Casa Manila Museum - Philippines

Intramuros is filled with numerous tourist attractions, and the Casa Manila Museum is certainly one of those edifices in the walled city that a lot of tourists do not fail to check out. Instead of just looking at pictures or reading, you can get to see what kind of homes people lived in during the Spanish times.

The Casa Manila Museum is located at Calle Real, just off General Luna St in Intramuros. When you get there you will see the Plaza San Luis Complex where the museum is situated. Unlike other repositories of historical artifacts, the Casa Manila Museum is modeled after an 18th century Spanish home. The edifice itself was patterned after an actual home that existed along Calle Jaboneros in Binondo.

This reconstructed house is filled with several artifacts and artworks that typify the lifestyle of the upper class Spaniard and Filipino living in Intramuros. Not only are there several ornaments and antiques dating from the Spanish era, but there are also collections from China and several countries in Europe. Among the items you will find are the chandeliers, lamps, tables, various musical instruments like the piano, rugs from the East, and many more.

These artifacts, which are on display at the Casa Manila Museum, were actually used in the upper class homes at the time, so that you will get a chance to see exactly what luxuries the people indulged in then. However, there are some early 20th century art on display as well, which gives you a chance to compare them. With its refined look, it provides a nice contrast to the ruins that one often sees when visiting Philippine tourist spots.

Getting to the Casa Manila Museum is not difficult. If you are at Mabini, you can take a jeepney or taxi headed for the pier. Stop at the Bonifacio Intersection, and go to Aduana St. where the museum will only be a few minutes away.

If you are staying at Quezon City, the best option is to get on a jeepney headed to Aduana St. The entrance fee for the museum is only 50 Php (a dollar, more or less). If you going on a package tour of Intramuros, you will also get to visit the other sites as well.

Vacations in the Philippines often include a trip to Intramuros. If you are among those that are planning to go to the country, it would be a good idea to allocate some time to visit the beautiful Casa Manila Museum.