Museums do an important job of keeping our collective memories and cultural heritage alive. There are public and private museums in and around Manila that are opening their doors this weekend—free of charge—for International Museum Day.
While the day itself is celebrated on May 18, some museums have decided to extend the celebration to the weekend to give everyone a chance to visit.
Some of these museums are close enough to visit on the same day, so you might as well make a day out of it and visit as many as you can!
Ayala Museum
Ayala Museum is a go-to for university students, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the exhibits if you’re not in school. The slots for the free admission are limited, which means you’ll have to get moving if you want to register in time. Each registration is capped at two slots to give others the best chance of visiting.
Make sure to check out the newly-opened Museya Kafé while you’re there!
Yuchengco Museum
For lovers of the arts, the Yuchengco Museum is a private art museum housed in the iconic RCBC Plaza in Makati. This year, the museum is opening its doors to the public for the entire weekend. There’s also no need to register, which means you can walk in just fine.
The M
The Metropolitan Museum of Manila—or The M as it’s now called—isn’t just waiving their entrance fee, they’re also organizing free tours to showcase the highlights of their new BGC location.
The tours are happening from May 18 to May 20, with 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. time slots. Each tour is limited to 25 participants, which means you’ll have to register for a slot.
National Museum
While entry to the National Museum is always free, this is a good opportunity to remind everyone that it’s one of the most interesting museums to visit. You’ll never run out of artifacts and artworks to admire, and it’s even better the second (or nth) time around.
And it’s also important to remember that visiting museums isn’t limited to International Museum Day or this weekend. If you can’t make it to the museums this weekend, they’ll still be there when you do have the time.
If you can make it this weekend and want to visit more, there are tons of other museums in Manila and around the country that’ll showcase more of our culture and heritage. You can even make a trip of it and make the most of what remains of summer!