The collections include Chinese, Indian and Southeast Asian materials, consisting of traditional sculptures and paintings, bronzes, jades, ceramics, textiles, and modern and contemporary art.

The Lee Kong Chian Museum, established in 1970, was subsequently moved to the NUS Kent Ridge Campus.

The Baba House was launched in September 2008 after research and restoration work done in partnership with the NUS Department of Architecture and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

The Baba House project was made possible through a donation from Ms Agnes Tan, of Peranakan Chinese descent, to the University.

The third floor of the Baba House has been converted into an art gallery to host exhibitions that explore an evolving discourse on the Straits Chinese, cultural encounters and hybridity, and urban developments in Singapore.