less than 7 working days from the date of set-up. 

Does IHC provide props or traditional attire for loan?

No, we do not. We recommend procuring your own props/traditional attire.

Does IHC provide henna artwork or rangoli art services?

No, we do not provide these services. We recommend engaging your own vendor.

Does IHC provide staff to man the travelling exhibitions?

No. Please be advised that most of these boards are self-explanatory and designed for a wide range of audiences including primary school-going children.

Are there any resources for students accompanying the travelling exhibitions?

Yes, we have a plethora of resources for students! You may browse our Educational Resources page where we’ve compiled a list of learning packs, booklets, activity kits, crafts and videos for students. Schools can choose to adopt and adapt these for their own use to enrich the experience of students viewing our travelling exhibitions.

What is the seating capacity of the Activity Room?

Lecture-style setting: 50 pax seated.

Workshop-style set up with chairs and tables: 30 individuals.

What type of audio-visual system do you provide in the Activity Room?

We provide a HDMI plug-and-play system which connects laptops to an overhead projector and ceiling speakers. We do not provide additional sound systems.

Can we bring our own sound systems/equipment?

You may seek approval for additions to our existing set-up at least 2 weeks before the date of your event. We seek your cooperation for our early planning to prevent overloading our centre’s power system.

Will you provide WiFi?

Yes. We will share with you our WiFi login details closer to the event date after your booking has been confirmed.

Are we allowed to consume food in the Activity Room?

Yes, food is allowed. You must share food delivery details and clean-up/takedown plans with us at least 2 weeks before your event.

What are the venue charges?

Please refer to the table below for the venue charges.

*Non-peak: Tue - Fri, 10am - 6pm

#Peak: Tue - Fri, 6pm onwards | Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays