Not just for history buffs, every Singaporean should visit The Albatross File: Singapore’s Independence Declassified. The new permanent exhibition at National Library Building’s level 10 is an introspective experience of major events leading to our independence on 9 August 1965.
The Albatross File: Singapore’s Independence Declassified Exhibition
Once part of Malaysia, Singapore’s separation is showcased through declassified information, never-heard audio recordings and dramatised retelling of the events. Jointly developed by NLB and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), visitors can visit the exhibition for free starting 8 December 2025.
5 Reasons to Visit The Albatross File: Singapore’s Independence Declassified Exhibition
Here are 5 reasons to head to the exhibition.
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Learn the Truth about How We Gained Our Independence
While history is about looking at the past through different perspectives, seeing the original documents on display and listening to recordings from the main characters can give us a better picture of how events unfolded leading to the separation.
Most of us learnt about Singapore’s past through history lessons in school. Some of the knowledge could have been skewed or inaccurate due to our misinterprations or just a lack of information.
Get to see first-hand the handwritten memos and letters of our first leaders. Hear their voices and sense their emotions when they made the decision over months of deliberating. You can even see Lee Kuan Yew’s own words “Is there no other way?” written before he met the Tunku on 7 August for discussion highlighting the conflicted emotions before the day of reckoning.
The immersive multimedia exhibition at National Library building is based on the book The Albatross File: Inside Separation. The book will be launched with the opening of the exhibition.
Central to Our Identity as Singaporeans
As a millennial who did not experience the tough years of nationhood in the late 60s, I probably took our nationhood for granted. After all, many of us see the prosperity of the country which was built on the backs of our predecessors whom shouldered challenging times with doubts on Singapore’s survival.
The country’s leaders then took a bold step towards independence. Younger ones especially the tweens and teenagers can appreciate how history is presented through immersive storytelling, historical replays and first-person narratives from our “founding fathers”. We can gain a more thorough understanding of the events that shaped our nationhood at The Albatross File exhibition.
Inspired Displays from Harry Potter, Hamilton and Loki
What has Harry Potter, Hamilton and Loki got to do with The Albatross Files exhibition?
They inspired the design of the responsive displays and how the content was presented! Visiting this exhibition was far from visiting the usual museum with static displays. In fact, it sometimes felt as if I was entering the Tony Building room or part of a Science Fiction movie.
The first room you enter is ATLAS. It is the centerpiece of the exhibition with a large circular screen in the middle with a multimedia show called “Spacetime Clock”. If it looks familiar, it is inspired by the pensieve in Harry Potter which similarly stores memories.
Surrounding the Spacetime Clock are interactive walls with drawers with information of the countdown of pivotal months, days and hours leading up to Separation.
Then head to ROOM for a 22-minute dramatised retelling of what went on behind closed doors in the year leading up to Separation. The archival footage and oral history interviews are accompanied by cinematic reenactments to bring the moments to life.
The third room is RECORDS – visitors can hear voices of key players like Lee Kuan Yew, Kwa Geok Choo, Goh Keng Swee, EW Barker, Devan Nair through oral history interviews and examine the official documents and handwritten notes, including declassified Albatross File documents.
Read for yourself the handwritten words of key players with their anxieties and convictions shared through their own writings. The displays come in multi-layered variations, likened to a movie set. You can click on the digital formats of the artefacts paired with typed versions, zoom-in for a closer look at the barely legible handwriting and even click on breadcrumbs for more context.
Visitors can be assured there is never a dull moment.
Ask as many questions as you like
Any burning questions? Head to CHATBOOK, the room is fashioned after Loki’s movie set. This is where you can converse with a Generative AI-powered chat service that draws its insights from The Albatross File: Inside Separation book and the content on Singapore’s history from the National Library and the National Archives under NLB.
Feel like an Avenger superhero as you type your questions and choose them on the touchscreen with the answers projected on the wall right in front. Press the Lite button for the simplified content suitable for older children.
For more privacy, visit the individual booths to ask your questions.
Free to All
This exhibition is free to visit and perfect for families keen to further their knowledge on the beginnings of our nationhood.
NLB Chief Executive Officer Melissa Tam said: “This is part of NLB’s goal, the nation’s memory institution, to share more Singapore Stories with everyone. Through the National Archives of Singapore’s hard work in collecting and preserving the Albatross File and other historical recounts, and in close partnership with various partners including media partners, we are able to present this exhibition as a SG60 gift to the nation. We hope the exhibition and book will allow Singaporeans to develop a richer understanding of the tumultuous journey our forefathers underwent during this difficult time in our nation’s history.”
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Visit The Albatross File: Singapore’s Independence Declassified
The Albatross File: Singapore’s Independence Declassified marks Singapore’s 60 years of independence with a telling narrative using a highly immersive approach. It opens on 8 December 2025. The experience is recommended for visitors aged 10 years and above.
Visitors can anticipate spending about 60 minutes in the exhibition. Exhibition guides will be made digitally available in Singapore’s four official languages.
Library-goers can also head to oral history listening booths at Level One and B1 at National Library Building.
Book your tickets now via this link.
