There are a lot of tourist attractions outside Baguio City and one of which is BenCab Museum located in Tuba, Benguet. This art gallery houses hundreds of contemporary Filipino Art which gives value to the cultural heritage of the Cordillera. Let me share with you our experience and review, and how to get to in this beautiful museum.
This post is updated on November 16, 2020. We added travel updates from the local government and shared a link about the safety protocols in traveling to Benguet. We also updated the operation hours of the museum.
As of November 16, 2020: BenCab Museum is open only for the residents of Baguio City, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay. We’ll keep this post updated once we receive news from the local government. For now, feel free to read this post and add it to your travel bucket list!
If you want to travel to Baguio City, please check out our Baguio Itinerary Update and see the local government’s requirements and procedures before visiting this amazing place. https://lostandwonder.com/baguio-itinerary
Going Beyond the City and My Love for Museums
Many travelers love to visit Baguio City and its accessibility to a number of tourist destinations is truly inviting. My love for museums started when I visited Pinto Art Museum in Antipolo City a few years back. I’m just fond of learning new things especially about the history of a certain region and the story behind every artwork. Before our short vacation, I didn’t know that there’s also a museum in Baguio City. I never heard of BenCab Museum before which sparked interest the first time I knew it. Nevertheless, we included BenCab Museum Baguio in our itinerary and bolted down to Asin Road in Tuba, Benguet.
How to Go to BenCab Museum?
Visiting this tourist spot is easy and I recommend two ways in traveling to this museum. Here’s the map for reference:
Private Vehicle
If you have a private vehicle, I recommend Google Maps for navigation. Just key in your destination, which is BenCab Museum, and follow the directions. You need a stable internet connection though in order to use the app. Otherwise, you can also download a section of the map for you to use the app offline.
Via Jeep or Public Transportation
Our team used this method. We went to the terminal in Kayang Street and took a jeep going to Asin Road. The Jeepney Terminal is located at the west side of Baguio City Hall. The fare costs around PHP 13 and the ride only took around 30 minutes. We alighted at the Jeepney Terminal in Asin Road and walked a few meters going to the museum.
On the other hand, you can also take a cab but expect the fare will be costlier than the jeep.
BenCab Museum Entrance Fee
| Location | Km 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet |
| Operating Hours (updated: November 15, 2020) | The museum is open every Tuesdays to Sundays from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. It is close every Mondays and Christmas and New Year’s day. |
| Entrance Fee (updated: November 15, 2020) | Regular Fee: PHP 150
Students: PHP 120 Senior Citizens and PWDs: PHP 100 |
Other Important Info
- You can request for a guided tour at the reception area.
- Outside food and drinks are not allowed inside the museum’s premises. You can have some refreshments or a meal in their own cafe located at the bottom floor of the museum.
- Still photography are allowed but flash is not permitted as well as video recording.
New Normal Guidelines in BenCab Museum
We always encourage our readers to be a responsible tourist. Please follow the rules of BenCab Museum for a seamless travel experience and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Here are their protocols:
- Visitors entering the Museum premises must wear face masks, have their temperature taken, complete health declaration forms, and practice safe distancing upon entry.
- The museum reserves the right to deny entry to any visitor who refuses to undertake these precautionary measures, shows signs of illness or has a temperature of 37.6ºC and above.
- Museum capacity will be kept below 50% on a room-by-room basis so that visitors can maintain safe distancing at a minimum of one meter. Group tours are temporarily suspended.
- EcoTrail – Being an outdoor space, guided tours of the BenCab Farm & Garden EcoTrail will be safe to take when weather permits.
- Café Sabel will also be open with the same hours as the Museum. A limited menu will be available and outdoor seating encouraged.
BenCab Museum: Experience and Review
The large signage of BenCab Museum greeted us when we arrived at the place. Mr. Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, a National Artist in the Philippines, founded this museum and he works in the art industry for four decades. He is the Master of Filipino Contemporary Arts. This museum not just showcases different kinds of art, but also has the will to preserve the environment and the cultural heritage of the Cordillera.
At the Lobby
We noticed a group portrait of Cordillera People displayed at the main hall of the museum. The painting simply reflects their characteristics based from their sun-kissed skin and facial features. The people of Cordillera were warriors during the time of Spanish colonialism.
We paid for the entrance fee and it only costs PHP 150 (USD 3) per visitor. For students, entrance fee costs PHP 120. Tickets are also available for senior citizens and PWDs at PHP 100. The proceeds from the tickets will be donated to their own foundation which is beneficial to the community it serves.
Exploring the Galleries of BenCab Museum
BenCab Museum seats on a promontory and offers amazing views of wide rain forests and mountain slopes. The galleries and hallways are clean and its high-altitude location provides cool ventilation. The museum is divided to a number of specific galleries. Most artworks in this museum are created by BenCab but there’s also some art pieces contributed from different artists.
An example of the galleries we visited is the Cordillera Gallery. This section highlights the native items and tools indigenous to the people of Cordillera. Different paintings and murals also decorate this area.
We explored BenCab Museum easily because of its organized arrangements. Touring around the place is also relaxing because of its cool and quiet environment. This museum truly helped us learned about the culture and heritage of the people it represents.
At the Heavenly Balcony
I found this place somehow similar to Pinto Art Museum in Antipolo City. Likewise, Pinto Art Museum is also located on a mountaintop and its structures and buildings are comparable. On the other hand, BenCab Museum is quite different because of its location highlighting the forest and mountains. The museum is around three-storeys in height and each floors has a balcony which enabled to appreciate the wonders of nature. The clouds were touching us when we visited BenCab Museum. It is magical. It’s like nature’s way of covering the mountains and forests into something heavenly.
In Conclusion
We enjoyed our visit in BenCab Museum. The beautiful artworks and the breathtaking views are memorable which makes this art gallery unique among the others in the country. The museum also has a cafe located at the ground floor in case you get famished. For now, I highly recommend visiting this museum. Appreciate and support Filipino arts and learn more about the culture and heritage of the Cordilleras at BenCab Museum.
For further details about BenCab Museum, you can visit their website at http://www.bencabmuseum.org/
Is this museum amazing? Share it to your friends now! 🙂
Post updated on November 15, 2020.
14 Comments. Leave new
I would love to visit a museum like this, on top of a mountain. I like to explore art, even if I don’t really understand it sometimes, but it does make you open your mind and think about what the artist must have felt to create it. I think I have seen some similar exhibitions in London, in a temporary gallery at the British Museum. It was really beautiful
If you will visit the Philippines, go up north here in Baguio City and visit this museum 🙂 You’ll surely love it!
Have always found museums to be fascinating, all kinds of museums. Art, Science, History, all subjects equally interesting. The Bencab museum is indeed a window to the history and culture of the place. A great way to have an immersive experience of the place.
Ben Cab museum is a testament of the rich culture in the cordillera region. I am very much fascinated how cordillera has been home to a lot of our great artists. Definitely worth a visit.
Bencab is one of the places that I recommend to friends when going to Baguio. I do think it’s important what this museum plays in preserving the Igorot culture. I was with a group when I went there and my companions went on a guided tour, I preferred going off on my own though. It’s amazing that photo with the view of the clouds. Wish I’d been Bencab in that kind of weather condition.
When the clouds shrouded the whole place, everything looks heavenly and magical. It was February when we visited this place and the weather is truly comforting 🙂
I m not usually a museum lover. But the variety of artifacts and the paintings at Bencab museum intrigue me. I love the way the exhibits are displayed in a clutter-free way in the minimal surroundings. It is interesting to know that most of the art pieces are made by one person.
This museum is truly one of a kind, aside from its located near Baguio City, it also owns a beautiful art crafts. I haven’t heard about this Musuem yet and I’ll surely pen this on my bucket list. I once have visited Baguio City and I’ll include this on my next visit, at least I have another reason to visit Baguio again.
Visit Baguio again sir and enjoy the cool fresh air. There are so many new things to see in Baguio and one of it is this museum 🙂
I love all things art! Bencab museum certainly seems like a place I would definitely love to check out.
I love visiting museums when i visit a new place. Helps me get to know about the culture in the quickest manner possible. Thanks for an informative post. Bencab Museum looks like a treasure of culture and heritage! Out of all the modes of travel to the Bencab museum, I would love to try out a Jeepney. I have heard so much about it!
If you’re going to visit the Philippines you should really try riding a jeep. It’s our common form of transportation here and it’s all part of our culture 🙂
I like visiting museums in general since they help you get acquainted with the culture and history of the place. I particularly like the house of modern art for the concept that it’s trying to tell – preserving the environment and the lifestyle of it’s tribes by making visitors acquainted with it in the first place. Really appreciate that!
I agree, it brings awareness to its visitors and make us support the purpose it serves. 🙂