Metro Manila has a wealth of museums scattered across the city showcasing our rich culture and history through art. No kid is ever too young to learn about these but we have to admit, these little guys have short attention spans. Thankfully, there are more kid-friendly and interactive museums in the city and some of these are either free or have affordable entrance fees you can definitely fit into your budget. Check them out!
Museo Pambata
Roxas Boulevard corner South Drive, Manila
Tuesday – Sunday | 9 am – 5 pm
Fee: P450/person
Museo Pambata is finally reopening on September 25 after two years of the pandemic. This is your chance to visit and bring the kids to the country’s first interactive children’s museum. Museo Pambata will offer new spaces, art workshops, children’s bazaars, and more to add to their themed rooms. A trip to the museum is a great way to teach kids everything from our cultural heritage to the inner workings of the human body.
Food Wanderer x Lakbay Museo
2nd Floor, Filipino Village, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Paranaque City
Tuesdays to Sundays | 11 AM to 6 PM
Fee: Online P699, walk-in P799
Take the kids on a visit to this wonderful kaleidoscope world exploring local food. Lakbay Museum is an interactive millennial museum with almost a thousand food art collections inspired by the Philippines’ famous delicacies. The colorful and vibrant installations offer so many opportunities for snapping away at your camera. And as an add-on experience, you can opt to cook your own native delicacies, make your own slime, or enjoy authentic Filipino street food. Book your tickets here.
Mind Museum
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JY Campos Park, 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Wednesday – Sunday | 9 am to 6 pm
Fees: All-day pass: P750, 3-hour time slot: P625/adults, P475/kids and private school students, P190/public school students, P190/teacher
Pique your kids’ interest in science with a visit to the Mind Museum in BGC. This award-winning world-class science museum has over 250 interactive exhibits that let kids explore everything about nature and technology. There’s the Life Gallery for showcasing organisms on the living planet and the Earth Gallery section that’s about forces that shaped our earth. There’s also the Universe Gallery which focuses on outer space and the Technology Gallery which spans the whole second floor. You can buy tickets online here.
Philippine Air Force Aerospace Museum
Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base, Pasay City
Monday – Friday | 8 am – 5 pm
Saturdays | 8 am – 12 nn
Fee: P20
Got kids who are obsessed with aircraft? They would have a blast at the Philippine Air Force Aerospace Museum. This science and technology military museum was founded in 1974. Today, you’ll find aircraft mockups and miniatures, weapons and uniforms of the Philippine Air Force, photos and artworks about the air force, and more. It’s a great budget-friendly museum that kids and history buffs will surely love.
Chinatown Museum
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4/F Building A, Lucky Chinatown, Reina Regente Street, Binondo, Manila
Tuesday – Sunday | 10 am – 6 pm
Fees: P150/adult, P120/senior citizen, P100/student
The Chinatown Museum opened last 2019 as the “first cultural museum dedicated to the ‘World’s Oldest Chinatown'”. It features 18 galleries that showcase the influences and historical events that shaped Binondo. Chinatown Museum on Facebook also hosts various fun and cultural events around the area for kids and adults to enjoy such as the upcoming Binondo Food Tour and last August’s Binondo Bike Tour.
National Museum of Philippine History
Padre Burgos Ave, Ermita, Manila
Tuesday – Sunday | 9 am to 6 pm
Free admission
Enjoy free admission to the three buildings of the Natural Museum of Philippine History: the National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA), the National Museum of Anthropology (NMA), and the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The National Planetarium is temporarily closed.
The state-of-the-art museums house thousands of artworks from renowned artists with galleries that display the repositories of the natural and cultural history of Filipinos. It’s a great way to teach kids about our rich history and since it’s free, you don’t even need to budget for it.
Art in Island
175 15th Ave, Cubao, Quezon City
Tuesday – Sunday | 12 pm – 8 pm
Fees: P500/adult, P400/student
This museum might not be about history but it sure is fun. Bring the kids to this interactive museum in Cubao where 3D art paintings abound. Make sure you charge your phones or your cameras for the hundreds of ‘Gram-worthy shots you’re going to take. Kids (and kids at heart) will enjoy posing for and acting their hearts out.
Last August, Art in Island announced that the museum is under construction so it temporarily closed. But don’t worry, we’re sure they’ll open soon so you can still add them to your list of kid-friendly museums to visit in Metro Manila. Follow them on Facebook for updates.
Bonus: Pinto Art Museum
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1 Sierra Madre St, Grand Heights Subdivision, Antipolo
Tuesday – Sunday | 10 am – 6 pm
Fee: P250/adult, P125/student with valid school ID
If you’ve got more time to get out of the city, Pinto Art Museum in Rizal, Antipolo is only a 1.5-2 hour drive away. It’s an exhibit space and contemporary museum housed in mission-style buildings amidst lush gardens. Kids will love the open spaces and adults will appreciate the ‘Grammable interiors. Be prepared to take in hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and art installations!
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