Discover what Metro Manila has to offer for those seeking an alternative way of learning Philippine art, history, and sciences. Here's a guide to 15 museums you should visit in Metro Manila. Schedules, rates, and attractions are included! (Note: the museums are listed in no particular order.)

1. The Mind Museum

Address: J.Y. Campos Park, 3rd Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Contact: 909-6463 | www.themindmuseum.org

Photo: Mind Museum website

Schedule: There are three timeslots: 9:00am to 12:00nn, 12:00nn to 3:00pm 3:00 pm to 6:00pm from Tuesdays to Sundays. The Mind Museum is closed on Mondays.

Rate: P600/adult; P450/student (up to college); P150/public school student (ID required); P150/teacher (ID required); P750 all day pass; P2,500/year-long pass

What to see: Indoors, there are 250 interactive stations that discusses Atom, Earth, Life, Universe, and Technology. Outdoors, you'll find Science-in-the Park, that lets visitors learn science by play amidst the wonder of nature’s elements: sunlight, wind, water and greenery. The park consists of four main play pockets: Water, Math, Music, and Living. There's also the JY Campos Park, a garden with identified plant species

Since it's an interactive museum, The Mind Museum doesn't have guides that will walk you through from entrance to exit. They have, however, “Mind Movers”– a group of science enthusiasts who are perfectly capable of answering questions related to the stations.

2. Ayala Museum

Address: Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa street, Makati City

Contact: 759-8288 | www.ayalamuseum.org/

Schedule: Ground-Fourth Floor Galleries -Tuesdays-Sundays | 9am to 6pm; Filipinas Heritage Library – Tuesdays to Saturdays | 9am to 6pm; ArtistSpace – Mondays-Sundays | 10am to 7pm

Rates:

What to see: Forming the core of the museum's historical collections are sixty handcrafted dioramas that chronicle the rich tapestry of Philippine history. Ayala Museum also features a one-of-a-kind boat gallery showcasing miniatures of some of the watercrafts that contributed to the development of Philippine maritime trade and colonial economy.

Photo: Ayala Museum Facebook Page

Weekly workshops and exhibitions are also regularly held at Ayala Museum. Check out their Facebook page for schedules.

3. Ateneo Art Gallery

Address: Level 2, Rizal Library Special Collections Building, Ateneo de Manila University

Contact: 426-6002 or 426-6488 | www.ateneoartgallery.org/

Photo: Ateneo Art Gallery Facebook Page

Schedule: 8:00am to 7:30pm (Monday-Friday) and 8:00am to 6:00pm (Saturday)

Rate: Admission is free for Ateneo students, faculty, staff and individual visitors. An admission fee of P30 for tour groups larger than 20 people.

What to see: The Ateneo Art Gallery holds over 600 artworks that include paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, photographs and posters. The collection traces its roots to the late Fernando Zóbel de Ayala (1924-1984). Painter, art scholar and teacher at the Ateneo, Zóbel donated over 200 artworks to form a study collection for university students.

The Gallery also spearheads an exciting overview of young Philippine contemporary art annually through the Ateneo Art Awards.

4. Museo Pambata

Address: Roxas Boulevard cor. South Drive, Manila

Contact: 523-1797/98 or 536-0595 | www.museopambata.org/

Photos: Museo Pambata Facebook Page

Schedule: 8 AM to 5 PM (Tuesdays to Saturdays), 1 PM to 5 PM (Sundays). The museum is closed on Mondays and selected official holidays.

Rate: Php 150 for kids and adults. Manila residents with valid IDs enter for FREE on Tuesdays and get 50% discount on other days. 20% discount is offered to senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

What to see: Museo Pambata features hands-on exhibits that encourage children to explore and discover various concepts while they play. Museo Pambata is also active in producing educational workshops and events. Check their Facebook page for updated schedules.

4. Metropolitan Museum of Manila

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex

708-7829 | www.metmuseum.ph

Photo: Richard Espiritu, Mei Tanchico, DK Solis – Wikipedia

Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Manila Facebook Page

Schedule: Museum hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00 am to 5:30pm; Gold and Pottery Galleries: Monday – Friday 10:00am to 4:30pm

Rate: Php 100.00 – Children above three years old, students, adults & foreign guest; Php 80.00 – Senior citizen and persons with disabilities.

What to see: Permanent and temporary exhibitions of pre-colonial, modern and contemporary Philippine art; The basement gallery showcases pre-Hispanic gold and pottery artifacts–proof of a flourishing pre-colonial Filipino society actively engaged in international trade and showcasing hallmarks of Filipino art and culture from the 8th to 13th centuries.

5. Bahay Tsinoy

Address: 32 Anda corner Cabildo Streets, Intramuros, Manila

Contact: 527-6083 | www.bahaytsinoy.org

Schedule: Tuesdays to Sundays, 1 to 5 pm

Rate: Adults P100, Children & Students P60

What to see: The museum showcases the history of the Chinese in the Philippines, from the pre-historic era to the 20th century.

6. National Museum of the Philippines: Museum of the Filipino People and National Art Gallery

Address: NHCP Building, T.M. Kalaw Street, Ermita, Manila

Contact: 254-7482 | www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/

Schedule: 10:00am to 4:00pm (Tuesday-Sunday)

Rate: Admission for individuals is P50 for students, P120 for senior citizens and P150 for adults.

What to see: Archaeological Treasures in the Museum of the Filipino People and The Hall of the Masters in National Art Gallery

7. Presidential Museum and Library

Address: Malacañang, Manila

Contact: 784-4286 | www.malacanang.gov.ph

Schedule: 9:00am to 3:00pm (Monday-Friday). Tours are scheduled upon request and must be filed 7 days prior.

Rate: Public visitors are charged a regular fee of P50.00 for adults, and P30.00 for concessionary groups such as students and senior citizens.

What to see: Relics accumulated during the respective incumbencies of the presidents of the Philippines.

8. CCP Museo ng Kalinangang Pilipino

Address: CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Barangay 1, Pasay

Contact: 832-1125 | www.culturalcenter.gov.ph

Photos: CCP website

Schedule: The CCP Museum is open from Tuesdays till Sundays, 10am to 6pm.

Rate: Admission fees are P40 for adults and P30 for students and children.

What to see: A permanent exhibit entitled “Diwa: Buhay, Ritwal at Sining” showcases significant Filipino artistic traditions and explores the development of Philippine art and aesthetics in the socio-cultural context. Another important permanent exhibit is the CCP Collection of Traditional Asian Musical Instruments from the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, Thailand, China and Korea.

9. Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center

Address: Roxas Avenue, UP Campus Diliman, Quezon City

Contact: 928-1927

Photo: UP Vargas Facebook Page

Schedule: 9:00am to 5:00pm (Tuesday-Saturday)

Rate: Admission is P20 for UP students, alumni, faculty and employees and P30 for everyone else.

What to see: Among the collection are works by late 19th century artists such as Lorenzo Guerrero, Simon Flores, Juan Luna, and Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo. From a later period include paintings done in the 1930s and 1940s most notably by Fabian de la Rosa and Fernando Amorsolo.

10. Philippine Science Centrum

Address: E-com Building, Riverbanks Center, Marikina City

Contact: 942-5136 | www.science-centrum.ph/

Photo: Philippine Science Centrum Facebook

Schedule: 8:00am to 5:00pm (Monday-Saturday)

Rate: Admission is P120 for adults and students from private school, P95 for public schools and free for teachers and children below 2 years old.

What to see: Learners get to see, touch, hear and feel everything that has got to do with Science at the first interactive science museum in the country.

11. Yuchengco Museum

Address: RCBC Plaza, Corner Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City

Contact: 889-1234 | www.yuchengcomuseum.org

Schedule: 10:00am to 6:00pm (Monday-Saturday)

Rate: Admission is P100 for adults, P50 for students, P25 for children and seniors.

What to see: Memorabilia to the Yuchengco family's Chinese heritage, the history of the YGC and its flagship companies, and the business and diplomatic career of Ambassador Yuchengco, plus temporary art exhibits

12. Armed Forces of the Philippines Museum

Address: Bulwagang Heneral Arturo T Enrile, Kampo General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City

Contact: 912-7664 | www.oocities.org/afpmuseum

Photo: AFP Museum website

Schedule: 9:00am to 4:00pm (Tuesday-Saturday)

Rate: Admission is P20 for adults, P10 for students, P5 for military dependents, free for military and veterans.

What to see: The premiere showcase of the rich military heritage spanning more than 500 years of bravery and heroism. The collection, conservation and preservation of reference materials such as books, documents, records, photographs, manuscripts and other publications on the Philippine military history and related matters.

13. San Agustin Museum

Address: General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila

Contact: 527-2746 http://sanagustinchurch.org/

Schedule: 9:00am to 5:00pm (Sunday-Monday)

Rate: Admission is P100 for adults and P40 for children.

What to see: Catholic statues and antiques from Spanish era

14. The Museum at De La Salle University

Address: 2nd Level of the Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall in De La Salle University

Contact: 524-4611 | www.themuseum.dlsu.edu.ph

Schedule: 8:00am to 6:00pm (Monday-Friday) and 9:00am-12:00nn (Saturday)

Rate: Admission is P25 for non-DLSU Filipino students and individuals and P50 for foreigners.

What to see: The collections boasts of rare drawings of “Botong” Francisco, Manansala, Amorsolo and Bencab. There are also sculptures by Arturo Luz, Solomon Saprid and Eduardo Castrillo. The art collection is displayed in a program of rotating exhbitions to showcase all artworks in the collection – based on various themes, artists or artistic style.

15. Money Museum

Address: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, A. Mabini St. cor. P. Ocampo St., Malate Manila, Philippines 1004

Contact: (632) 708.77.01

Photo from Money Museum's website

Schedule: 9:00am – 12:00nn, 1:00pm – 4:00pm (Monday to Friday)

Rate: Admission is free.

What to see: Money Museum showcases the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ collection of currencies. Check out coins, paper notes, medals, artifacts and monetary items found in the Philippines during different historical periods. Paintings from the BSP art collection, together with chosen artifacts, enhance each gallery.

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Which museums in this list have you visited already? Let us know about your favorites in the comments section below.