Pinto Art Museum: History, Artworks, and Cafe Entrance Fee 2020 (2024)

City

Posted on December 29, 2020

Looking for a contemporary art museum in Antipolo? Pinto Art Museum’s galleries, gardens, and cafe are the perfect place to visit!

To date, I’ve visited Pinto Art Museum twice. The first time was in 2014 when they were gaining more popularity. This year, we came back to see its new sprawling galleries, countless artworks, and garden exhibits. And I’m happy to report that it looks better than ever!

Pinto Art Museum was founded in 2010 by neurologist and arts patron, Dr. Joven Cuanang. Located in Antipolo City, its history involved Dr. Cuanang’s home being a haven for young, struggling artists of the 1980s. The name pintômeans door, as the museum serves as a gateway for new perspectives.

What is distinctive about Pinto for me is that most of its artworks are about thought-provoking societal commentaries. Their galleries make the viewers reflect on Filipino politics, religion, sex, and culture — it was clear that it was founded by artists fresh from the euphoria of the People Power Revolution.

Our Pinto Art Museum experience review

Every year, Josh and I make it a point to give the gift of memories during Christmas to our pamangkins (nephews and nieces). Last year, we went to Daranak Falls. But since the pandemic has new restrictions, we can’t go to places too far, too enclosed, or too crowded. We decided to take them somewhere open-air and socially distanced.

Pinto Art Museum is perfect for that since it has a sprawling area of art galleries and outdoor exhibits. They also allowed (though highly discouraged) bringing of kids, which is a plus because many of our younger pamangkins haven’t been outdoors for months.

I was surprised to find that Pinto Art Museum has opened new buildings to house more diverse local artworks. It truly takes an entire day to visit it, even at a moderate pace and especially if you want to immerse yourself in each piece. Even if kids can be too young to understand the art, the museum and its gardens are already a beauty by themselves. No wonder it’s popular among both teenage Instagrammers and the older intellectual crowd.

Pinto Art Museum entrance fee, schedule, etc.

The museum has six galleries, one with a bamboo forest installation. Its other spots include the Museum of Indigenous Art, roofdeck sunset view, museum shop, a chapel (an exhibit, not an actual one), an amphitheater, and the Mindanao Collection.

• Address. 1 Sierra Madre St. Grand Heights Subdivision, Antipolo, Rizal
• Entrance fee as of 2020. Regular Pinto Art Museum entrance fee is at PHP 250. Senior citizens and PWDs with IDs pay PHP 200. Kids and students with IDs pay PHP 125.
• Open hours / schedule. Pinto is open every Tuesday to Sunday 10AM – 5PM. They are closed on Mondays. Their in-house restaurant, Pinto Cafe by Peppermill, is open from 10:30AM – 6PM.
• Best time to visit. To avoid the crowds, I suggest going on weekdays. Since the entire trip takes the whole day, I also recommend visiting as soon as the museum opens at 10AM. It takes 3 hours minimum to go around. Take your time and try to watch the sunset from here.
• Rules. Smoking, outside food and drinks, and pets are not allowed. They also have photoshoot fees so video recordings, changing of clothes, props, and flash photography are not allowed.
• COVID-19 regulations. Bringing kids, infants, and senior citizens are allowed but discouraged. Face masks, thermal scanning, and filling out of Health Declaration Form via QR code are required.

What to do in Pinto Art Museum

A visit to Pinto Art Museum takes an entire day, especially if one wants to fully reflect on each art piece. The museum feels like an imaginative home, with its scattered daybeds, benches, and garden chairs. Though it attracts a crowd on weekends, its recent upgrades, such as the Pinto Academy of Arts & Sciences, made sure the museum was never too crowded.

Pinto Art Museum features collections of contemporary art (one that makes you think about modern societal life) and primitive art (specifically, a collection from Ifugao and Mindanao). It was great finding old and new artworks since my visit in 2014. Many of my friends have actually returned to Pinto Art Museum, since one is bound to find something new each visit.

Another noteworthy feature is that Pinto was built on a botanical garden called Silangan Gardens. Plants indeed grew profusely, filling in the museum’s nooks and crannies, along with its outdoor art installations. Its Mediterranean-inspired exterior by itself makes it so visually appealing.

Lastly, they have Cafe Rizal by Peppermill and Cafe Tan-Aw where you can eat lunch and snacks. Cafe Tan-Aw, a roofdeck with a sunset view, is a great place to chill in since it sometimes has live music. However, they are temporarily closed due to pandemic restrictions.

Tips for your Pinto Museum Daytrip

• How to commute to Pinto Art Museum. Ride a jeep or FX to Antipolo Simbahan, but ask first if they will pass by Junction. Get down at the Kapitolyo of Antipolo, which is characterized by a White House-looking capitol. From there, haila tricycle to Pinto Art Museum. The fare should be PHP 20-50 per person.
• Driving to Pinto Art Museum. You can find the museum via Waze or Google Maps. Street parking is around the subdivision near Pinto. There is a fee at the village entrance at PHP 20 per vehicle.
• Things to bring. Since Pinto Art Museum is largely open-air, there is no airconditioning around. Its sprawling area is guaranteed to turn the visit into a walkathon. Bring bottled water, fans, and face towels for the trip. To make you weather-proof, bring umbrellas or sun protection too.
• What to wear. Wear your best OOTDs, but make sure they are light, breezy, and sweat-proof! You should also wear walkable shoes. If you want to spend some time hanging out in the gardens, fancy hats and caps are great. You’ll be freshening up often, for sure!
• Where to eat. Inside the museum is Cafe Rizal by Peppermill, which is open from 10:30AM – 6PM. Guests can book their table via Phonebooky. No outside food and drinks are allowed, however, guests can leave the premises and eat outside with their proof of payment. Right outside Pinto, there is a milk tea and snack store. A few minutes’ drive away, there is Jollibee and Cafe Agusta. Guests are allowed to leave the premises, just keep the proof of payment.
• Pinto Art Museum contact number. If you want to contact or book your Pinto Art Museum trip, send me a Facebook message for the updated contact information.

Pinto Art Museum was a great gift to our pamangkins this Christmas. The museum just got better through the years! It’s a place to return to and find new insights each time.

If you have any questions about our experience, feel free to send me a message on Facebook!

More Rizal attractions

• Rizal Resorts
• Mount Purro Nature Reserve
• Masungi Georeserve
• Mt. Daraitan

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