Manila

Museums

museums
National Museum of the Philippines
P. Burgos Ave
+63 2-527 1209

Built and opened in the 1900s The museum showcases significant collections from archaeology, arts, cultural properties, zoology, botany and many more. This museum boasts of amassing over a million artefacts but in actual, only 125 pieces or so are on show. An optimist would describe something as a glass half full, and for one, this museum is less than half full for one would see halls and halls of empty space. A floor would have just about a maximum of two utilized halls with displays in it. As in anywhere in the Philippines, things are forever in transition. At the entrance is somewhat an apology board explaining that there's supposed to be three separate buildings - this one and the one facing it as showcases for anthropological and archaeological artefacts while the third one, the former Senate Building functioning as the National Art Gallery where paintings and sculptures are to be housed. There is no time frame when will this wishful thinking be achieved.

museums
Museo Pambata
Roxas Boulevard corner South Drive Manila, Philippines 1000
+63 2-523 1797 or +63 985-360595 (mobile)
₱100
Aug-Mar: 8AM-5PM daily; Apr-Jul: 9AM-5PM daily
From EDSA, turn right on Roxas Boulevard then take a U-turn on T.M. Kalaw Street. From Quiapo, take Quezon Bridge going to Padre Burgos Street then turn left on Roxas Boulevard. Or you may take the LRT or a jeepney (A. Mabini route), get off on United Nations Avenue, and walk to Roxas Boulevard. Museo Pambata is right beside the U.S. Embassy

The Museo Pambata is a children's interactive museum, the first of its kind in the Philippines. Opened in 1994, Museo Pambata is the dream come true of Nina Lim-Yuson, who was inspired by the Boston Children’s Museum to open up a similar facility in Manila.

museums
Metropolitan Museum of Manila
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
+63 2-521 1517
M-Sa 9AM-6PM

Inaugurated during Imelda's heyday, it used to display works by Caravaggio. This premiere art museum of Manila showcases both traditional, hispanic and modern art through its exhibits. Located along Roxas boulevard, across the Manila Yacht club.

museums
 

Manila has seen a drastic improvement in its museum offerings with the recent renovation of old favorites such as the National Museum of the Filipino People and the Ayala Museum. Other must-see museums in the city are the Bahay Chinoy Chinese House, Casa Manila, San Agustin Museum and the Museum of Filipino Political History, the "Museo Pambata" children's museum'.

landmarks
University of Santo Tomas
España Blvd, Sampaloc

This University is oldest and first University in the whole of Asia and the Philippines. It was used as a camp by the Japanese during their occupation where the imprisoned about 10,000 people even though it only can hold 4,000.

The main tourist sites of Manila are located along Manila Bay.