National Museum of Natural History | Philippines

The newly renovated National Museum of Natural History has opened its doors to the public last May 18, 2018 on International Museum Day. Since then, I wanted to visit the museum but I knew that lines are quite long since it's free admission to all. So, I figured I wait at least a month before visiting to avoid the crowds, or so I thought.

Things you need to know:

Opening hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (admission closes at 4:30 PM)
Address: Teodoro F. Valencia Circle, Ermita, Manila
Entrance fee: Free admission
The following are prohibited in the museum:

Backpacks
Bags larger than short bond paper
Caps/hats/bonnets
Smoking
Food and beverages
Touching of museum objects
Sitting on floors
Disrespectful/wacky poses
Flash photography
Videography
Tripods & monopods
Wrapped packages
Umbrellas
Pens & art materials

How to get there:

Ride the LRT heading to Taft.
Alight at United Nations station.
Cross the road towards Luneta Park, and near Rizal's monument is the National Museum of Natural History.

I went there with my sister, Monina, and my cousins, Bianca, Chynna, and Enzo on a Tuesday (June 19). We left home at 10 am and arrived there at around 12 noon - it was hella traffic in Manila (what a shocker). When we got there, we struggled to find the museum's parking space for visitors. Turns out, there was none. The allotted parking was on the street for 20-30 cars ONLY. There was no way anyone would be leaving that early, so we decided to go find another parking space. The nearest establishment that offered parking space was Jollibee at the end of the street - also full. We ended up parking in SM Manila, which was an LRT station away. After parking, we rode the LRT from Central station to United Nations station.

National Museum of Natural History

Bianca, Yna, Chynna, Enzo, and me

Main entrance (the line around 3:30 pm)

Alas, we arrived before 3 pm. The admission line inside was long, but we were able to go inside after 20 minutes of waiting. If you are with a senior citizen or PWD, you can enter with breeze at the back entrance of the museum.

There is a deposit counter for backpacks and bags that are larger than a short bond paper.

The museum is made up of 5 stories. In these 5 stories, there are 12 galleries. Currently, only 7 galleries are open, and the rest are still under construction.

June 2018

Tree of Life

Upon entering the museum, the first thing you will see is the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is a man-made representation of nature located at the center of the museum. It contains an elevator inside of its "trunk" that goes up to the fifth floor.

I won't go into much detail for each gallery because it is better for you to experience the museum in person. :) Nonetheless, here are some of my favorite shots taken in the museum.