Three Museums in Manila

Museum hopping in Manila may not sound as adventurous as island or maybe even bar hopping but it’s definitely a good way to educate oneself about the Philippine culture. 

The Mind Museum

Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Most museums don’t allow visitors to touch their artworks and artifacts on display, but The Mind Museum is not your typical museum. The country’s first world-class science museum has a 5,000 square meter exhibit area (about the size of 10 basketball courts!), featuring interactive spaces.

Make sure to head to the Atom Gallery where you will literally have a hair-raising experience with the Van de Graaf Ball, which demonstrates how electrostatic energy works.

Visit the other galleries such as Earth, Life, Universe and Technology. While at the Earth Gallery, take a picture of the gigantic Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, cast from real fossils, and imagine yourself in the movie, Jurassic Park.

Museo Pambata

Roxas Boulevard, Manila

Aside from the usual educational exhibits where you can learn about Filipino culture, the human body, and environment, there’s also an area about entrepreneurship.

In the Pamilihang Bayan or marketplace, you can pretend to be vendors from the wet market and sell meat, fish, or produce. To make it even more realistic, there’s a weighing scale that can be used after calling out, “Bili na, suki!”

Kids will also appreciate the other facilities of the museum such as Aklatang Pambata (library), Teatro Pambata (outdoor theater), Palipalaruan (playground), and the Pasalubong Shop (souvenir store). During the summer, Museo Pambata hosts its Art’s Cool event, which are different workshops on writing, theater, crafts, cooking, and many more.

Ayala Museum

Makati Avenue, Makati

Located among shopping malls, the strategic location of Ayala Museum makes it easy for the denizens of the metro to get some reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city. The museum was a project of Ayala Foundation, Inc. and envisioned by the late artist, Fernando Zobel de Ayala y Montojo.

First-time visitors to the country will appreciate the Diorama Experience, which provides a visual way of showing the Philippines’ past through its 60 handcrafted dioramas that illustrate historical milestones of the country.

Another highlight of the museum is the Gold of Ancestors: Pre-Colonial Treasures in the Philippines, where visitors will be amazed at its extensive collection of archeological artifacts. You’ll see a diadem, a gold crown worn by Filipino royalty. (It’s less ostentatious than the golden crown from Game of Thrones.)

This artsy sanctuary plays its part to make the Philippine arts and culture scene vibrant through its exhibitions on contemporary art, music, and design, as well as artist/curator’s talks, workshops, and other performances.

Source: Looloo