Museums in Metro Manila

Here is a list that some may not find as exciting as say a list of clubs and bars.  But I am a firm believer that you must build up and strengthen your brain cells before reducing them with alcohol.  Give these a try, the newly renovated National Museum is my favorite.

Many museums in Metro Manila have managed to preserve the historical richness of the Philippines while others have taken to creativity and interactiveness to impart modern knowledge. Most of them old and some of them fairly new, museums around the Metro have only gained popularity over the years. Whether historical or modern, these museums have become iconic in today’s society. Many travel agencies include travel packages to these museums upon request.

The University of Santo Tomas is not only the oldest university in the Philippines, it also has the oldest museum in the country. The University of Santo Tomas Museum of Arts and Sciences houses many historical oddities that span the history of the Philippines under the Spanish rule to the present. It contains a lot of Spanish colonial artifacts like the voting dice used by Spanish friars to determine school marks of students and pieces of old churches. It also showcases the actual chair Pope John Paul II used during his visit to Manila in 1981.

For those looking to appreciate fine art during the historic period of the Spanish colonization in the 19th century, the National Museum of the Philippines is still the best place to go. It holds the award-winning 4-by-7-meter Spoliarium painting done by the famous Juan Luna depicting a gruesome chamber where dead gladiators are dragged into under the Roman arena. It also showcases the works of another famous painter, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, who painted The Assassination of Governor Bustamante and His Son. Apart from the exhibits of famous paintings, the National Museum of the Philippines also has displays of old artifacts, jewelry, potteries, coins, lizards and other reptiles, as well as an exhibit of the origin and progress of the native Filipinos.

Adopting a more contemporary approach to showcasing Philippine History is The Ayala Museum located in Makati City. This museum is located beside Greenbelt, one of the poshest malls to shop in. It is fully air-conditioned and utilizes mixed media in the exhibits. On display in this museum are a diorama of Philippine history, a boat gallery, a lot of gold artifacts, and embroidered treasures. The Ayala Museum also houses lots of art by contemporary Filipino artists as well as National artists.

In contrast to the richness of Philippine history, The Mind Museum located in Taguig aims to impart new knowledge in its showcase of modern science exhibits. This museum takes people into the different facets of modern science, exploring Atoms, Earth, Life, Universe, and Technology. Their displays are highly interactive and cater to inquisitive minds. What is nice about this modern museum is the fact that Filipino artists were asked to collaborate to make The Mind Museum still very nationalistic. The highlight of this museum is the large T-rex skeleton. Inquiries about travel packages that include this museum can be addressed at the reception.

As museums in Metro Manila continue to embody the cultural and historical richness of the Philippines, others have also moved forward to create new experiences that still manifest the spirit of the Filipinos. Both historical and modern museums have become iconic to the art and cultural scene and have become as integral as the treasures they hold within them.