museum – Jellybeans in the City

A sweet and whimsical tour of The Dessert Museum

Are you a sweet tooth? I know I am!

Since I was young, I’ve had this deep affinity for sweets and I’m also a firm believer in the adage “There’s always room for dessert!”

Imagine my delight when I discovered that there’s a special place in the metro for dessert lovers like me: The Dessert Museum!

This destination is 12,000 square feet of space dedicated to desserts. It features eight themed rooms focused on a particular sweet treat, each with eye-catching visual elements such as giant-sized simulations of well-known products, background info on desserts’ history printed on the walls, games that visitors can play and other bric-a-bracs that complement the theme.

In these rooms, visitors can take fun and whimsical pictures of themselves in dessert-themed fantasy environments.

To a dessert lover like me who likes to geek out about her favorite food, this place surely comes close to my version of heaven.

Is it any surprise then that I would go here? Check out my trip through this wonderland of sweets!

Raining Donuts Room

Ten Thousand Marshmallows Room

Candy Cane Groves

Banana Beach

Room of Never-ending Bubbles

The Bewitched Bakery

Pinata Party

Kake-Pop Kourt

The appeal of The Dessert Museum mostly lies on the sheer number of great photo opportunities it provides. Knowing this, I had my daughter, #ExhibitA, accompany me so I have someone to take those snaps “for the ‘gram.”

During our two-hour tour throughout the museum, we were given fifteen minutes per room. The flow of people were managed by tour guides in each room to ensure that it won’t get too crowded and to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines. The museum also employs official photographers who can take group pictures fort he souvenir photos which you can buy for Php250 each at the gift shop at the end of your tour.

Thanks to the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions, guests of all ages are now allowed. Adults (at least 18 years old) are required to be fully vaccinated while kids (below 18 years old) should be accompanied by fully vaccinated adults.

Tickets are priced at Php799 for walk-ins, tickets bought online through thedessertmuseum.com are priced at Php699. As our visit fell during my birthday month, my daughter and I were able to take advantage of the Birthday Babies Are Free Promo, wherein we just needed to pay for #ExhibitA’s entrance while I got in for free.

You may also book your tickets via Klook.

Our tickets entitled us to enter the themed rooms, as well as get four dessert samples each, which were mostly made up of small pastries and bite-sized candies. I suggest you have a meal or a snack prior to your visit as well as bring a tumbler of water so you won’t get hungry or thirsty during your tour.

The Dessert Museum is located at Units 124, 126, 127a, S Maison, Coral Way, Conrad Hotel Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

6 Things You Need to Consider Before Visiting Art in Island Museum

Art in Island differs from most of the other art museums wherein the artworks are admired from a respectable distance and must not – under any circumstances – be sullied by the hands of those who admire them.

Being an interactive 3D museum, Art in Island invites its visitors to “be part of art,” to immerse themselves in the pieces by taking creative poses and taking lots of pictures. It features illusory art pieces, murals and installations wherein elements trick the eye; these are best enjoyed when concretized in images that you get to take home with you.

I recently visited the museum right before the Holy Week break together with my daughter – slash – partner-in-crime. While we were able to enjoy a lot of the exhibits, we made some rookie mistakes which we hope to remedy on our next visits.

For folks who are planning similar outings, here are six things you would need to plan on before you head on to Art in Island:

When to go. As with most things in life, proper timing is essential. Not surprisingly, the museum tends to get crowded during weekends and holidays, with the notable exception of Holy Wednesday (when we made our visit) and Maundy Thursday (yes, I asked!). Although the museum is open from 9.30am to 9.30pm, I would advise going when you still have quite some energy in you; the exhibits are spread across a sprawling two-storey building and there will be a lot of walking involved.
What to wear. Again, with all the walking to-and-fro, it would be best to be in comfortable clothes. Note, though, that you will be required to leave your shoes at the reception counter so if you don’t fancy walking around barefoot, bring a pair of footsocks. Also, since you’ll be taking a lot of pictures, wear something you won’t mind seeing yourself in again and again.
How much to pay. The standard entrance fee is Php500 but students, senior citizens and persons with disability can get their tickets at only Php400, provided they present their relevant IDs. Birthday celebrants can get in for free on the day of, one day before or one day after their birthdays; they just need to present their valid IDs. These fees already include one-time access to the museum (once you’ve made your way to the exit, you can’t go back anymore), and access to whatever shows are ongoing inside the museum (unless otherwise specified, of course).
Who to go with. Expect to take a ton of pictures and to walk around a lot. Therefore, consider going with people who are game to take in the entire experience. A camera maven with a good eye for angles and light, and is willing to to take multiple shots to get your desired pic right, is a god-send.
What else to bring. A camera, of course! It can be your phone cam (hopefully fully charged), your fancy DSLR or whatever suits you.
How to act. Since the museum is a public place, expect to encounter lots of other people, especially if you go during busy days. Take turns in taking pictures with the installations. In fact, why not offer to take others’ pictures for them and make some new friends?

Art in Island is located at 175 15th Street, Brgy. Socorro, Quezon City (a short distance from Cubao). For inquiries, call 02-4211356.

You may also book your tickets via Klook.

Christmas Every Day at Casa Santa Museum

In keeping with the holiday season, I took the family to Casa Santa Museum. It is a structure situated inside Jardin de Miramar in Antipolo City. It houses over 3,000 Santa Clause items, ranging from life-size statues to miniature trinkets (even the washroom has Santa items!), all part of a privately owned collection.

After perusing the Santa collection, we strolled around the gardens and found spaces to enjoy the cool breezes and greenery.

If ever you’re in the Metro, drop by Casa Santa for some holiday cheer. It is open everyday from 8.30am to 5pm. Tickets are Php180 per person (whether adult or child).

Eclectic Aesthetics at Pinto Museum

I originally planned to visit Pinto Museum with my officemates but our planned outing kept on getting postponed. I decided to take my kids on an adventure to Antipolo and check this place out.

If you’re taking kids (or any student) with you, be sure to bring their IDs as this slashes Php80 off the regular Php180 entrance fee.

What impressed me about this place is the melding of culture and nature. Sculptures and other artistic installations are displayed outside amidst the greenery. Many of the paintings are hung inside wide and airy galleries that let in a lot of natural light (I hope that the museum curators are able to preserve the quality of the artworks as sunlight does have an adverse effect on pigments).

The meditation garden dedicated to Jose Rizal and Leonor Rivera also has an escritoire where you can pen a missive to your “the one who got away” to help you “let go.” (Cue the #hugotlines and #walangforever diatribes.)


    We explored the different galleries containing various artworks. I wished we arrived earlier so we could have taken our time exploring.

I marveled at how, in various ways throughout this place, nature provides a backdrop for artwork and at how architecture and art provides a frame for nature.

All that walking around will soon get you hungry so it’s lucky that the museum has a cafe where you can hang out in while having refreshments.

My kids and I had a tiring yet fun adventure here. I’m looking forward to showing this place to my friends from out of town.

Pinto Museum is Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 6pm. Tickets are priced at Php200 for adults, Php180 for senior citizens and PWD with valid IDs and Php100 for students with valid school IDs (Children below 3 years old are free).

The museum is located at 1 Sierra Madre St, Grand Heights Subdivision, Antipolo. Rizal.

For inquiries, call +63 2 6971015.