Wikipedia

Museo del Galeón

Museo del Galeón[1] (lit. 'Galleon museum') is a maritime heritage museum within the SM Mall of Asia complex in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. The museum features the Manila–Acapulco galleon trade and houses a full-scale representation of a Galleon within its interior. The museum opened to the public on May 1, 2026.

Museo del Galeón
The Galeón dome as of 2025
Map
TypeMaritime heritage museum
Executive director
Manolo Quezon
PresidentDoris Magsaysay Ho
ChairpersonCarlos Salinas
OwnerMuseo Del Galeón Inc.
Websitemuseodelgaleon.org
Building details
Museo del Galeón is located in Metro Manila
Museo del Galeón
Location in Metro Manila
Museo del Galeón is located in Luzon
Museo del Galeón
Location in Luzon
Museo del Galeón is located in Philippines
Museo del Galeón
Location in the Philippines
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeDome
LocationBay City, Pasay, Seaside Boulevard corner Sunset Avenue
Coordinates14°32′13″N 120°58′48″E / 14.53693°N 120.98008°E / 14.53693; 120.98008
Construction started
November 2014
OpenedMay 1, 2026 (2026-05-01)
Cost₱250 million
Technical details
Floor count4
Grounds5,000 m2 (54,000 sq ft)

Development

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Conceptualization

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Efforts to build a galleon museum date back to 2010 when Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo organized a diplomatic reception attended by ambassadors from 32 countries linked to the historical Galleon Trade. In the meeting, plans to build the museum were discussed.[2]

Then-Philippine Senator Edgardo Angara went to Mexico City to meet with heads of relevant institutions to lobby for support for the project to build a galleon museum. Talks with the National Archives of Mexico, Colegio de Mexico, National Autonomous University of Mexico and Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí to discuss on a research collaboration with Philippine universities and academics.

Mexican firms Grupo Carso of Carlos Slim Helú, FEMSA, and Cemex as well as Guerrero State government stated that they will back the galleon museum project. The plans to build a galleon museum were supported by Mexican politicians and figures such as Margarita Zavala, First Lady of the then President Felipe Calderón, Senators Teofilo Torres Corzo, and Humberto Mayans, as well as Mexican academics and publications also expressed support.[2]

Philippine-based cultural agencies requested government seed funding from the Philippine government while a public fundraising effort was made. A presidential instruction by President Benigno Aquino III was made to provide financial support. However, this instruction was unsuccessful. Henry Sy, President of SM Prime Holdings, later offered to build the museum and donate a lot within the SM Mall of Asia complex.[2]

The Museo de Galleon Foundation was created for the project.[2] In mid-2015, Sy met with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim in Mexico with the latter agreeing to donate artifacts to the SM Group for the museum.[3][4]

Construction and delayed museum opening

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The dome structure under-construction. November 2015

The initial estimate for the construction of the museum initially dubbed as "The Galeón: Manila–Acapulco Galleon Museum" was pegged at ₱250 million, an amount which would be spent by the SM Group.[3][4] Construction began in November 2014 and was initially planned for completion by late 2015.[5] The museum was then planned to be opened in the 2nd quarter of 2016,[6] but the opening date was moved at least three times to the 3rd quarter of the same year,[7] to early 2017,[8] and later to August 8, 2017. This date was planned to be the soft opening of the museum.[1] On that date, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an "executive preview" of the museum was held, although the museum itself is yet to open.[9]

The dome as of June 2016

An architectural firm based in Mexico along with architects based in Hong Kong and Florida, United States, were also involved in the project.[10] The dome structure was built on a 5,000 square meters (54,000 sq ft) lot provided by the SM Group.[11]

In April 2021, the Pasay City Government and SM Group announced plans to temporarily use the dome structure as a vaccination hub as a response against the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] The vaccination hub, also known as the "Giga Vaccination Center," was opened on May 7. It was considered to be one of the country's largest vaccination centers, capable of vaccinating 2,000 people daily.[13][14]

The space meant for the museum was formally turned over by SM Prime to the Museo del Galeón Foundation in October 2025.[15] Work resumed for the museum.[16]

The museum opened to the public on May 1, 2026, after years of delays.[17] While the first two galleries of the museum opened, the museum is still under development and is set to be fully completed by October 2026.[18]

Features

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Musuem building

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The Museo del Galeón is housed inside a four-storey dome-shaped structure and has an area of around 9,000 square meters (97,000 sq ft) of total exhibition space.[19][20]

Espíritu Santo replica

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The Museo del Galeón features a full-scale representation of the Espíritu Santo galleon inside the museum.[20] The original Espíritu Santo is a wooden sail ship built by forced laborers in 1603 for the Manila-Acapulco trade. Visitors can walk on the decks of the 40-meter (130 ft) long and 30-meter (98 ft) high replica ship.[19][21] The interior also has the Sea of Lights, a LED display wrapped around the dome which features depictions of seascapes, storms, and constellations.[19] The replica is built mostly on fiberglass and other materials.[21] Originally there were plans to let visitors of the museum observe the construction of a full-scale 60-meter (200 ft) long replica of the galleon, a process projected to last around two years. Instead, the galleon was finished before the museum's opening in 2026.[22]

Galleries

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The museum has four planned galleries: the "Ancient Mariners and Their Sea Routes", "Circling the World and Back", "The New World and the Confluence of Cultures" and "The Philippines as a Maritime Nation". The first two galleries are accesible to the public on opening day in May 2026 with the other two yet to be opened.[19][23]

  • Ancient Mariners and Their Sea Routes – features the maritime culture of the people of the Philippine archipelago during the pre-colonial era or before the arrival of the Spanish. It showcases individual mariners, pre-Spanish era sea routes and a mini balanghai.[23]
  • Circling the World and Back – focuses on the Magellan expedition in the Philippines including exhibits linked to key local figures like Lapulapu and Rajah Humabon[23]

Other earlier plans

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Other earlier reported plans include the Center for Pacific Trade and Cultural Studies, a research institute dedicated to the galleon trade.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 Perez, Jon. "Historian wants to borrow galleon artifacts". Saipan Tribune. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Angara, Edgardo (October 18, 2014). "A Galleon Museum in Manila". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved January 21, 2016.[dead link]
  3. 1 2 Miraflor, Doris (July 19, 2014). "SM Group builds first galleon museum". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Dumlao-Abadilla, Madelaine (July 12, 2015). "Biz Buzz: Sy, Mexico's Slim eye galleon project". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  5. ↑ Bayaton-Obispo, Edlen Vanezza (November 11, 2014). "The Galeón: a New Museum to rise in Manila". MoneySense. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  6. ↑ Gonzales, Iris (January 21, 2016). "SM to open first museum at MOA". The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  7. ↑ "SM Mall of Asia to build museum". Inside Retail Asia. March 14, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Manila-Acapulco Galleon Museum to unroll early 2017". The Manila Times. September 18, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Museo del Galeon to relive romance of the high seas". Inquirer Lifestyle. September 3, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  10. ↑ Yuson, Alfred (December 15, 2014). "Of museums, new & upcoming". The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  11. ↑ Llemit, Kathleen (January 4, 2015). "Galleon museum set to open this year at SM MoA". The Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Pasay LGU, SM Group to put up 'Giga' vaccination hub". Philippine News Agency. April 24, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  13. ↑ De Leon, Dwight (May 7, 2021). "Pasay City opens one of PH's largest COVID-19 vaccination hubs". Rappler. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  14. ↑ Cunanan, Mark (May 6, 2021). "SM and Pasay LGU to build one of the biggest vaccination centers in the Philippines". BusinessWorld. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Pasay mall to open Manila Galleon trade museum". ABS-CBN News. October 17, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Legal luminary Atty. Nilo Divina joins Museo Del Galeón board of trustees". Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 4, 2025. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  17. ↑ Bernardo, Jaehwa (April 23, 2026). "Museo del Galeón traces PH's rich maritime legacy". ABS-CBN News.
  18. ↑ Cellona, Jonathan; Bernardo, Jaehwa; Cruz, Gigie (April 30, 2026). "In Photos: Appreciating Philippine maritime history at Museo del Galeón". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Almazan, Faye. "Museo del Galeón to open on May 1". GMA News. No. 28 May 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  20. 1 2 "Museo del Galeón opens in Manila with Immersive tribute to Philippine Maritime Heritage". Philippine Daily Inquirer. April 30, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Manila museum brings deadly galleon trade to life". Taipei Times. Agence France-Presse. April 29, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Museo del Galeon holds dinner for partners". The Philippine Star. September 10, 2016.
  23. 1 2 3 "Bridging the past and the future: Museo del Galeón as a center of maritime studies". BusinessWorld. April 28, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Exclusive Preview of The Galeón: Manila-Acapulco Galleon Museum". RTVM. August 7, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
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