MANILA, Philippines – If you’re looking for new museums to explore, you’re in luck – the Quezon City Experience (QCX for short) at Quezon Memorial Circle just opened on November 9.

At the opening, QC mayor Herbert Bautista called QCX a “social history museum.” True enough, QCX is a big, spacious museum that allows visitors to learn more about the history and culture of the sprawling city. The mayor, together with Camarines Sur Third District Representative and vice-presidential candidate Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, cut the ribbon at museum’s opening. 

If you’re planning a visit, you might want to allot an afternoon to explore it. QCX has 16 interactive galleries, and you’ll be stopping at each one – not just to read up on the info that’s offered on tablets and computers, but to take advantage of all the photo opportunities they offer.

Aside from the museum, the complex also has a business center with restaurants and shops, a 100-seat theater, a 60-seat lecture room, conference rooms, and rooftop gardens for events and outdoor exhibits.

QCX is open everyday from 9 am to 5 pm, except Mondays. Entrance is free for the whole month of November, but these are the admission fees and discounts effective on December 1:

• Students with ID – P80
• Quezon City resident – P100 (must present valid ID with address)
• Non-Quezon City resident – P150
• Group of 50 – 20% discount
• Group of 50 students – 30% discount
• Senior citizens/Persons with disability/Solo parent – 20% discount
• Family of 5 members – 20% discount
• Free admission for children 6 years and below

Here are some of the galleries we saw at the opening:

Pylon

The first gallery you’ll see when you enter is the Pylon Gallery, with illustrations of QC on its walls. You’ll also be greeted with replicas of the sculptures that can be found on top of the Quezon Memorial Shrine.

Quezon on a Hill

Former president Manuel L Quezon supposedly stood on a hill when he first looked over the landscape of Quezon City. QCX lets visitors learn about the city’s history from its very own man-made hill.

Malacanang

There’s also a replica of Manuel L Quezon’s office at Malacanang, where visitors can sit at the president’s chair and look out his office windows.

War Gallery

The War Gallery at QCX tells the story of the city’s involvement in the war and the urban legends that haunt the city. QCX even has an installment of the city’s most famous legend, the “white lady” that appears under the trees along Balete Drive.

Monuments

The red scaffolding was a nice touch in the bright, white Monuments gallery. From the University of the Philippines’ Oblation statue to Quezon Memorial Shrine, you’ll love looking at the details on the tiny replicas you’ll find in this room.

Housing

There’s a gallery dedicated to Quezon’s housing projects too. You can walk through – or sit at – a typical Filipino home’s sala (living room) and dining room, complete with old records and the family’s achievements on display. There are even garden gnomes outside!

Jeepney

There’s an entire gallery at QCX dedicated to the Philippines’ iconic mode of public transport – the jeepney. Aside from the giant red jeep replica, visitors can also sit at a bench that looks like a jeep and watch the educational videos on screen.

Education

QC is home to 81 colleges and 9 universities – including UP, Ateneo de Manila University, and Miriam College – so it’s no surprise that QCX has a gallery dedicated to education. Here, you can sit in a classroom, lounge on the field, or grab the headphones available and listen to Freddie Aguilar’s “Estudyante Blues” or Parokya ni Edgar’s “First Day Funk.”

Street Scene

From a typical Filipino home to a typical barangay (community). QCX’s Street Scene comes complete with sorbetes (ice cream) carts, sari-sari stores (convenience stores), barber shops, and clothes hanging from second story windows.

Business

QCX celebrates some of the small businesses that started out in the city and have since turned into big brands.

Entertainment

From the dressing room table, to the studio, to the big screen, the Entertainment gallery tells visitors about the movie outfits and TV networks that have been established in the city.

Issues

QCX doesn’t turn a blind eye to the city’s problems. The Issues gallery informs the public about the the problems that local govenment units have to address, with the help of beautiful art installations.

Barangay

Here you’ll find triva on the 142 barangays in QC, plus illustrations of the toponym of each barangay.

Outdoor Sculptures

There’s art to see outside the museum too. The photo below is one of the sculptures you can find outside, titled “Kiss” by Gerry Leonardo.

Will you be visiting QCX soon? Tell us in the comments below! – Rappler.com