Istana grounds to be open to public on May 13
The Istana grounds will be open to the public on May 13 for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic hit Singapore last year.
The occasion is a Combined Istana Open House to mark both Labour Day and Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which fall on May 1 and May 13 respectively.
The open house comes amid the further gradual easing of community measures, and visitors will still have to pre-book time slots.
To avoid gatherings of large groups, there will be no performances, tours, booths or food trucks, unlike in previous years. The main building of the Istana will also not be open to the public.
However, visitors can explore the new Inclusive Garden, which was launched by President Halimah Yacob in February.
The garden features paved paths at least 1.5m wide, making it wheelchair- accessible and senior-friendly.
The 815 sq m Inclusive Garden houses more than 100 plant species, such as the butterfly ginger, roselle and lemongrass.
Next month's open house will be more subdued with safe management measures in place, including temperature checks, and TraceTogether or SafeEntry check-in.
Visitors can register for one of four time slots - 9am to 11am, 11am to 1pm, 1pm to 3pm and 3pm to 5pm.
Limited tickets are available for free on a first-come, first-served basis.
Each applicant can register for a maximum of eight tickets using a valid e-mail address. Successful applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail with a QR code or codes.
Tickets can be reserved at cutt.ly/IstanaOpenHouse from 10am today.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now