If I were a small as an ant, I would live comfortably in one of the teeny weeny rooms in Museum of Miniatures in Marikina City. Each room has every convenience one would find in a lavish room, only scaled down to a smaller size. Way scaled down, but their tiny size makes them all the more intriguing to look at. It is similar to examining a specimen under a microscope, but every discovery is a delight and not some cell that one needs to identify in a quiz. 🙂 Also, it is an ego boost to petite people like myself. I felt like Gulliver in the island of Lilliput, as much as an intruder as he was when I peered through the glass to look at the tiny pieces inside each room.
A huge part of the Museum of Miniatures is a collection of tiny but real-looking replicas of items one would find in the different rooms of a European mansion. It is a collection of shadow boxes filled with Lilliputian pieces of 1:1 scale. Based on my count, there are 23 rooms that make up this European mansion. Some of which are living room, music room, Christmas room, covered patio, and nursery.
The miniatures are part of the collection of Aleli Vengua, a miniaturist and a microphile (someone who collects miniatures). Vengua handcrafted 80% of the 60,000 pieces on display in Museum of Miniatures from everyday items like plastic, wood, aluminum, fabric, and glass. Vengua started collecting tiny items as early as her grade school days. Her love for miniature items encouraged her to learn the basics of engineering and architecture so she could build 23 x 10.5 x 14.5 – inched rooms to showcase her minute versions of household items. In 1977, Vengua’s love for miniatures culminated in the opening of Aleli Vengua Museum of Miniatures to the public.
They say that God is in the details. If that was true, Vengua must have been infallible and immortal many times over. Her attention to detail is commendable, from the intricacy of the designs to the little things, like the tools in the garage or the birds in the covered patio. One can marvel at each room for hours on end, with jaw half-slacked.
The Museum of Miniatures is perfect for families with children. They even have ramps so that kids (my height hahaha) can look at the rooms closer and at eye-level.
I arranged the photos on this entry in such a way that replicates the experience of being inside the Museum of Miniatures.
Thank you, Me-Ann for being so accommodating and for taking my photos. 🙂
I placed a Philippine five-peso coin next to the miniature room to give the readers an idea how small the items are.
I sat between the miniature food shop room and miniature Christmas room to have a superiority complex. Hahaha.
This doll house is the centerpiece of Museum of Miniatures. It has a lot of miniature items cramped in its floor area.
For booking or reservation at Museum of Miniatures, please call: (02) 570-0701 to 06 local 451.
Where: Museum of Miniatures is on the 2nd Level, E-com Building, Riverbanks Center, Barangka, Marikina City. One must use the stairs or elevator at the E-com Annex to get to Museum of Miniatures.
When: The Museum of Miniatures is open for public viewing from Friday to Sunday, from 8am to 5pm. It is open to walk-ins and group tours. From Monday to Thursday, the Museum of Miniatures is closed to walk-ins but open to group tours of at least 50 people, with at least three days notice. It can accommodate group tours for holiday schedule as well, three days notice is also required for that.
How much: The entrance fee for Museum of Miniatures is P75.00 (US $1.75) per person (which also includes entrance to The Spirit of Bethlehem). 20% discount is given to Senior citizens with ID cards. Teachers with ID cards are free.
How: I do not know how I got there. 🙂 I just relied on the help of nice strangers from Marikina. 🙂 I think one can take a jeep bound for Marikina-Bayan from Gateway (Aurora Boulevard) or from Katipunan LRT Station. The walk from the entrance of Riverbanks to E-com Building is quite long. Buy a drink at the start of the walk.