LOOK: A Full-Sized 17th Century Spanish Galleon Was Made for This New Museum in Pasay

(SPOT.ph) There are over 500,000 Filipino mariners working worldwide, making the Philippines one of the world's largest sources of maritime labor. But this affinity with seafaring is hardly a modern phenomenon; in fact, there was a time when Manila was the center of world maritime trade.

If that comes as a surprise, that’s exactly the point behind Manila’s newest museum, Museo del Galeón. This new attraction dives deep into Filipino seafaring and maritime history from the early balangays and the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade to the present. Here's a look at what's waiting inside this new museum when it opens to the public on May 1.

Located at the SM Mall of Asia Complex, Museo del Galeón occupies a massive 9,000-square-meter space near the South Mall. In fact, it's so huge that the space can house a massive full-scale representation of a 17th-century galleon in all its 30-meter-high, 40-meter-long, and 10-meter-wide glory. You might have seen it all over your social media pages in the past few days. No, that's not AI; that's an actual ship inside the museum building and is Museo del Galeón's centerpiece, The Galeón Espiritu Santo.

Beyond the pure shock value of seeing a massive ship indoors, this display is the museum's flagship experiential highlight. The Galeón Espiritu Santo on display is inspired by an actual vessel that sailed the Pacific from 1603 to 1618. Although the original is quite literally lost to the sea, the replica we see in the museum was designed based on archival records of how ships of the time were built, offering guests at Museo del Galeón a unique opportunity to see one of the galleons discussed in textbooks in the flesh and in actual scale.

Guests can step aboard the wooden and fiberglass structure, explore the ship's interior and decks, and engage with interactive displays that offer a glimpse of life aboard a Spanish-era galleon, the kind that made trade voyages in the 1600s. There are audiovisual films, touchscreen displays, and even tactile learning stations that gamify maritime skills such as navigation, knot-tying, and others, providing a fun introduction to maritime life, especially for kids and kids-at-heart.

Although the museum puts the Spanish-era Galleon trade front and center, Museo del Galeón also covers other aspects of our seafaring culture. Beyond the Galeón Espiritu Santo, the museum has four other galleries that offer a glimpse into different eras of maritime history, highlighting the legacy of our seafaring ancestors, from even before the Spanish occupation to the sailors, shipbuilders, and other maritime professionals of today.

Gallery one heavily features pre-colonial mariners, stories of early Filipino seafarers, how they navigated open waters, and early inter-island and inter-tribal trade. Meanwhile, gallery two focuses on early transpacific trading and the country's role in laying the foundations of the vast maritime network we have today.

Galleries three and four are still works in progress, but are slated to be complete by October 2026. These spaces showcase the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade's cultural impact. Here you'll learn about the goods commonly traded between the Americas and us, as well as the softer cultural cargo: the music, languages, customs, and people that influenced our current socio-cultural landscape. There will also be exhibits dedicated to more recent developments in the maritime industry alongside displays celebrating Filipino seafarers and the many maritime professionals who foster our deep connection to the seas.

Right now, a quick glance around the museum leaves much to be desired in terms of artifacts and displays—a fact that the museum doesn't deny. Many objects from this period have been looted or lost to the sea—but what it lacks in relics, it makes up for in storytelling.

"What we have out here is a very human-centered story. Filipinos were navigators, they were builders, you know, they served on ships, they traded—and that story is consistent through all of the chapters [of the museum]. Our hope is for a young Filipino to come in and realize: 'Is this our story? I didn't know that.' And if that happens, then I think our job is done," says Sujit Tolat, Executive Director of Culture Collective, the group behind the museum's design and planning.

There's still a lot to look forward to in the coming months as the Museo del Galeon finds its footing. According to Tolat, certain displays in the museum will use augmented reality to further bring history to life. There will also be ambient music and audio that transport you to the shipyards and docks of a long-gone era, creating a more immersive museum experience. History buffs might also hear a familiar voice narrating the audio guides for parts of the exhibit. Lio Mangubat, host and creator of The Colonial Department, a podcast about Filipino history, was also brought on board to tell the stories behind the artifacts on display at the Pillars of Exchange exhibit.

Hands-on learners can look forward to interactive experiences, including bridge and port simulators for those curious about maritime science and ship navigation. The museum will also feature genealogy displays, where Filipinos with Spanish surnames can trace the origins of their last names, as well as interactive photo booths showcasing luxury goods and trade items from the era.

They're also developing what they call the Ocean Learning Center, a learning hub within the museum that will connect Museo del Galeon with other partner museums and educational institutions, in hopes of strengthening scholarly relations with the maritime community. Guided tours and in-museum activity camps designed to introduce maritime science are also in various stages of development.

"By connecting our maritime past with the challenges and opportunities of the present, Museo del Galeon helps open a deeper conversation about identity, heritage, and our responsibility to the future," says Museo del Galeon's Executive Director Manuel L. Quezon III.

Museo del Galeón opens on May 1 at the SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay. It's open from Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets can be bought onsite starting at P675 for full-paying adults. Discounts are available for children, students, teachers, PWDs and senior citizens.

• Adult: P675

• Children above two feet: P375

• Children under two fee: FREE

• Private school students from kinder to university: P375

• Public school students from kinder to university: P275

• Teachers: P275

For more information, visit Museo del Galeon's website.

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