Joining museums worldwide for the annual International Museum Day, Ayala Museum will open its doors for free on 19 May, Sunday.

For this edition of the IMD free admission day, the museum is gearing up with special activities in line with the theme “Museums for Education and Research.”

This includes a special guided tour of the museum’s permanent Gold of Ancestors exhibition which will be enhanced in time for International Museum Day. Crafts collective Googley Gooeys will also join the event for a hands-on activity. A dedicated area will also show educational videos produced by Ayala Museum on its precolonial collections.

“We are keenly aware of the role that Ayala Museum plays in the cultural education of those who visit us. We have kids and teens coming through school trips who solidify their understanding of what it means to be Filipino when they see our exhibitions. We also have post-graduate academics who come and produce new knowledge by researching on the objects in our collection. The free admission day is our way to saying to the general public to join in this endeavor of learning more about our rich culture and history that is at the heart of who we are as an institution,” Mariles Gustilo, senior director of Ayala Museum, said.

Ayala Museum is managed by Ayala Foundation under its Arts and Culture Division. As part of its mission to democratize access to the arts and culture, Ayala Museum regularly mounts events such as free admission days.

Aside from the special activities, all regular exhibitions, including the Diorama Experience of Philippine History, and the new Unraveling the AIA Philippines Art Collection, will be accessible to all museum goers. The Filipinas Heritage Library at the 6/F of the Ayala Museum building will also be open for guests to visit.

Pre-booking of slots is required to visit Ayala Museum for free on 19 May. Slots will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.