I came here the day after I visited the Intramuros area of Manila. I wanted to further my lessons in my own culture, but this time through art history and to get a view of the native people before the Spanish colonized and influenced the culture. I actually haphazardly ran into this museum a few days before just roaming through an upscale mall. It is very modern in location and in design. It is its own building on one of the corners of the mall complex, so it has its own entrance, don't have to go inside the mall itself. P750 admission for general and sure there is discount for seniors and students. That general price is like $14 US. The layout here is vertical versus just 1-2 floors. Here there are 4 floors and you start at the top and work your way down. We did this in 3 hours but one could easily be in here for 4-5 hours, if you read everything and put on headphones. Top floor was mostly a 'gold' exhibit depicting that these islands were a source for gold and thus became part of trade route for the seafaring people (Austronesians) that roamed the areas from mainland Asia to all the islands in Polynesia to Madagascar and the western coast of Africa. So within all this traveling you can see how so many influences can evolve culture from art to technology to language. These travel savvy people thrived from even 4000 years ago to about the 17th century when colonialism started to form modern countries. There was also a section on the clothing many tribes had during these times. Like these are the people who the Spanish fleet met upon arriving. 3rd floor was an art gallery but for Filipino artist mostly from the 1800s to the mid 1900s. Most of the exhibit showcase Fernando Amorsolo who was granted a national award for his depiction of rural life in the early 1900s. I was incredibly moved by this exhibit, as with just brush strokes he was able to capture a whole moment, that seems so everyday yet so symbolic of the culture. Some were more impressionist like where up close it just seems more abstract, but the further you get a clearer picture emerges. And he was also able to do some realistic portraits where it seemed like I could talk to the image. Lol. I think there is a lesser admission fee if you only wanted to view this floor only. 2nd floor is more like a history museum chronicling the timeline on when and how the Spanish came to colonize the islands, and how the country eventually claimed its independence in 1898. Very enriching experience for me and glad some of my family were willing to view it with me. 5 soul quenching stars! read more

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Lovely museum about Philippines history! A good introduction of the country's struggles against colonialism- the Spaniards and the Americans, the persecution of Chinese immigrants. Very somber. A good overview. read more

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Definitely a must visit attraction if you're into history or Filipino culture, Ayala Museum is located within the Greenbelt complex making it easily accessible. The facility is very nice, clean, and well maintained. It's a smaller museum but for its size the exhibits are quite expansive. The exhibits on gold and clothing were my favorites and were the most detailed. The displays were informative and several were even interactive in some way. I definitely learned a thing or two about pre-colonial Philippine culture. There is also a small art gallery and a hall of dioramas that go through the entire history of the Philippines. The staff were all very nice, helpfully directing us to the next exhibit as we moved through the museum. We were recommended to start at the top floor and work our way down. It's a fairly straightforward path through the museum. I think we spent 1.5-2 hours here but we certainly could've stayed longer. I highly recommend making a visit! read more

Wonderful! Not only are the exhibits interesting and varied the service is excellent. They were very accommodating to my mom who was in a wheelchair. They helped direct our visit path, opened doors, and answered questions. While many places in the Philippines are not elderly friendly or easily accessible fire all ages the Ayala Museum is. I could have easily spent more than 2 hours here. You should visit. read more

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Whether you're a tourist or native Filipinos you should go to this museum. It will take 3-4 hours to tour this site. One big plus is right next to the museum, there is a very high-end shopping center if you're in the mood for shopping. There is so much to see in this museum. Starting on the 4th floor. The artifacts, jewelries, clothing are so impressive. The Philippines are so rich in history before the Spanish colonization. Unfortunately, I think most of Filipinos know about Magellan was killed there and the rest of the history seems to start with the Spanish colonization. Most of them probably have not heard of the Austronessian which is their root 5000-6000 years ago. This museum will show us the history of the Philippines. As you descend to the 3rd, 2nd and 1st floor, the history will bring us to present...Spanish colonization, WW-2, Bataan Death March, Gen. MacArthur, Pres. F. Marcos and the martial law... Because of over 300 years under Spain and about 80% of filipinos are Catholics, there are plenty of Catholic statues in the museum. In short, this museum is probably one of the best place to visit in Manila. read more

The newly renovated Ayala Museum recently opened its doors again after close to a 2 years renovation. I highly recommend this museum to all visitors wanting to learn about Philippine art, culture and history. On the 2nd floor is the diorama experience of the Philippine history which is a must if you are not familiar with the Country's history. And it's nice for children too. read more

The museum is two blocks away from where we were situated in Makati and beside greenbelt 5 which is definitely not easy to miss. We were keeners and decided to come first thing in the morning right when it opened. Around 9am they told us that they needed another 10 minutes to prep. Okay, so we waited a lil bit longer. Then when we came back to check they said that they don't take visa (which is okay), but they also don't have change for cash. Ooookay, not sure if this is a standard with all establishments here, but were not from here and this never happens in Canada. We walked around to see if there were any open shops we could buy something from and get change, but we were stumped, nothing was open at 9am. So we came back and they said that they could give us change after the tour. Ooookay, I wish that they had told us this at the start. We were still optimistic and we really enjoyed all the floors. That's why I give the 3 stars, for the great displays, especially the dioramas. But I wish the service was better. Would recommend the museum, but probably go there a lil bit after 9:30 am , you might get better service when everyone working is more awake. read more

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So let's say you have foreign friends in town and you want to be a "proud nationalistic Pinoy", and you sincerely want to share the history of our country to your guests in the most comprehensive, least boring way possible. Head to Ayala Museum's "The Diorama Experience". I'm not guaranteeing they will listen to the audio narration provided with the earphones you can opt to borrow, but they will have a good overview of our history in these cute, extremely detailed, creatively-executed and dramatic dioramas! Being weirdo, animal-lover me, there was this one visit (it must've been my 4th or 5th?) where I counted all the dogs in the dioramas. I was so fascinated at how our ancestors do keep companion dogs and cats, too. I think I got to around 30 something? Also found: pet cats, toads on top of mushrooms, fish, chickens, cows, and there may have been monkeys. Anyway, if you're (unfortunately) still stuck in school with a big test on Philippine history, the Diorama Experience is an enjoyable way to review your facts outside of your textbooks and browsers. Another display worth mentioning here is their "Gold of Ancestors" collection, which is pretty vast and fascinating (though after a few minutes you can get sick of seeing gold and feeling very, very poor). Do stick around for the video presentation, though! Ayala Musuem also occasionally features international artists. A somewhat recent one I can recall is Yayoi Kusama, that Japanese lady I adore who's into putting polka-dots on everything. read more

Think about this scenario for a second: You've got some expat friends coming in for x days. They're billeted at some hotel/hostel in Makati, and have very little time to explore the city before hopping to another province in the Philippines, but they MUST have their cultural fix. Look no further than the Ayala Museum! The dioramas located on the second floor that chronicle pre-colonial Philippine history up to the modern times is a great and informative way to learn (or re-learn) about our roots as a nation, and to teach foreigners about where we come from. On the ground floor is an expansive space that is good for mounting art shows. Last year, the Ayala Museum had the pleasure of housing some of Frida Kahlo's and Diego Rivera's works for a Mexican art festival. Aside from art exhibits, Ayala Museum is also a good venue for hosting talks, workshops, presentations, seminars and more. When you're done showing your expat friends around, hop on over to M Cafe for a few drinks and pica-pica to cap off your day! :) read more

Ayala Museum - Museums Near Me - Makati, NCR

The 2nd floor is where you buy tickets and you go up to the 4th floor and work your way down. The introduction movie regarding the history of Filipinos and gold is lengthy so take a seat. That floor has a lot of security due to holding a lot of gold relics which is pretty dope. Worked my way to the textiles, ceramics, 21st century art, dioramas and the women warriors exhibit. This museum costs about ₽225 per person and took about two and a half hours to walk thru. Loved every part part of this place! read more

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Excellent introduction to Philippine history on the second floor in a lengthy set of 3-D dioramas. Location of the museum is great, right in the center of all the Makati malls. As a foreigner, most exhibits still fairly interesting and easy to follow along with English labels. The gold exhibit could have been more interactive, but I really enjoyed the BenCab photos and drawings on the ground floor. read more

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It has been quite some time since I visited the Ayala Museum. I'm pretty sure my first visit was when I was a little girl, long before it was the Ayala Museum that it is now. It was the one following that visit that I got to fully experience it for all that it had to offer. They have extensive diorama exhibits on Philippine history, presented in a modern way. They have scale models of the galleons that connected Manila to Mexico and Madrid during the galleon trade in the Hispanic colonial era. More recently, I attended one of their Rush Hour concerts, wherein the Manila Symphony Orchestra showed off their underrated talent. The theme of this particular night was "Baroque of Ages," which included performances of Vivaldi, and Piazzola pieces, as well classical interpretations of contemporary music, like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," and Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal." If anything, the Ayala Museum has done a good job at making these historical elements relatable to modern society. read more

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"Woah," was all that came to mind when I first laid eyes on Ayala Museum on a lazy Sunday morning. I went to Greenbelt for a small reunion with friends, but I ended up with some time to kill, so I decided to finally check the place out. Even outside, you can tell it's one of the higher end museums, with its fancy signage and a sample display outside. For a small entrance fee of P125 (luckily I brought my student's ID, otherwise it would have cost P225) I had access to all four floors and galleries. The fourth floor held the pre-colonial gold and other artifacts (like textiles and ceramics) that must have cost fortunes to have collected. Even on Sunday the place was far from packed, so it was a really relaxing experience. The third floor held a Juan Luna and Fernando Zobel exhibit at the time, but I think aside from the paintings the design of the gallery area was eye-poppingly attractive, with cool deep blues and bright oranges that felt straight out a Wes Anderson palette. Lastly, the second floor held the permanent diorama fixture detailing Philippine history until EDSA revolution, and that was a welcome throwback to grade school days. Don't be too keen on taking photos, it's not allowed past the second floor. Thanks Ayala Museum, for a relaxing way to kill time! read more

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Conveniently located in Greenbelt in Makati. It is quite accessible for commuters as well (can be entered through the walkway). I went here last weekend for the Understanding French Impressionism art lecture and enjoyed the forum. The audio visuals used were effective and the security team efficiently checked the guests coming through. They have a free exhibit that I was also able to check out - the one about the moving arts (film). Compared to the other privately owned museums though, the entrance fee here is more expensive. read more

The Ayala museum is a must visit for anyone who visits the Philippines. I get that visiting the Philippines is about going to beautiful beaches and pampering yourself and eating some awesome food, but you gotta go to museums and check out their shopping too! The Ayala Museum was very similar to The Getty Museum, except that instead of no flash photography, absolutely NO photos are allowed to be taken unless you are on the second floor. So, you start at the top floor (4th) and work your way down. 4th- a short video on gold and all the archeological gold finds from the ancient Philippines. It was super cool to see how detailed their designs got and how innovative they were to use clasps for necklaces and earrings since we still use them today for modern jewelry. 3rd- tapestries? And paintings and drawings of influential Filipino artists and the souvenir shops 2nd- LITERALLY the entire history of The Philippines shown in elaborate dioramas. There are about 50+. You're about to get schooled in history. 1st- entrance and outdoor garden and cafe. You can walk to the mall and get your shopping on read more

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A must for everyone - the pre-Spanish gold collection is amazing. And they have much, much more !

What is the weight of pots and gold in Philippine history? Ayala Museum showcases an impressive collection of contemporary art, dioramas, pottery, and gold exhibits that remain a testament to the thriving culture of the Philippines, both in its pre-colonial history and in the here and now. My favorite exhibit in the entire museum, The Gold of Ancestors, dedicates a whole section to excavations of pre-colonial gold. I like it because, well, gold. Shiny. Also, the dioramas of significant events in Philippine history are incredibly fascinating. You can clearly see how our culture has been influenced as trading networks flourished between the Philippines and our Asian neighbors. Walking through an elaborate museum such as this one makes it even more difficult to accept that history taught in classrooms often goes in one ear, then out another. Thankfully, Ayala Museum offers more than a glimpse by delving deeper into Philippine history beyond the pages of a textbook. With exhibitions, lectures, and workshops held all year round, there's no way anyone can forget. read more

Pretty neat and fancy. Well maintained, at least the expensive entrance fee goes somewhere. Will give you a good background of ph history without having to go out of the business district esp if you're staying in the area. Not a lot of artifacts though and if you're into visual arts, you better check out other museums. read more

I love this museum, located in the heart of Makati. It's close to Ayala Triangle Gardens, so you can take a walk and breath some fresh air and then drop by the museum to check their exhibitions. The permanent display tells the history of the Philippines, so I highly recommend a visit if you are a foreigner like me. It was a very pleasant way to learn about the country's past and culture. I liked the dioramas - miniatures skillfully made to reproduce major events and facts of the Philippine history, from prehistory to the independence of the country. For me, it was particularly interesting to watch the video about the political issues and the EDSA Revolution. This multimedia approach offered by Ayala Museum is much more interesting than only searching the web, that's why I recommend a visit. Oh, and don't forget to check their seminars schedule. There's always some interesting workshop going on, like the Basic Creative Writing one, with a professor who also teaches at the University of the Philippines. I really intend to enroll in this course. It seems to be very interesting :) After a tour through the museum, have a cup of coffee or a relaxing cappuccino at the café downstairs. Very pleasant! read more

Amidst all the shopping and dining in Greenbelt, who knew you could get a cultural experience out of it as well? Located right beside the mall is Ayala Museum, which has four floors showcasing the richness of Filipino art, history, and culture. On the first and third floors are constantly changing exhibits featuring both budding and timeless artists and their distinctive works. The top floor gives a taste of pre-Hispanic gold jewelry and objects is yet another highlight of the experience. At the heart of the museum is an exquisite exhibit containing 60 dioramas which mark Philippine history's most monumental events. If you're looking for more interesting things to do for a date, or ways to evade a hot summer afternoon, then the Ayala Museum is definitely worth checking out! read more

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Ayala Museum is a gleaming six-storey building that displays ethnographic and archaeological exhibits on Filipino culture, art, and history. It's aim is to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of the richness and uniqueness of Filipino history, ingenuity and creativity. The first level exhibits the work of various contemporary artists both local and international. Ayala Museum likes to promote the bond between the Philippines and various nations through a sharing of art. They also support the visit of any dignitaries in much the same way. The second floor contains the Diorama Experience as well as the Maritime Vessels. The Diorama Experience contains sixty handcrafted dioramas chronicling key events in Philippine History from prehistoric times all the way to the recognition of Philippine independence by the United States in 1946. It also contains a multimedia presentation of the events leading up to EDSA People Power Revolution. Maritime Vessels is a display of a collection of detailed, finely crafted ship models that contributed to the development of the cultural, agricultural and trade history of the Philippines. To all of these, visitors can also rent audioguides to further detail their experience. On the third level showcases paintings by various famous Filipino artists from the last 100 years. They have pieces by Juan Luna, Fernando Amorsolo, Vicente Manansala, Jose Joya and Fernando Zobel. The fourth contains The Gold of Ancestors, Embroidered Multiples and A Millennium of Contact. The Gold Of Ancestors is an exhibition of more than one thousand gold objects from cultures that existed in the Philippines before its colonization in the 16th century. It's a marvel to imagine how all those pieces; some simple, some ornate, were all handcrafted in this rustic, primitive era. Embroidered Multiples features various traditional clothing and materials. A Millenium of Contact is an exhibit of more than 500 ceramic pieces whose histories are a testament to the long-forged bond between China and other Southeast Asian nations with the Philippines. read more

This museum is connected to the Greenbelt mall and even has a entrance within the mall that leads to it. This was a very neat way to spend a day. You start off on the upper floors learning about early Philippine culture and as you head down each level has a different time period that was influential to the islands history, from the vast golden riches of the early years, the years of Chinese pottery all the way to the colonial era. You can easily spend a large amount of time here, though it can be a little pricy. read more

At the time of this visit, was still suffering from jetlag and not truly present so the words, both written and oral pretty much passed me by. What stuck with me were the visuals. The rich history of the Philippines was on fabulous display in this awesome museum. Fascinated by the dioramas and the intricate detail the museum put into each window. The maritime exhibit impressed me with the courage of these explorers and sailors from the past who braved the high seas in pursuit of discovery, commerce, religion, etc. in such fragile vessels. Missed the gold exhibit since I was pretty much a zombie on my feet and had to go back to the hotel for a nap. AM definitely rates a repeat visit. read more

This was by far the best laid out museum in Manila. You could see that great care was given to ensure the story was comprehensive and detailed and took users on a clear journey. The gold items on exhibit were worth the cost of admission alone, but the history lessons were very well explained and chronicled as well. We almost skipped this museum because we had done all the others on the list in the books and had been pretty lackluster on the feeling on the content for those, but this one is the one I would send people to from now on. I would go back for the gold exhibit alone. I've never seen such intricate pieces and such workmanship from a bygone era. read more

Whenever I travel abroad, I always make it a point to visit a museum or two. It's a great venue to learn about the country's culture, history, people, and arts. A few months ago, in an attempt to plan a "different" kind of date, my friend and I decided to make a trip to the Ayala Museum! Located in the middle of Makati, it was a perfect highlight to a day date. I hadn't been here since my high school days so I was really excited. We started at the top at the "Gold of Ancestors" exhibit and I was super impressed, great to see the heritage and history of our people before the Spanish even arrived! The floor after that housed the dioramas that inspired ALL my grade school projects! They were exactly how I remembered them, I kid you not everything I submitted in high school were tiny dioramas because of this! It's always good to be reminded of our history and this was a real creative and understandable way to review that! Lastly we checked out the Zobel exhibit and the gift shop. Our visit here was really enlightening, culture, history and art of my own heritage all housed in one building. You must make a visit, especially if the last time was when you were in school, you'll get a whole new appreciation of things! read more

Ayala Museum - Ayala Museum art - Museums Near Me - Makati, NCR

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I'm not much of a museum person, but I found myself here recently as a friend from New York was in town and this just happened to be on his to-do list. Of course, I obliged. After all, the bisita should always get priority. I was happy that I chose to accompany my friend here as it's really something else. My respect for the Ayalas tripled after visiting this place as I'm glad that they've provided an avenue for tourists and locals alike to learn about our culture and our customs. It's beautifully maintained and there's a store that you can check out afterwards for merch/paraphernalia. read more

It is no secret that I love art, and by this all kinds, shapes, sizes and mediums. So it's also not a secret that I go to museums again even if I've already been to it. This goes for the National Museum, the Metropolitan Museum Manila, and most especially the Ayala Museum. Conveniently located in Ayala Center, it's really an easy stop for tourists or even locals to brush up on art and Philippine history. I remember going there when I was younger and being at awe with the carefully crafted detailed dioramas depicting our history. For those who are not so much interested in history, they have recently added to their collection a very interesting lot of textiles from all over the country, showcasing the styles and patterns in weaving of different indigenous tribes from around the Philippine archipelago. There was even a time when some of revolutionary foreign (and female) artist Frida Kahlo were on display in one of it's halls. That's how Ayala Museum is. Wrold class. They have several galleries and even has halls and function rooms available for rent at quite reasonable prices. Another place I like to visit once in a while is the Museum Shop, where they have selected prints and reproductions of well-known and well-loved artists and pieces. Oh how I love to ogle and drool there, just to get inspired to work even harder so I can save and acquire my next masterpiece. read more

One of my goals is to visit every museum in Manila. I love art and it gives me thrill every time I go to new gallery or museum. Ayala Museum is one of my recent visits and it did not disappoint. I went there for Cesar Legaspi's exhibit. He is after all a National Artist and I knew I just couldn't let it pass. I went there with a friend and we saw all sorts of exhibits. We felt like our visited was very well worth it. There was so much about our country's history and I was glad to know more. Usually museums are known to be very old and dragging. The Ayala Museum is the very opposite. It's the well lit open spaces that really make you feel like you're not there for another history or art lecture. It gives you a light feeling that gives you the energy to know more about the exhibits there. The art they showcase there are very different and it teaches you different aspects of history in relation to the Philippines. Everything was well-organized and each display was explained well in the description cards. I had so much fun learning new things there! I would have to say that the Ayala Museum is one of the beautifully designed museums I've been to. I can't wait to go back and check out their new exhibits or events soon! read more