LIST: Celebrate Museums and Galleries Month with free exhibits, rare collections, and community events

Ayala Museum

​History buffs and art lovers have a major landmark gathering to look forward to this month as Ayala Museum is hosting "Ritual, Ornament, Currency: Gold in Early Asian Cultures," its first-ever international gold conference happening on Oct. 21 at the Ayala Museum and Oct. 22 at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex.

Convened by exhibition curator Dr. Florina Capistrano-Baker, the conference brings together local and international scholars exploring pre-colonial Philippine gold, regional trade networks, and maritime archaeology. The two-day program features keynotes by Dr. Ambeth R. Ocampo and Dr. Himanshu Prabha Ray, alongside presentations by Jamie Kelly, Dr. Ligaya Lacsina, Dr. Kaja McGowan, Dr. Michael Canilao, and Dr. Adriana Proser.

Day two closes with a Museo BSP tour and the book launch of Bahandi: The Surigao Treasure and Related Finds.

The sessions run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Day 1, and 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Day 2.

Onsite registration fees are P4,000 for regular attendees, P3,200 for students, and P2,850 for senior citizens and PWDs. For those joining virtually, online rates are set at P2,000 for regular viewers, P1,600 for students, and P1,425 for senior citizens and PWDs.

National Museum of the Philippines

National Museums across the Philippines have lined up events and activities throughout October, with free admission across all 22 component museums nationwide.

​Visitors can check out specialized programs across the Central Complex in Manila. The National Museum of Fine Arts is offering a basic museology training program titled "Immersion for Inspiration 2026," scheduled on Oct. 5-8, Oct. 12-18, and Oct. 19-23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Over at the National Museum of Anthropology, history and archaeology enthusiasts can drop by "Objects of the Past and Vessels of the Future" on Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as the interactive "Museum Quest" on Oct. 7 and Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is also launching its community outreach project, "Mobile Museum Boxes Sierra Madre Education on Wheels," with its initial rollout in Real, Quezon from Oct. 7-11.  
 
Meanwhile, regional component hubs in Iloilo, Batanes, Bohol, and Marinduque are hosting local Baybayin script lectures and live traditional craft demonstrations.

Metropolitan Museum of Manila

​If you’ve checked out all the traditional galleries, spend a chill afternoon surrounded by contemporary art at The M in BGC, Taguig.

Admission is free until Oct. 18 for the 2026 Metrobank Art & Design Excellence exhibition, "TRAVERSE: Creativity in Motion."

Occupying the 2/F North and South Galleries, the showcase features nearly 100 paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media works by this year's MADE awardees and finalists.

The museum is open every Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entry at 5:30 p.m.), with free guided group tours available Tuesday to Friday at 2 p.m.

​Ateneo Art Gallery

The Ateneo Art Gallery is rolling out a packed month-long calendar of public talks, workshops, screenings, and community art collaborations.

​Film buffs and culture enthusiasts can catch a series of free film screenings and talkbacks throughout the month. On Oct. 8, catch the screening of Migrante (AsiaVisions, 1987). Then on Oct. 15, Ang Kalibutan ni Nunelucio Alvarado (2021) will be shown, featuring a talkback session with Candy M. Nagrampa. Later that evening, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., drop by The Loft at Areté for the exhibition opening of Dekada ng Sama-samang Pag-alala.

​Visitors looking for active art-making can join La Bandera (The Flag), a participatory art project with Project Space Pilipinas co-presented with TalaAnyo on Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Round out the month on Oct. 18 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. by tuning into ArtSpeak: Conversation on Sustaining Artist Run Initiatives and Communities of Care.

​Pre-registration is required for select sessions via the Ateneo Art Gallery portal.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts is leading nationwide celebrations for Museums and Galleries Month 2026 and Dayaw Indigenous Peoples Month 2026.

Festivities begin on Oct. 1 at 10 a.m.with the official joint Museums and Galleries Month/Dayaw Indigenous Peoples Month Press Conference at the NCCA Building in Intramuros, Manila, running alongside the ASEAN Corner showcase at the University of Santo Tomas (Oct. 1–8) and the Ikami Naman Visual Art Exhibit at the Mabalacat Cultural Center in Pampanga (Oct. 1–18).  

Throughout October, the NCCA is organizing key gallery openings, art festivals, and regional gatherings. Art enthusiasts can visit Intramuros for back-to-back gallery launches of Re-Threading Tradition (featuring visual artist Hermie Bruno) and Bangkuro Gallery on Oct. 8, alongside the ongoing Material Explorations visual art exhibition at the NCCA Gallery.

Regional and partner-venue offerings hosted by the agency include the 16th Tam-awan International Arts Festival in Baguio City (Oct. 9–11), the Dayaw Indigenous Peoples Month 2026 Celebration at Foro de Intramuros (Oct. 12–15), and ManilART '26: Where the Line Begins at the SMX Convention Center in SM Aura Premier (Oct. 14–18).  

The NCCA is also facilitating multiple educational and community outreach initiatives across the country. These feature the After-School Samar Creative Arts Program in Catbalogan City on select dates throughout the month, Museo Kids: ECCD Students Museum Visits in Pampanga, regional GAMABA press conferences in Iloilo (Oct. 6) and Davao City (Oct. 9), the virtual Kongreso ng Gurong Mag-aaral (K-GuMa) para sa Edukasyong Kultural on Oct. 17, the Metro Circuit Tour at the Metropolitan Theater (Oct. 24), and the Balacat Bazaar in Pampanga (Oct. 25–31).