Casa Gorordo Museum — Attraction in Cebu City

CASA GORORDO MUSEUM - Located in Lopez Jaena Street, it is the home of the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu - Juan Gorordo (1862-1934). A tour inside this residence is a brief journey into a Filipino lifestyle in a particular period between 1860 to 1920. The place presently features noted paintings, museum relics, a courtyard, antique household items and furniture. The Casa Gorordo Museum was originally a two-storey house built in the mid-19th century in the historic Parian district of Cebu City. During the Spanish colonial era, the Parian district was the most prestigious section of the city and home to its most prominent families. During the Spanish colonial era, Alejandro Reynes y Rosales built the house. It was later bought in 1863 by Juan Isidro De Gorordo, a Spanish merchant. The house was then bought in 1980 by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) under its Cultural Heritage Program. It was opened as a museum in 1983. The National Historical Institute declared the house as a National Historical Landmark in 1991. The house is a wood-and-stone type of house that was a typical architectural type during the Spanish colonial period. Locally called as bahay na bato, the house is built with coral stone blocks, molave hardwood flooring and terra-cotta roof tiles. Displayed inside the museum is elaborate antique furniture, period costumes, paintings and religious images, wood carvings, decorative art and household items, and tools for farming, kitchen and baking. It also has a gallery for contemporary art on the ground floor. The lower part of the house has walls of Mactan coral stone, which makes it deliciously cool in the middle of the day. The stunning upper-storey living quarters are pure Philippine hardwood, held together not with nails but with wooden pegs. As well as having Spanish and native influences, the house incorporates principles of feng shui, owing to the Chinese ancestry of Gorordo matriarch Donna Telerafora (whose death portrait graces the hallway). Items on display includes kitchen implements, antique photos and furniture. Entrance admission rates are based on rates for international and local visitors. Foreign tourists pay Php70 for adults and Php50 for students. Local tourists pay Php40 for adults, Php15 for college students, and Php10 for high school and elementary students. You cannot use a camcorder in this museum , nor use flash on your camera, both...

A great experience to walk through Cebuano history.

The exhibits on the first floor are breathtaking, especially the images of saints and agricultural tools. They also have a massive interactive touchscreen map in there which you can use to view Cebu City through the eras. You can also see the modes of transportation here over Cebuano history like carabaos, horses, trains, cars. The second floor is where they store most of the house things like the furniture, a nice sala mayor, kitchen, dining room, study room, oratorio, and even a pretty spacious azotea. There's also a connected Bo's Coffee on the other house and a souvenir shop if y'all want to buy something. Unfortunately, we got stranded here during our visit for more than 2 hours due to heavy rainfall and we cannot even traverse through the paths and the roads here since all are drenched in the flood. And I'm talking about dirty, murky flood that came from the sewers and canals. In the premises of the museum too it easily gets flooded by rain and you have to wait for the staff to pump them or risk wading through the water. They really should fix that up and especially the city government too regarding the roads that lead here, a lot of people navigate through this area and it's easily flooded which could lead to a whole lot more problems. Overall, a nice museum experience, even if it was partly ruined by the...

Our visit to Casa Gorordo in Cebu was an unexpected highlight of our trip. Originally planning to explore Museo Sugbo, we stumbled upon this gem when we found it closed on weekends. Casa Gorordo gave us a delightful surprise.

The staff at Casa Gorordo, including the friendly guard, made us feel right at home. We had the option to choose a virtual guided tour, which came on iPads. My boyfriend took this option seriously, while I explored at my own pace.

The beauty of Casa Gorordo is breathtaking, reminiscent of a bygone era of opulence. Every room felt like a step back in time, with well-preserved artifacts and furnishings that brought history to life.

What sets Casa Gorordo apart is its ability to capture the essence of the past. The choice between a virtual guided tour and independent exploration is a thoughtful touch that caters to all visitors. Plus, you can find unique souvenirs, like the magnet we bought, which is different from the typical trinkets you find in souvenir shops.

To top it off, there's a Bo's Coffee nearby on the same compound, making it a convenient spot for a post-tour treat. Casa Gorordo truly exceeded our expectations and added a layer of richness to our Cebu experience. Don't miss it if you're...