Ayala Museum in Makati

The Ayala Museum in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines is a history and art museum considered to be the most important private foundations of art and culture in the Philippines. It is located in the corner of De La Rosa Street and Makati Avenue surrounded by skylines including hotels & large corporations.

It was visualized in the 1950s by Fernando Zobel de Montoya, a Filipino abstract painter, who then established the Ayala Museum in 1967 under the endorsement and guidance of the Ayala Foundation, Inc. The first home was in the Insular Life Building on Ayala Avenue. The current building was inaugurated in September 2004 and was designed by Leandro V. Locsin and Partners, led by Leandro Y. Locsin Jr.

It started as a museum of Philippine iconography and history and was later given a completely different appearance into a museum of fine arts and history in the year 2000.

Ayala Museum

“Re-collecting the past, re-presenting the future” best depicts the Ayala Museum’s dual role as a museum of history and of art.

Recollecting the past – As a service to the Filipino people, the Ayala Museum works hard to bring inside many of the country’s material treasures that have wound up in various parts of the world. In this way, the Filipinos will have a glimpse of the past and appreciate the things because they are given the chance to view them closely. Most Filipinos only (initially) see these displays in pictures and some does not even know that they existed.

Representing the future – Since the Ayala Museum is strategically located in the business center of the Philippines, people who visit the place gets to see the tall buildings of large corporations that help make the future of the Philippines better. This also means that the contemporary Philippine art is a part of an international artistic community, where mutual cooperation and exchange are important.

Permanent Exhibitions of the Ayala Museum

“The Diorama Experience” – Sixty handcrafted dioramas form the core of Ayala Museum’s historical collections and chronicle the rich tapestry of Philippine history.

Diorama Experience

“Maritime Vessels” – The museum also houses a one-of-a-kind boat gallery showcasing miniatures of the different watercrafts that plied the Philippine seas and contributed to the development of Philippine maritime trade and colonial economy.

Pre-hispanic Sailboat

“Pioneers of Philippine Art: Fernando Zobel”- Fernando Zobel was born in Manila in 1924, the youngest child of Enrique Zobel de Ayala, patron of the artist Fernando Amorsolo.

Luna, Amorsolo, Zobel Arts

“Gold of Ancestors” – This exhibition of more than one thousand gold objects celebrates the sophisticated cultures that existed in the Philippines before colonization in the 16th century.

“Embroidered Multiples” – The exhibition features selections from the Leiden National Museum of Ethnology’s collection of Philippine garments acquired from the French diplomat Bréjard, who served in Manila from 1881 to 1886.

“A Millennium of Contact” – Chinese and Southeast Asian ceramics found in the Philippines tell the story of how the country forged social and commercial ties with China and its neighbors.

Other than a Museum

The Ayala Museum is also a perfect venue for special events including conferences, open-air concerts and programs, and cocktail or dinner receptions. It has a wide and graceful lobby, state-of-the-art conference and meeting rooms, a glassed-in gallery, and a plaza surrounded by a Zen-inspired garden.

Inside the Ayala Museum is a shop. They feature items inspired by the museum’s various collections. The shop is a great place to find items that arouse the magnificence of what visitors have just seen, but are small enough to be taken home and treasure for a lifetime or given to relatives and friends.

Some Nearby Tourist Attractions

A couple of hundred meters south of the Ayala Museum is the Sto Niño de Paz Chapel which is housed inside Greenbelt. Three hundred meters north are the Gabriela Silang Monument and Filipinas Heritage Library. Four hundred meters northwest is the Ninoy Aquino Monument.

The Ayala Museum is an easy landmark. Most taxis and jeepneys know the place. But if they don’t, ask them to drop you at Greenbelt. It is a more popular marker and most people who works in the area knows the place.

Contact Information

For more information about the Ayala Museum, you may visit their website at http://www.ayalamuseum.org/. You may contact them at telephone number (+63)(2)757-7117 to 21 or email them at museum_inquiry@ayalamuseum.org.

Museum Office Hours

The Ayala Museum is open from Tuesday to Fridays from 9:00am to 6:00pm and Saturdays to Sundays at 10:00am to 7:00pm. The Museum is closed during Mondays for maintenance and other in-house activities.

Form of the Ayala Museum Building

RC and my wife Lisa looking at the Museum

Ayala Museum Cafe & Shop

About the author

Mark Anthony Maranga is an Educator-Parent to his 3 Homeschooling Kids. He sells Ice Cream and Balloons in Mandaue City, Cebu. Exploring the Philippines tourist attractions together with his family is his passion; they are learning without borders.