Interactive museums to visit around Manila

I’ve always thought of museums as typically boring destinations. Most museums I grew up with were just buildings that exhibited historical artifacts. Items are usually just displayed behind glass cases and shelves while paintings are hung up on walls for people to just admire from afar. Usually, photography isn’t even allowed inside museums.

But these days, museums are going “interactive” by allowing visitors to get a more personal and hands-on learning experience. Aside from featuring audiovisual content and app-based technology, modern museums like Tales of Illumina market themselves to social media users by encouraging people to take photos.

Here’s a round-up of a few interactive and fun museums to visit around the metro. A few are even free to visit.

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Art in Island: The Media Square

Art in Island: The Media Square is a mixed media museum where guests can immerse themselves with digital projections to become “part of the art.” Larger than life murals and digital projections offer quirky backdrops for photos. Their new art zone called Hiwaga features a magical take on the Philippines using glowing and moving paintings and black light art.

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Newly revamped in December 2022, this museum offers an immersive experience for visitors. For those who haven’t been there yet, Art in Island offers a fun, family-friendly bonding activity and alternative to going to the mall or watching a movie.

• Address: Art in Island, 175 15th Avenue, Barangay Socorro, Cubao, Quezon City
• Ideal for: families with kids, barkadas
• How long will it take to visit: 2 to 3 hours
• Hours of operation: OPEN Tuesdays to Fridays, 11:00 am – 7:30 pm. Selling of tickets is until 6:00 pm only. OPEN Saturdays to Sundays, 11:00 am – 8:30 pm. Selling of tickets is until 7:00 pm only.
• Entrance fee: Regular P850, Students (w/ ID): P700, Senior/PWD: P600
• For discounted rates, book via Klook here.

National Museum Complex: Natural History, Archaeology & Fine Arts

There are three main museums in the National Museum complex in Manila: National Museum of Fine Arts, Archaeology, and Natural History. While all three are worth visiting, if you have limited time, I’d highly recommend the National Museum of Natural History. This is where you can learn more about Philippine fauna and flora, marine life, marvel at botanical illustrations and paintings, and explore the biosphere in various galleries spread throughout six floors.

The focal point in the museum is the Tree of Life, an elevator that ascends up to an architectural dome canopy. Guests can walk through displays recreating forested areas, answer quizzes in educational audio-visual presentations and see the actual taxidermied specimen and skeleton of Lolong, the largest crocodile in captivity.

• Address: Teodoro F. Valencia Circle, Ermita, Manila.
• Ideal for: Nature-lovers, families, barkadas, couples, school field trips
• How long to explore: 2-3 hours or half-day tours (combined with other nearby museums including the Fine Arts and Anthropology museums)
• Hours of operation: Open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Entrance fee: FREE to all visitors

Food Wanderer x Lakbay Museo

For those interested in Philippine culture, Lakbay Museo (revamped as Food Wanderer x Lakbay Museo) is a festive museum where you can get a glimpse of the country’s highlights in under two hours. This museum offers 14 unique and interactive experiences from 11 different destinations around Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. You can eat your way through the museum and feast your eyes on the Philippines’ famous delicacies.

The displays at Lakbay Museo are made to appeal to social media users. It’s chock full of photogenic booths recreating top tourist spots and IG-ready selfie spots and props for visitors to pose and take photos with.

While walking around, visitors can sample unique Pinoy delicacies and native drinks like lambanog and variants of sawsawan, dance along with the cultural performers, try playing traditional musical instruments, learn to balance a palayok on their head and lots more.

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• Address: S Maison, Conrad Manila right next to SM Mall of Asia
• Ideal for: international tourists, balikbayans, families with kids, barkadas, school field trips, Instagrammers
• How long will it take to visit: 2 hours max
• Hours of operation: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Entrance fee: Regular rate is P899. For discounted tickets of P699 book here.

Destileria Limtuaco Liquor Museum

If you’re of legal drinking age and interested to learn more about Philippine-made alcoholic beverages, the liquor museum in Intramuros offers a unique experience. This Destileria Limtuaco museum pays tribute to the oldest and largest distillery in the Philippines. The brand founded in 1852 is behind some of the most popular distilled beverages and spirits in the country including Maria Clara Sangria, White Castle Whiskey and Siok Tong, a Chinese herbal wine and tonic that’s been around for more than 150 years.

The guided tour gives a glimpse of the distilling process and gives guests up close to memorabilia of the historic distillery. Walk among old barrels and apothecary-style liquor bottles, browse through scrapbooks showing how liquor labels have evolved over the years and go liquor tasting. The bar in the middle of the space offers tasters of Philippine-made Craft Spirits including sugarcane wine, mango rum, premium lambanog or coconut vodka, local coffee liqueur and more.

• Address: 482 San Juan de Letran St., Intramuros, Manila.
• Ideal for: international tourists, barkadas, balikbayans, “titas”
• How long will it take to visit: 1-2 hours including liquor tasting.
• Hours of operation: Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am – 6 pm
• Entrance Fee: Php 50 (student), Php 100 (adult), Php 100 liquor tasting upgrade (for adults only)

The Mind Museum

For families traveling with younger kids, the Mind Museum in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig offers the first world-class Science museum in the Philippines. It contains over 250 interactive exhibits in five galleries with the themes Atom, Earth, Life, Universe, and Technology. Visitors can explore the museum at their own pace in fixed three-hour intervals and time-slots to ensure maximum enjoyment.

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Kids can pretend to be fossil hunters in areas like a “fossil dig”, go stargazing in a tiny custom-built planetarium, learn more about atoms using models through puzzles and games and learn about other scientific concepts and technology through hands-on exhibits.

• Address: Mind Museum, JY Campos Park, 3rd Ave. Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines
• Ideal for: families with kids, school field trips
• How long will it take to visit: 3 hours maximum
• Hours of operation: Open from Tuesday to Sundays (closed Mondays) with fixed timeslots from 9 am-12nn, 12nn-3pm, 3pm-6pm. Additional timeslot on Saturdays: 6pm-9pm.
• Entrance fees:
  • Adults: P600
  • Children & students (up to college) – P450
  • Public school students (up to college) – P150
  • Teachers – P150
  • All Day Pass (enter any time, no 3-hour maximum) – P750
  • For discounted rates, book via Klook here.

Museo El Deposito (Waterworks Museum)

El Deposito is an underground water reservoir built by the Spanish authorities in 1880. It was originally built as part of the Carriedo Waterworks under the supervision of Genaro Palacios, a Spanish engineer and architect who used the Marikina River as the El Deposito’s water source. At one time, the reservoir had a capacity of 15 million gallons and provided residents of Manila and surrounding areas with their water supply before it was abandoned.

Museo El Deposito stands on the actual site over the reservoir, giving visitors an overview of the old waterworks system. The sparkingly clean two-story museum features 3 galleries, with a few techie features including electronic mini displays, an interactive touchscreen, and a virtual reality room to present bits of the country’s civil-engineering history.

The most exciting aspect of this museum is the fact that visitors will actually be able to walk through the reservoir tunnels. A portion of the massive chambers are currently being cleared out of mud and debris and is expected to open to the public in 2020, free of charge.

• Address: 1500 Pinaglabanan Street, Corazon de Jesus, San Juan del Monte
• Ideal for: History buffs, school field trips, families
• How long will it take to visit: 1-2 hours
• Hours of operation: Open from Tuesday to Sunday, 8 am to 4 pm
• Entrance fee: FREE for all visitors.

Book Museum

For book-lovers and travelers, the Book Museum Cum Ethnology Center in Marikina offers an interesting yet eclectic museum experience. The Book Museum contains a collection of limited edition books and published materials from around the world as well as artifacts from regions of the Philippines.

The museum displays the personal collection of Atty. Dominador Buhain (Chairman and President of Rex Bookstore) who amassed books, magazines, and diaries from his travels to 273 countries around the world. Visitors can use a magnifying glass to peer into miniature books including one of the smallest books in the world (which measures the size of a thumbnail of 3.3×3.3 mm). While you can’t take out the regular books from the shelves, there are a few you can browse through at the cafe or buy from the bookstore right next door.

Beyond just books, other galleries like the Annex, Cordillera Display Area and Mindanao Display Area provide a fascinating look at Philippine folklore, mythology, culture with a touch of macabre. Get up close to artifacts like Philippine agimat / anting-anting, walk among bululs and ritual death boats, see weapons adorned with teeth and hair used by Mumbaki (native shaman) and more. The guided tour gives an overview of tribal rituals like mummification, headhunting traditions and more.

End your museum visits end with snacks at the “James Dean Cafe” (which feels a bit jarring and unconnected to the theme of the collections) right on the premises. Apparently, James Dean is the museum owner’s favorite actor. NOTE: Photography is not allowed in some galleries.

• Address: Book Museum cum Ethnology Center, 127 Dao Street, Marikina Heights, Marikina City
• Ideal for: school field trips, history buffs, introverts
• How long will it take to visit: 1-2 hours including snack
• Hours of operation: Tuesday – Sunday 9:00 am to 12 nn and 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm.
• Entrance Fee: P300 for all galleries (P40 for Book Museum, P30 for Cordillera Display Area, P20 for Mindanao Display area, P10 for Marikina Historical Pathway, P100 for Annex and P100 consumable at James Dean Café).

Pinto Art Museum

Technically, Pinto Art Museum isn’t in Manila, but it’s relatively near and definitely worth visiting for those who haven’t been there and have the time to spare. Pinto Art Museum is a museum of contemporary and indigenous art in Antipolo, about 40 minutes drive from the metro.

This beautiful art space houses several art galleries within open-air Mediterranean-inspired villas and surrounded by manicured gardens and landscaped greens. Some art installation rooms make use of music and lighting to offer a more immersive experience.

The Museum of Indigenous Art, located in the lower gardens, showcases the richness of the Filipino culture. It contains functional and ritual objects, textiles, jewelry and other beautiful indigenous artwork. The latest addition called Gallery 7, which was just launched in 2020, is the largest wing in the six-building, 1.2-hectare property featuring even more brilliant artworks and installations by contemporary Filipino artists.

• Address: Pinto Art Museum, 1 Sierra Madre St., Grand Heights, Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines
• Ideal for: couples, barkadas, art lovers, families, photography enthusiasts
• How long will it take to visit: 3-4 hours
• Hours of operation: Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm
• Entrance fee: P200 for adults, P180 for senior citizens and PWD with valid IDs, and P100 for students with valid school IDs.

QCX: Quezon City Experience Museum

NOTE: As of April 2023, QCX is still closed

The QCX: Quezon City Experience Museum is a socio-cultural interactive museum within Quezon City Circle that showcases the city’s humble beginnings up to the present, encompassing its society and culture. Instead of focusing purely on the past, this museum covers a lot of familiar and present-day cultural references through their photo-ready booths and interactive displays.

For residents who grew up in the city, the museum offers a nostalgic trip down memory lane throughout 16 interactive galleries. Walk through recreations of historic offices, step into a typical Pinoy house in the 1980s and 90s, see old carousel rides from Fiesta Carnival, read about historic landmarks like COD (which housed animatronic Nativity shows) and Magnolia Flavor House. You can even spot the famous white lady from Balete Drive here.

One section is devoted to Pinoy cinematic history since QC is the “City of the Stars” and home to major TV broadcasting networks and film houses. Another gallery highlights what different QC neighborhoods are known for and historic landmarks and businesses that originated in the city. and spots to check out nearby. Aside from being a museum, QCX also serves as a business center and events place that can accommodate seminars, lectures, exhibits, etc.

• Address: QCX: Quezon City Experience, Quezon Memorial Circle, Diliman, Quezon City
• Ideal for: History buffs, school field trips, families, QC residents
• How long will it take to visit: 1-2 hours
• Hours of operation: Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm.
• Entrance fees:
  • Students with ID – P80
  • Quezon City resident – P100 (must present valid ID with address)
  • Non-Quezon City resident – P150
  • Group of 50 – 20% discount
  • Group of 50 students – 30% discount
  • Senior citizens/Persons with disability/Solo parent – 20% discount
  • Family of 5 members – 20% discount
  • Free admission for children 6 years and below

Gateway Gallery

Gateway Gallery is a small art gallery hidden in Gateway Mall in Cubao. This art museum of Araneta City is devoted to promoting the arts. It showcases exhibits and events related to arts, culture and history in the Philippines.

Their exhibit SiningSaysay: Philippine History in Art fuses art and history with technology through augmented reality. Using smartphones, visitors can scan 10 of the 30 large history paintings and see them “come to life” through videos and narrations.

• Address: Gateway Gallery, 5th level of the Gateway Tower, Araneta Center
• Ideal for: art lovers, mallgoers, families with kids, anyone
• How long will it take to visit: less than 1 hour
• Hours of operation: Mondays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
• Entrance fee: FREE for all visitors

Which of these museums have you been to? Let me know if you have other suggestions of similar places to visit.