Air-conditioned Hell’s Museum opens at Haw Par Villa

Welcome to the one and only air-conditioned Hell.

Opening on Oct 29, Haw Par Villa’s newest attraction, Hell’s Museum is dedicated to death and the afterlife. 

The museum aims to share with visitors the wider story of men’s perspective on death and to encourage people to reflect on how they can lead their lives better.

Equally eccentric as the rest of the theme park, Hell’s Museum showcases a wide variety of installations such as a replica of a void deck wake and even a coffin burial.

There’s also an extensive range of multimedia elements that will offer visitors a deeper insight into the world’s major belief systems – and how different communities around the world, as well as in Singapore, draw meaning from death and dying.

“Death is still very much a taboo subject, even in Singapore,” said chief curator Eisen Teo.

By journeying through the 10 stations of the exhibit, Eisen hopes that visitors will experience at least one transformative moment and that it will probe them to delve deeper into the history and philosophy of death and the afterlife.

What happens after we die? Visitors can expect to find the answer to that question in the Ten Courts of Hell, famed for traumatising the minds of young Singaporeans growing up. 

Modelled after Mr Aw Boon Haw’s impression of life after death, the Ten Courts of Hell is a literal walkthrough of what happens in Hell and how your sins will be judged before the deities.

Well, I guess it won’t really be a walk in the park after all. Due to the subject matter, children under nine are not advised to visit the museum.

Chairman of management team Journeys Jeya Ayadurai hopes visitors will look beyond the gruesome and bizarre imagery and instead embrace Haw Par Villa as a beautiful park with a story worthy of Singaporeans owning and telling to the rest of the world.

As part of Haw Par Villa’s relaunch and the museum’s opening, Haw Par Villa has arranged an exciting lineup of activities for visitors to partake in from Oct 29 to Oct 31. 

Be well in hell – A weekend of wellness is centred around wellness, a theme that speaks to the idea behind the park, especially during this time of the pandemic. The park’s management hopes that it will be a place where visitors can reflect on and find meaning in their time on Earth.

Some promising events to look out for include the Hypnotherapy Talk & Workshop, Tea Appreciation and even a Halloween-themed picnic. As the opening weekend coincides with Halloween, the Museum will also offer a special limited-edition souvenir to all who visit the museum dressed in Halloween costume.

Hell’s Museum will be open to the public daily from Oct 29, with tickets priced at $18 for adults (13 years and above) and $10 for children (7-12 years only).