Museums in Cebu

Museums are very popular not only in this province but also in other places as well because they hold the legends of our ancient civilization.

Casa Gorordo Museum
35 Lopez Jaena St., Cebu City

    Home of the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu, Juan Gorordo (1862-1934). A tour inside this residence is a brief journey into a Filipino lifestyle in a particular period between 1860 & 1920. The place presently features noted paintings, museum relics, a courtyard, antique household items and furniture.

Fort San Pedro National Museum
Legaspi Ext., Cebu City

    Artifacts taken from the old Spanish Galleon known as San Diego within the deep sea of Fortune Island off the coast of Nasugbo, Batangas are on display in this centuries-old fort. Artifacts excavated within Forts San Pedro's premises are also on display. The Museum used to house the offices of the Department of Tourism and the Philippine Tourism Authority

University of San Carlos Museum
P. del Rosario St., Cebu City

     A product of years of research activities of the Anthropological Department’s faculty in Central and Southern Philippines, it has four galleries: Spanish Colonial, Ethnographic, Archeological, and Natural Science

The Southwestern University Museum
Urgello Private Road, Cebu City

     Holds the extensive collection of Lydia Aznar Alfonso reflecting the flourishing trade, lifestyle, and culture of the port city Cebu in pre-historic times. Exhibits of excavated gold, trade beads, coins, iron-age potteries, rare trade wares of porcelain from China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand, including Ming, Celadon, and other China trade jars, as was Ban Chieng, Haripunchai pottery, and gold teeth peggings were excavated in the areas of Cebu, and the Visayas and Mindanao. The museum also displays heirloom jewelry, santoses, and church carvings and other church accessories.

Julian Jumalon's Butterfly Sanctuary and Art Gallery
20-D Macopa St., Basak, Pardo, Cebu City

    The country's oldest butterfly collection and Butterfly Sanctuary with live immature- and adult-stage local butterflies in their natural settings. It also houses the Lepido Mosaic Art collection, so called because it utilizes butterfly wings as its medium. Beautiful and intricate samples of these artworks can be seen at the PROF. JULIAN JAMALON residence

Rizal Museum and Library
Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City

    Located within Cebu City Library along Osmeña Boulevard, it showcases a collection of antiques donated by famous and rich Cebuano families. Also on display is a collection of artworks of the Cebuano painters and artists. Its upper floor is utilized as a performing arts hall for concert and theatre productions by Cebu talents. On the ground floor is the Rizal Memorial Library which keeps some important books on Cebuano history and culture

Arcenas Antique Collection

     Spanish period furniture and "santoses", jewelries, pottery, porcelain wares are on display at Dr. and Mrs. Ramon Arcenas’ residence located at Banawa, Cebu City

Rose Ong Orchid Collection
The biggest orchid collection in the province
Aznar-Alfonso Antique Collection

     Owned by Dr. Lydia-Aznar Alfonso, the antique collection is of much younger vintage. Pieces of lovely period furniture, a very wide collection of jewelry, “santoses” as well as authentic “grave goods” from various archaeological diggings in the island of Mactan and Cebu helped enrich Dr. Alfonso’s beautiful collection

Pres. Sergio Osmeña Memorabilia & Cap Art Gallery
60 Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City

    Contains an estimated 500 personal belongings and documents worthy of remembrance of the Grand Old Man of Cebu, made possible by various donations of generous friends and relatives of the former president.

Rizaliana Museum

Contains the memorabilia of Dr. Jose Rizal given by his sister to the University of Southern Philippines Museum

Sala Piano Museum
415 Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City

   Houses the Ingrid Sala Sta. Maria Miniature Piano Collection donated to the family foundation in January 1990. A unique collection of hundreds of pianos of varying sizes and shapes. Venue to classical concerts and houses a music foundation

   These places will always be remembered by our visitors for its distinguishing marks that will never be forgotten in the history of Cebu.

Original essay by Patricia Nicole
September 27, 2004