National Museum of Natural History

The National Museum of Natural History is the youngest of the three national museums around Rizal Park. It occupies the neoclassical Agriculture and Commerce Building, designed by Antonio Toledo and completed around 1940, destroyed in the Second World War and later rebuilt to its original plans. For many years it housed the Department of Tourism, before its conversion into a museum. It was inaugurated in September 2017 and opened to the public on 18 May 2018.

The building's centrepiece is the Tree of Life, a structure rising through the courtyard to support a glass dome, with a double-helix form inspired by DNA. It is one of the most photographed interiors in the city, and standing beneath it gives a good view of the six storeys of galleries arranged around the courtyard.

The galleries cover the plants, animals, geology and ecosystems of the Philippine islands. The most famous exhibit is Lolong, the saltwater crocodile captured in Agusan del Sur in 2011, which was the largest crocodile in captivity when it died in 2013. Other displays include a sperm whale from Marinduque. The museum is a good introduction to the country's biodiversity before heading out to its islands and reefs.

Admission is free and walk-ins are welcome. Groups of 20 or more must book through the National Museum's reservation site, and Sundays, Mondays and public holidays are reserved for walk-in visitors. Weekends can be busy with families and school groups, so arrive at opening for a quieter start. There is a fair amount of walking between floors, so allow around two hours.

Because the galleries wrap around the central courtyard, it is easy to lose track of which floor you are on. A sensible plan is to look at the Tree of Life from the ground floor first, then work upwards gallery by gallery, finishing with the view down into the atrium from the top.

The museum sits on the corner of T.M. Kalaw Street and General Luna Street, facing the National Museum of Anthropology across Agrifina Circle and a short walk from the Museum of Fine Arts. Children tend to enjoy this one most of the three, which makes it a good choice for families, and it pairs well with an afternoon in Rizal Park. It is also an easy, air-conditioned option on a rainy day.