A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
Hidden along a quiet residential street in Cubao is a stately Filipino mansion that has opened its doors to the public as a living museum and boutique events space. The MiraNila Heritage House and Library in Cubao is a heritage house originally built in 1929 in the California Revival Style, with lovely gardens and preserved interiors.
After traversing through a maze room of a twinkling crystals, I was surrounded by hundreds of multi-colored koi fish swimming around as I waded through knee-deep high waters. Moments later, I gazed into a field of falling flowers on the ceiling, the petals seemingly swirling all around in the air. For a couple of hours, it felt like I was spirited away into a magical wonderland.
Tourists can discover the rich history, heritage, and old-world charm of the Intramuros in Manila more conveniently with fun new experiences and attractions. In case you didn’t know, Klook has launched a new Intramuros Pass, which gives access to the top activities in the walled city of Manila.
NOTE: Updated April 2023
Typical museums in the country only appeal to history buffs and art enthusiasts. Visitors are expected to just look at artwork hanging on walls or stare at artifacts behind glass cases, learn historical facts, and that’s it. In most museums, photography isn’t even allowed, leaving visitors with no visual proof of their visit.
UPDATE: Starting January 1, 2025, all National Museums in the Philippines including regional site museums will now be open 7 days a week, free of charge!
For tourists in transit in Manila for a few days and urban dwellers who need to entertain visiting balikbayans and relatives near the Intramuros area, the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) complex’s three central museums, namely the Museum of Fine Arts, Anthropology and Natural History, are worth a visit.
Entrance is free and no reservations are required to visit the three museums, which are located within easy walking distance of each other. These three major museums are fairly large, and contain over four to six floors each. Going around each museum could easily take 1-2 hours.
Continue reading “Ultimate Guide to the National Museum of the Philippines: Fine Arts, Anthropology, Natural History & Site Museums”NOTE: The article below and most photos were taken during various pre-pandemic visits, but I’ve updated the latest guidelines and rates with information available as of January 2023.
After years of excavation and clearing, and months of pandemic-induced delays, the El Deposito Underground Reservoir is now finally open to the public! Visitors can walk back in time through a portion of the Spanish-era tunnels just sitting underneath the sprawling public park in San Juan City.
Interactive art museum Art in Island in Quezon City has finally reopened to the public starting Saturday (October 23, 2021).
The biggest 3D Interactive Art Museum in Asia, known for letting visitors become “part of the art” and pose and play with its paintings and exhibits, has been closed for 19 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the moment, only fully vaccinated guests are allowed to visit the art gallery as per IATF and Quezon City guidelines. Children (17 years old and below) are still not allowed to visit.
Continue reading “Art in Island has reopened: New Guidelines (October 2021)”The Presidential Car Museum (Museo ng Pampangulong Sasakyan) inside the Quezon Memorial Circle features the largest collection of historic state cars in the Philippines. This unique museum in Quezon City gives visitors a chance to learn more about the country’s former presidents, based on the vehicles they used.
Looking for ideas where to go in the near future? Just in time to mark Museums and Galleries Month this October, museums and art galleries in areas under the National Capital Region (NCR) and other parts of the Philippines have started to reopen their doors with the shift of community quarantine levels to Alert Level 3.
Based on latest guidelines from the IATF, most museums are only accepting FULLY VACCINATED visitors with pre-booked reservations. Minors are still not allowed in indoor attractions and museums. Some museums are operating at a limited capacity. All National Museums are FREE to visit.
Here’s a roundup of some museums and art galleries that have reopened to the public around the country as of October 19, 2021.
Continue reading “LIST: Museums that have reopened in Metro Manila and around the Philippines (October 2021)”
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