A Day to Sightseer: The Spirit of Bethlehem and Museum of Miniatures
When you just want to rejuvenate after a week of arduous days in the office, and you’re looking for a place to take a break without leaving Metro, Marikina City’s miniature museum is definitely a must-see for you.
It was last Saturday when my boyfriend and I decided to visit an exhibit in Barangka Marikina City, located at the 2nd level of E-com Building in Riverbanks Center called The Spirit of Bethlehem and Museum of Miniatures. Pin-pointing this museum is quite difficult if you’re new to the place because aside from its lack of directions, the dim window pane of E-com building made it secluded and unrecognizable. Perhaps, a signage that can easily be seen would be a good solution.
Moving forward, what I actually loved about the tour was, on the very onset of our visit I could already feel the serenity of the place. The white and golden brown paint on the walls contribute a good ambiance to the entirety of the exhibit depicting the look of a typical museum. There are several collections inside. I enjoyed taking photos of every featured sculptures/figurines that they included though you won’t get to touch them for preservation and safety purposes. Origins of each pieces are also included on its description. I think it’s good idea that we arrived early. There must have been many approaching visitor that I’m afraid we wouldn’t be able to indulge in the place peacefully.
The Spirit of Bethlehem is said to be a private collection of over 500 belens/nativity sets/posters/paintings and sculptures from all over the world, collected thru decades of devotion to the Infant Jesus, by the owner, Gigi Abaya-Carlos. I find it amazing because there are nativity sets that have been bought on the 1900s and yet you won’t see any damages from it. I assume they really did well on preserving such collections.
These pieces of the holy family originated from Bethlehem, the other is from Italy.
This one is not your typical Christmas tree. The holes that you can see served as the home to every little nativity sets. The lighting on the inside made it solemnly magical.
On the other hand, Museum of Miniatures is just a step away from The Spirit of Bethlehem. The miniatures featured on it are part of the collection of the late Aleli Vengua who passionately handcrafted most of the pieces herself. It is said that the materials used on every pieces are mostly from scrap items such as plastic, wood, aluminum, fabric, and glass. Just look how amazing these tiny chairs are.
Some of the miniatures are also intricately designed that would make it harder to imagine it was only Aleli Vengua alone who created it. I wonder how many years it took her to finish a miniature of a living room.
This close-up photograph of Vengua’s miniature of Christmassy living room is the best!
The following frames hold the articles regarding the making of the incredible small world of Aleli Vengua.
Oh look, the first admission ticket of Aleli Vengua’s Museum of Miniatures. It’ll only cost you P5.00 for adults and P2.50 for kids back then and look how huge it is, 8.5 by 11, I suppose? Incredible!
All in all, I would say The Spirit of Bethlehem and the Museum of Miniatures is really a must-visit. In fact, I would highly-recommend this place for people who wish to unwind and relax like us. People who has been seeking an inspiration for paintings, sculptures, interior designs are also advisable to visit the place because why not? Check it out so you would know why. The general admission for both The Spirit of Bethlehem and Museum of Miniatures are only P75.00 per head. There will be 20% discount for senior citizens, just present your ID. Now with teachers with ID and children either with the height below 4ft. or younger than 6 yrs. old (with proof, of course) will take a tour on the museum for FREE but this one is not applicable to children’s group tour/field trip. The museum is open from Friday to Sunday only, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM but if you have an appointment with the place or you’ve booked an event (recommended for a group of 30 persons or more), Monday to Thursday schedule will be available.
I’ve been totally in awe by the sight of the featured collections. All of it was just so amazingly created.
