Casa Gorordo Museum
35 Eduardo Aboitiz Street, Cebu City, Cebu
Built in the 1850s, the Casa Gorordo Museum is a beautifully preserved example of a balay nga tisa, a Spanish colonial building style that blends Spanish, Chinese, and Philippine elements. Four generations of the Gorordo family lived in the house, which now holds antiques, artworks, and multimedia displays about Cebuano history, as well as a shop and a café.
With its coral stone first floor, Philippine hardwood second floor, lush lawn, and elegant woodwork, the Casa Gorordo Museum is an oasis of calm in bustling Cebu City. The house-museum occasionally hosts cultural events, but most travelers visit as part of a guided or self-guided tour of historic Cebu. A range of different tour packages are available, all with multimedia guide: Under-12s enjoy a fun activity sheet. Live guides are also available.
- The Casa Gorordo Museum is a must for history buffs and architecture fans.
- Be sure to stop by the café for a “sikwate” (Cebu-style hot chocolate).
- Casa Gorordo is not wheelchair accessible.
The Casa Gorordo Museum sits in the heart of Cebu City, in an area that was once Cebu Chinatown. It’s a stone’s throw from the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House, just minutes from the Colon Obelisk, and under a 1-mile (1.5-kilometer) walk from the port where Bohol boats arrive. Many travelers prefer to book a tour rather than piece together jeepneys and taxis.
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, but closes on Mondays. Cool and calm, it’s a great spot to beat the midday heat.
Cebu City is home to two fascinating house-museums: Casa Gorordo, built in the Spanish fusion style, and the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House, built from wood by Chinese merchants around 1680. Other don’t-misses include Fort San Pedro, an 18th-century fortress with a history dating back to the 16th century, Magellan’s Cross, supposedly planted by the 16th-century explorer, and the Basilica del Santo Niño, home to a sacred statuette.
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