34 Museums to Explore in Philippines

Checkout places to visit in Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines, island country of Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. It is an archipelago consisting of some 7,100 islands and islets lying about 500 miles off the coast of Vietnam.

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Museums to Explore in Philippines

Aguinaldo Shrine and Museum

This shrine marks the Philippines' most historic window: on June 12, 1898, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Philippines, ending the 333 years of Spanish rule. The window, now renovated and converted into the Balcony of Independence, is the centerpiece of the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite. There are so many things to see and study in and outside of this shrine and The tower, the most prominent part of the mansion provides a sweeping view of Cavite, Manila, and Bataan.

Armed Forces of the Philippines Museum

This museum portrays the history of the Philippines ' military forces. Among its collections are infantry guns, rifles, mortars and various war equipment. There are also dioramas, displays and paintings from different wartimes, and artwork and scale models of uniforms of the various Philippine forces throughout history.

Ayala Museum

Ayala Museum is a modern museum showcasing a huge range of displays about the people of the Philippines, tracing their journey from ancient history to the present day. The extensive ethnological and archaeological displays relate to Filipino culture, history, art, and heritage.

Bahay Tsinoy, Museum of Chinese in Philippine Life

Bahay Tsinoy is a museum that presents the story of the Chinese in Philippine history. The Bahay Tsinoy is located in the historic walled Intramuros area of Manila on Anda Street, making it easy to combine a visit to this museum with several other Intramuros attractions and amenities. The Bahay Tsinoy helps the visitor trace Chinese influences on the Philippines from the earliest days to the present including displays on pre-Spanish Chinese trading and so more.

Bernardino Jalandoni Museum

The Bernardino Jalandoni Museum is located inside the Jalandoni Ancestral House in Silay City. The Museum is owned by one of the prominent citizens of Silay – Don Bernardino Jalandoni. The house commenced its structure in 1908. It turned museum opened doors for public viewing only in 1993. It was the first heritage house of its kind to come up at Silay City.

Casa Manila

Casa Manila Museum portrays the lifestyle of the educated and moneyed class during the 17th and 18th centuries. While the people who had once lived in such a house are gone, there remain the things they have left behind- the products of their extravagance and the relics of their family values, customs, traditions, and beliefs.

Casa Santa Museum

Casa Santa Museum is one of the famous tourist spots in Rizal. It houses around 3,700+ collections of Santa Claus themes and motifs from different countries and considered as one of the most extensive private collections of Santa Claus items in the world. Experience 365 days of Christmas at this museum where small figurines to life-sized Santas are everywhere to be found. Visitors are free to inspect the items and a few can be played with.

Cebu Provincial Museum

Museo Sugbo is located in the former Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, the provincial jail of Cebu. It is now the Cebu Provincial Museum. Cebu MuseumThe Museo was designed by Domingo de Escondrillas in 1869. It was originally proposed to be the main prison for the Visayan District because of its somewhat considerable size when it was constructed. The construction started in 1871. It was believed that the coral blocks from the demolished Parian Church were used to build parts

Ferdinand E. Marcos Presidential Center

The Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Presidential Center, Ilocos Norte houses a large collection of Marcos Memorabilia, possibly the largest in the country. It shows Marcos through the years, all the way until he ran for president in 1965. Prior to becoming a museum and housing the late dictator’s remains, it was the ancestral home of the Marcoses. The two-story building has its main gallery upstairs while the ground floor houses the souvenir shop on the right and a mini-film showing area just before th

Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA)

The Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art is an art museum in Iloilo City, Philippines. It is the first museum in the Visayas and Mindanao dedicated to modern and contemporary art and the first museum in the Visayas exclusively dedicated to Ilonggo visual artists. It houses the largest collections of art in the Visayas. The museum is likewise the first Megaworld built museum in the Philippines.

Jose R. Gullas Halad Museum

Jose R. Gullas Halad Museum is a musically-themed museum in Cebu City, the Philippines that pays homage to the musical heritage of Cebu. This museum is operated under the Tipiganan sa mga Handumanan sa Kanta ug Kinaiyang Sugbuanon Foundation. It is located along V. Gullas St.and D. Jakosalem St. Cebu City, which used to be the old building of The Freeman Newspaper and now houses Cebuano and Visayan musical treasures and memorabilia.

Laperal House

Once owned by one of the richest clans in Baguio, Laperal Mansion is a commanding sight along Leonard road beside the infamous Teacher's Camp. The three-story mansion is decorated with old yet intricately-varnished interiors. Used as a garrison by the Japanese, the Laperals' loving home was quickly turned into a gruesome site, which explains numerous stories about ghost sightings. Despite its brooding aura, the Mansion has a garage that serves as a showroom for bamboo art.

Malacañang of the North

Malacañang of the North is a 5-hectare property that overlooks the serene Paoay Lake. The place used to be the residence of late president Ferdinand Marcos and his family when they visit Ilocos Norte during their regime. It is one of the 29 houses that the Marcos Family was able to build during their two decades regime. It was now transformed into a museum of the late president’s memorabilia after Marcos was deposed in 1986 and died a few years later.

Metropolitan Museum of Manila

The Metropolitan Museum of Manila is one of the major museums in the Philippines and highlights international and local art. It was established 1976 and aimed at expanding the exposure of Filipinos to the visual arts of foreign cultures.

Museo del Seminario Conciliar de Nueva Caceres

Holy Rosary Minor Seminary (also named Seminario del Santissimo Rosario) is a Roman Catholic seminary or a house of formation for high school and college would-be priests run by the Archdiocese of Caceres in Naga City, Philippines. t was declared as a National Historic Landmark . It also houses a museum which has a lot of things to see.

Museo Ng Katipunan

The Museo ng Katipunan provides an educational approach to understand the Katipunan, its primary movers, and their actions. Apart from Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, and other renowned revolutionaries, the Museum honors the valiant efforts of the Katipuneros who fought for the independence of the Philippines through a Memorial Wall. This museum paves light on the history of the Philippines which was situated within the grounds of the Pinaglabanan shrine.

Museo Pambata

The Museo Pambata is a children's interactive museum, the first of its kind in the Philippines. It is in a sense an alternative to the formal classroom environment where learning resembles a one-way street – the teacher imparts knowledge and the students absorb it.

Museo Valenzuela

A site to encapsulate Valenzuela’s rich history, the Valenzuela Museum is a sprawling Spanish-themed architecture that will surely thrill anyone who steps inside. Its facade is laced with woodwork and bricks that closely resembles heritage houses. The museum also holds seminars, events, and city-based activities.

National Museum of Anthropology

The National Museum of Anthropology houses the anthropology and archaeology divisions of the National Museum of the Philippines. It was formerly known as the Museum of the Filipino People. Its aim is to preserve the cultural heritage of the Philippines and to educate others. Its permanent collection contains around 10,000 items, including cultural materials from the different peoples of the Philippines and so more.

National Museum of Fine Arts

The National Museum of Fine Arts is an art museum in Manila, the Philippines that houses a collection of paintings and sculptures by classical Filipino artists. Founded in 1998, it was formerly known as the National Art Gallery and it was owned and operated by the National Museum of the Philippines. It was one of the key attractions in the Philippines.

Map of Museums to explore in Philippines