Ayala Museum Reopens With The Philippines’ First Ever Digital Gallery, Guests Can Use An App As Tour Guide

Ayala Museum reopens with a digital gallery

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If you’re looking for a new museum experience to start your 2022 but want to avoid traveling out of the metro, you’re in luck.

After 2 years of renovations, Ayala Museum in Makati has reemerged on 4th December 2021 with a digital gallery. This makes touring the museum and learning about art and history not only contactless, but also interactive and informative.

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Digital tour guide in an app

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Interactive screens at the main lobby
Image credit: @ayalamuseum

For the 17-year old museum to appeal to the younger generation, the reinvented Ayala Museum has gone digital.

Museumgoers can use the Ayala Museum app to navigate the space and learn more about the artifacts and artworks exhibited without a physical tour guide, which also helps minimize contact during the pandemic.

There are also eight interactive screens in the main lobby where people can explore the different collections and understand how they are interrelated.

Those who are unable to visit Ayala Museum can also use the app to view the items on display without leaving the comfort of their homes.

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Collections to check out in person

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The Intertwined: Transpacific, Transcultural Philippines exhibit
Image credit: @ayalamuseum

Ayala Museum has two temporary exhibits until December 2022.

One of these is Intertwined: Transpacific, Transcultural Philippines, a 240-item exhibit displaying artifacts that show other nations’ influences on our country through trading and colonization.

The Serie Blanca exhibit
Image credit: @ayalamuseum

There’s also Serie Blanca which is an exhibit of Spanish Filipino businessman, painter, and museum founder Fernando Zobel’s abstract paintings from 1975 to 1978.

The museum also has permanent exhibits that tell the history of the Philippines, including a collection of 60 dioramas that have been with the gallery for 50 years.

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Upgraded interior design

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Ayala Museum’s lobby
Image adapted from: Ayala Museum

The museum also returned with an upgraded look to match its digitized facilities.

Its main lobby has a modern industrial design with wood accents which makes it a relaxing space.

The galleries are also art in themselves. For instance, the main gallery where the Intertwined: Transpacific, Transcultural Philippines exhibit is housed has a historical Filipino map painted on its navy blue floors.

The Filipinas Heritage Library
Image credit: @ayalamuseum

There are also other locations you can check out in the building, including the Filipinas Heritage Library and a museum shop where you can buy home and novelty items to show your Filipino pride.

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Museum restrictions due to the pandemic

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Use an app to learn more about the artifacts on display without needing a tour guide
Image credit: @ayalamuseum

To keep visitors safe from the virus, the museum only allows 200 people per day instead of the normal 400.

Museumgoers usually need to present a vaccination card or, if they’re not vaccinated, a negative RT-PCR test result. However, under Alert Level 3, the museum can only admit 18- to 65-year old, fully vaccinated individuals who are not pregnant and do not have comorbidities.

The Filipinas Heritage Library also accepts only 15 people per day by appointment. Those who are going for research can go to the library’s website, consult a librarian virtually, and choose a book that will be handed to them when they arrive. Each visitor is allowed two hours to use the library.

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How to book a visit to the newly-reopened Ayala Museum

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 To visit Ayala Museum, you need to book an appointment through their website. From there, you can select your preferred date and time for your visit.

Ayala Museum’s soft opening fee of P350 (~USD6.82) lets you explore its first three floors for two hours and 30 minutes.

Address: Greenbelt Park, Makati Avenue corner Dela Rosa Street, Ayala Center, Makati, Metro Manila
Opening hours: Wed–Sun 11AM-7.30PM | Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and holidays
Telephone: 0945 567 4221
Ayala Museum’s Facebook | Instagram

Also check out:

• Lakbay Museo PH is an interactive museum at the Mall of Asia Complex
• 10 Ilocos Norte destinations under P100, including historical landmarks and museums
• 10 virtual tours of Asian museums to explore while staying at home

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Cover image adapted from: @ayalamuseum and @ayalamuseum