7 Quirky Metro Manila Museums You May Not Have Heard Of

 

Whatever you’re into – there’s a unique museum for you.

 

Craving culture, art, and a tinge of the quirky or bizarre? Maybe you’re looking for an out-of-the-ordinary museum experience, with no shortage of wonder and history? We hear all you arts enthusiasts, novice historians and adventurers out there! Lucky for us, there’s an abundance of all that and more in Metro Manila in the Philippines— and you can enjoy them in manageable portions, too. The big museums can be trusted to dazzle us, but we’re turning our attention to smaller, more niche spaces. Also, these could be the center of attention to your next road trip or trip to the country as well.

 

These were listed down when I was in the Philippines a year ago. Unfortunately, the Philippines is still under lockdown and museum trips are still limited. Just in case, here is a list of museums you could visit once the pandemic restrictions are lowered and the cases are lowering. Personally, museums provide me with solace and inspiration whenever I feel stuck in a rut. How about you? Leave a comment below.

 

Use your spare time in a productively fun way and familiarize yourself with footwear, art, and revolutions in these small museums in the Philippines.

 

1. Bahay Nakpil-Bautista (Nakpil-Bautista House)

Address: 432 A. Bautista Street (formerly Barbosa Street), Quiapo, Manila

Museum hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Tuesday to Sunday)

Entrance fee: P80 for adults, P50 for senior citizens and students

 

It’s touted as “The Home of the Heroes of the 1896 Revolution” and its walls are full of history. The architecture alone requires careful inspection. Venture inside and you’ll find Katipunero memorabilia and even the chairs where Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, and Jose Rizal sat when they founded the Liga Filipina in 1892. Don’t forget to say hello to the paintings of the Ka Oryang, who married Julio Nakpil after her first husband, Andres Bonifacio, met his demise.

 

2. Marikina Shoe Museum

Address: J.P. Rizal Street, San Roque, Marikina City

Museum hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday to Sunday)

Entrance fee: P50

 

The obvious reason to visit the Shoe Museum is to scrutinize the taste of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, as it houses 749 pairs of her shoes. It’s a tad extravagant and you might just find yourself doing a bit of arithmetic. (How much do these cost?) Of course, there’s more to the museum than that. You can also check out other “celebrity shoes” and even learn a thing or two about the art of shoemaking. Take a trip around Marikina without going over P800 while you’re there!

 

3. Museo ng Katipunan / Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine (Katipunan Museum)

Address: Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine, Pinaglabanan Street, San Juan City

Museum hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Tuesday to Sunday)

Entrance fee: Free

 

Inaugurated in 2013 to commemorate Andres Bonifacio’s (Filipino Hero and The Father of Philippine Revolution) sesquicentennial birth anniversary, Museo ng Katipunan could not be clearer about what it wants to promote. Inside are replicas (of anting-anting!) and relics (like the poem Andres Bonifacio wrote for his wife Gregoria de Jesus) that paint a more dynamic portrait of the Supremo—often depicted as brash and hotheaded. Aside from these and the dioramas, the museum also offers online courses, promoted as a more refreshing take on katipunero history. Log on to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines website and judge for yourself.

 

4. Art in Island

Address: 175 15th Avenue, Barangay Socorro, Cubao, Quezon City

Museum hours: 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (Tuesday to Sunday)

Entrance fee: P500 for adults, P400 for students, free for children below three feet

 

It’s the largest 3D art museum in Asia and it’s really fun for everyone, as you get to pose and take photos with everything on display. What more can the selfie generation ask for? In Art in Island, you’re part of the art, so go crazy and vogue…or twerk, if you must.

 

5. Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD Manila)

Address: 950 Pablo Ocampo Sr. Street, Manila

Museum hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Tuesday to Friday) and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Saturday)

Entrance fee: Free

 

Film screenings, performance art, and visuals that make you go “what??” MCAD Manila offers all of that and more. The large space of the museum offers artists a huge playground and when creativity runs amok, the audience should prepare to go “huh?” and “oooh.” There’s always something new here, so visit frequently.

 

6. Fundacion Sansó

Address: 32 V.Cruz Street, San Juan City

Museum hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday to Friday)

Entrance fee: P100

 

If you’re asking who Sansó is, this is all the more reason to visit the museum dedicated to his art. The Spanish-born Filipino artist is a prolific expressionist whose work has been exhibited in art hubs in Italy, Spain, France, and the United States. Pay the museum a visit and you’ll get a quick survey of his art and his life, detailing the influences his experiences had on the various visual media he mastered. Fundacion Sansó is what Orlina is to Tagaytay or what BenCab is to Baguio. Check out the café named after him too!

 

7. UP Manila: Museum of a History of Ideas

Address: PM-MHI Building, Philippine General Hospital Compound, Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila

Museum hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Tuesday to Friday) and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Saturday)

Entrance fee: Free

 

Do you ever wonder why the University of the Philippines is regarded with such prestige? The answer is so long that they were able to make a museum out of it. The Museum of a History of Ideas documents “the contributions of the State University in shaping the Philippines as a nation.” A quick visit might help you understand where the trademark yabang of UP graduates comes from.

 

 

Museums are a great way to add beauty to your life, and your next adventure and there really is a museum for everyone — whether you’re a real arts & culture nerd or looking for a different way to spend your weekend (and beautify your IG feed). And traveling to these museums all around the Metro is easier thanks to the infrastructure projects headed by the DPWH and the DPWH Secretary Mark Villar. They can be a great way to enrich yourself, bond with loved ones, and surround yourself with beauty. After all, everyone deserves a beautiful life. Recharge your creative juices, and immerse yourself in art.