Museo Pambata - Manila

Located in Roxas Boulevard corner South Drive in Manila, Museo Pambata is an interactive museum where visitors, particularly the children, get a chance to learn through the numerous fun and exciting displays of the museum.

Museo Pambata

Museo Pambata History 

Museo Pambata, also known as Children's Museum, was a brainchild of Nina Lim-Yuson who upon her visit to Boston's Children's Museum dreamt of a similar museum in the Philippines for the Filipino kids to enjoy. This dream was enthusiastically shared by former and then the Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Estefania Aldaba-Lim. In June 1993, Both Yuson and Lim presented the proposal to use the historical Elk's Club building to house the Children's Museum to then Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim who readily approved it.

Museo Pambata - Manila

Museo Pambata facade

Museo Pambata NHI Marker

With the leadership of the elected Museo Pambata officers and the help of educators, visual artists, architects, and museum workers who regularly brainstormed, Museo Pambata opened to the public in 1994. It was a dream that truly became reality.

Today, visitors to Museo Pambata would surely enjoy the numerous interactive displays found in the different areas of the museum. These areas are as follows: 

Ground Floor

Check out that eagle

Do you hear the sound of the sea Ella?

Farm life

Measure your wing span, Ella.

Kalikasan/ Environment - Check out the simulated rain forest, rice field, and seabed displays in this area. Children would surely love to mini play areas found here.

The galleon replica

The tranvia display

A replica of the facade of a Spanish Era house

Pick up one of those phones to listen to a hero talk

Manila City / Old Manila - Check out the displays that bring you back to the past. Children would enjoy riding the tranvia. They can also visit a bahay na bato, enter a miniature church, and listen to some of the heroes of the country talk via the telephones.

Numbers of dolls wearing clothing from different countries  

The Rights of Children

Different Philippine costumes

More dolls

More costumes

Bata sa Mundo  / Children in the Global Village - Check out the numerous dolls on display wearing the national costumes of the countries around the world. The children would also get a chance to view and play with toys and musical instruments of other countries here.

Second Floor 

Aklatang Pambata

Can you guess what building that is?

Check out all those kiddie books...

Aklatang Pambata / Children's Library - Check out the collection of hundreds of storybooks here. This is a great place for children to let their imagination soar and also a great place for adults to have a quiet moment.

Someone wanted to be a fish vendor...

...and she's enjoying it...

Then she wanted to be a firewoman

Paglaki ko / Career Options - Check out the different job related "booths" and watch the children act out as barbers, pharmacists, firemen, and many more.

Here's a place where kids can play all day.

Check out the moon rock loaned to us by NASA

The earthquake simulator

The mechanic's half jeep

I Love the Planet Earth - Check out the different exhibits that teach your children about climate change and other environmental issues. This is also a place where one can see one of the Goodwill Moon Rocks loaned to the Philippines by the US. 

The most famous face of Museo Pambata

Listen to the heartbeat

The blood map

Guess what noise would come out from this body part

A Titan's ear

Katawan Ko / My Body Works - Check out the different interactive exhibits that teach kids about the different functions of their body parts. This is also where the famous giant face is found.

The original Maroon 5

Museo Pambata's souvenir shop

The first time that I visited Museo Pambata was during one of my field trips during my elementary days. I have since visited it a few more times during the field trips by my class in the school that I work in, the last I brought my students here was about three years ago. I visited it again last September 1, 2017, as part of our "family day" trip during that long weekend. From the first time I visited until the latest visit, there were only little change or improvement in the museum.

Check out this awesome helicopter slide

Despite this, first-timers like my daughter enjoyed her time here. She particularly loved the tranvia and some of the interactive displays in Katawan Ko and I Love the Planet Earth. However, for folks like me who visited the museum several times already, I feel that the museum needed a makeover or an upgrade. To be honest, the museum is being "outplayed" by other interactive museums like the Nido Discovery Center in Pasay City and the Mind Museum in Taguig City.

How do you feel today?

Regardless of this, Museo Pambata would always be close to my heart (and probably the majority of the 90s kids who grew up visiting this place during their field trips). Overall, Museo Pambata is still a must-visit the museum in the Metro.

Museo Pambata Admission Fee:

Bought tickets for my wife and daughter. I was allowed to enter for FREE .

Visitors must pay P250 pax (children and adults) to enter Museo Pambata. Good news for teachers though. Teachers can enter for FREE. All they need to do is bring their ID.

Museo Pambata Operating Hours:

Museo Pambata operating hours

Museo Pambata is open...

Tue - Sat
8AM - 5PM (Sept - Feb)
9AM - 5PM (Mar - Aug)
Sunday
1PM - 5PM

Why visit Museo Pambata?

Museo Pambata will surely bring back memories for '90s kids. It's one of the most common fieldtrip destinations for those living in and around the Metro. It's also a good place to bring your children during the weekends so that they'd have a day of learning away from their typical online games. 

Getting to Museo Pambata:

When in Manila, visitors should ride a taxi going to Museo Pambata as no jeepneys or buses pass or go directly to it. The nearest jeepney route is several blocks away.

Another option is to ride the kalesa or horse-drawn carriage from Luneta Park. take note that this form of transportation is quite expensive. 

Ratings:

Crowd

Cleanliness

Overall rating