I recently wrote this article Smart Parenting about the National Museum of Natural History last month and I wanted to share here and add more photos as well. Happy exploring! 

The Oceanarium exhibit features an interactive submarine, life size whale sharks and much more!

The internet hype over the newly opened National Museum of Natural History is real and for a good reason. The large and spacious building is impeccably curated, well organized and eye candy for anyone who loves the design. 

But I think the internet missed how child-friendly the museum is. As we wandered the halls, I admired the design aesthetics while my children enjoyed the open space. And we all had fun exploring each new exhibit. Here are five reasons why you should visit the new museum with your children ASAP.

|The museum does not charge for admission

Yes, it is free for everyone. Need I say more? Plus, it’s open on the weekends, so working mommas can go.

The famous Lolong is front and center

My favorite room of the museum

|Families get a separate entrance!

Yes, the museum is so child-friendly there is an entrance just for families with children and people with disabilities. If you enter on Kalaw Street (technically, it is the back of the museum) the lines are shorter and more accommodating. Ramps lead to all floors so families with strollers and wheelchairs can access the museum with ease. There are even multiple bathrooms located on each floor (we all know this amenity is crucial!). Just a heads up: water bottles and bags have to be deposited upon entrance

The grand Kalaw Street entrance which mimics that of the FIlipino People Musuem

Every detail of the museum was so beautiful, even the gates

|The museum is educational for kids AND parents

The museum exhibits and design are thrilling for the whole family. Each floor offers kids an opportunity to do something with their hands.

Everyone will get a kick out of "The Submarine" that houses an interactive exhibit of the country's endangered reefs. Catch a pawikan weaving through a bed of corals!

Information at the National Museum is presented so clean and visually stimulating my mind and design eyes were feasting the whole visit. From the marble floors to the hexagon ceiling with the 'tree of life' DNA replica in the middle of the great hall is stunning. 

|The museum is a teachable moment on cultural connections

As parents, we want to expose our children to new experiences to help them learn and grow as individuals. Children can take their personal experiences with animals, travel and nature and connect them to the exhibits at the National Museum of Natural History. Perhaps they have seen a tarsier first in the museum and then later in real life on a trip to Bohol. When we learn about our homeland, we feel more connected to who we are as people.

an open mangrove exhibit replicates real life

coral reefs on display that take you under the sea

life size whale shark, dolphin and sting ray

|There is more to come

The first three floors of the museum are executed perfectly, but three remaining floors have yet to open. That means more fun in the future! But go now because going through three floors can take up half a day at least. Make the next three floors your next weekend fun moment it’s the best time to visit!

me and my boys at the top of the tree of life elevatory in the great hall

I am so proud of Manila for producing such a high quality gem and look forward to the future of the National Museum of Natural History, it really is a national treasure. Remember, we really do have it all right here.

Happy Exploring,

Amber

The National Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 

You may reserve your National Museum visit by calling the Central Museum Visitor Operations Division at 527-7889.