News Releases
Deepavali Istana Open House
22 October 2017
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Deepavali Istana Open House on 22 October 2017
The Istana grounds will be open to the public on Sunday, 22 October 2017, from 8.30am to 6.00pm, in celebration of Deepavali.
Programme highlights
The public can look forward to music performances by Yuhua Community Club, Moulmein-Cairnhill Community Club, Nan Hua High School, St Anthony’s Canossian Primary School and St Patrick’s School. There will also be dance performances by the students from Kampong Chai Chee Charathanatyam Dance Group.
Other features include a display of birds by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, a balloon sculpturing booth by SingTel, a Henna painting booth by Cognizant and a face painting booth by Cosmoprof. The programme line-up can be found below.
Members of the public can choose to sign up for the Nature Guided Walk at the Istana, a collaboration between the President’s Office and the National Parks Board (NParks) which will showcase the Istana’s flora, fauna and biodiversity. They can also take a guided tour of the Istana main building led by volunteers from the Preservation of Sites and Monuments division of the National Heritage Board and view selected function rooms and display of gifts presented to the President and the Prime Minister by foreign dignitaries.
Visitors can also do a self-guided tour with the help of the “Istana Garden Walk” mobile application, which includes features such as a self-guided Plants Trail to discover 10 types of beautiful plant species in the Istana Gardens and maps of Places of Interest.
The Istana Heritage Gallery (IHG) at the Istana Park (located opposite the main gate of the Istana along Orchard Road) will also be open from 10am to 6pm. At IHG, visitors can look forward to learning more about Singapore’s history through our Presidents’ perspectives. For a self-guided interactive tour of the IHG and the Istana Park, visitors can download the LocoMole mobile application to embark on the Istana Mobile Educational Trails and gain more insights to the heritage, flora and fauna of the Istana.
Istana souvenirs will be on sale during the Open House. Proceeds from the sale of souvenirs and all entrance fees collected will be donated to charity.
Admission Details
Entry to the Istana grounds is free for Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents. All others visitors are required to pay an entrance fee of $2 per person. Entry to the Istana grounds is via the main gate at Orchard Road. The nearest MRT station is Dhoby Ghaut.
PRESIDENT’S OFFICE
19 October 2017
Main Highlights of Istana Open House
Table caption
Time | Activity | Venue |
|---|---|---|
8.30 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. | Display by the Wildlife Reserves of Singapore | Centre Gate |
8.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. | Sale of Istana merchandise and drinks by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) | Centre Gate |
8.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. | Sale of drinks and snacks by NCSS | Near Main Tent |
8.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. | Sale of ice-cream by Udders | Main Tent and Centre Gate |
8.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. | Balloon Sculpting by Singtel | Centre Gate |
8.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. | Face Painting booth by Cosmoprof | Main Tent |
8.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. | Henna painting sponsored by Cognizant | Centre Gate |
8.30 a.m. – 5.30 p.m. | Istana Main Building Self-Guided Tour | Main Building |
9.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m. | Istana Main Building Guided Tour by National Heritage Board | Ticketing Booth near Ceremonial Plaza |
10.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. | Nature Guided Walk organised by NParks | Spice and Ginger Gardens |
10.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. | “Istana Garden Walk” Mobile Application Self-Guided Trail By NParks & Temasek Polytechnic | Centre Gate |
10.00 a.m. – 10.45 a.m. | Wind Orchestra performance - Yuhua CC | Main Tent |
10.30 a.m. – 11.00 p.m. | Ukulele performance - Moulmein-Cairnhill CC | Lawn Staircase |
11.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. | Band Performance by Nan Hua High School | Main Tent |
2.00 p.m. – 2.45 p.m. | Band performance by St Anthony’s Canossian Primary | Main Tent |
3.40 p.m. – 3.50 p.m. | Performance by students of the Kampong Chai Chee Bharathanatyam Dance Group | Ceremonial Plaza |
3.45 p.m. – 4.45 p.m. | Band performance by St Patrick’s School | Main Tent |
FEES FOR ENTRANCE INTO THE ISTANA MAIN BUILDING
The following fees are applicable for the tours of the state room, banquet hall and reception room in the Istana main building:
Table caption
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents | Unguided | Guided* |
|---|---|---|
Children (4 to 12 years) | $2.00 | $2.00 |
Adult | $4.00 | |
Package for family of four | Not applicable | $12.00 |
Others | ||
Children( 4 to 12 years) | $2.00 | $2.00 |
Adult | $4.00 | $10.00 |
Package for family of four | Not applicable | $30.00 |