Upside Down World Museum: Turn Gravity Upside Down in Cebu

Gravity is a powerful unseen force that keeps all things and (sometimes people) on the ground. But what’s even stranger is man’s seemingly inherent desire to defy it. We’ve seen airplanes and jets dancing in the sky, now how about furniture and food screwed to the ceiling? That’s what you’ll see at the Upside Down World Cebu.

Upside Down World Cebu is a new attraction you can visit at the Industrial Capital of Southern Philippines. Located at the second floor of City Times Square Phase 2, Mandaue City is the fascinating modern art museum showcasing 11 themed concepts of places you see everyday, like your bedroom for instance. In this place though, everything is upside down. They officially opened the Cebu venue on the 23rd of March this year, following the success in countries like Thailand and Indonesia when the brand was established in 2016. Although the upside down concept is not new, what sets them apart from other museums is that their art is interactive. Unlike the usual museum with paintings hanging on the wall, this place features real tables, chairs, cabinets and even a bed all right above you. Here’s my experience in Upside Down World Cebu. Let’s start from the beginning shall we?

Cebu Upside Down World Museum

Flashback to a lovely Sunday with my friends. We walk around and ended up at this normal-looking place with a wide lobby and then greeted by a pleasing staff. We were then instructed to take our shoes off as they’re not allowed in the museum, we left our bags there as well. Use of the locker is free but don’t lose the key, alrightt?

To be honest, I was not expecting much. I mean, what could be so cool about having your things stuck to the ceiling? Well color me surprised, the moment we set foot on the first room I was really impressed. The quality of the pieces they had was superb! From the flat screen TV in the living room to the Betadine in the medicine cabinet, you can tell that meticulous planning was done to ensure everything stayed in place. I consider it as a house owned by a filthy rich person with an affinity for gambling, mysticism and books. Let me show you around.

The Living Room

Here we have the couches with some colorful throw pillows and a plastic iPad, a coffee table, a Christmas tree with gifts, a flat screen TV showing the Fantastic Beasts movie at that time, some shelving units and a freakin’ digital fireplace.

Living room

The Library

Although the books in the background were not 3D, the chair, table, lamp and the chess pieces were all real. Too bad we won’t know who’ll get the checkmate, though.

The Bedroom

Ah, the favorite of place of any clinophile out there. The bed is big and comfy and you’ll hate that you can’t lie down. On a positive note, at least you’ll sorta get the astral projection experience.

Bedroom

The Playroom

You’ll feel like a kid again in the playroom! Or better yet, bring a toddler and watch as they cry over the toys they can’t reach (insert evil laugh).

Playroom

The Fancy Palengke

I was initially confused at what this place really was but then there were vegetables, a variety of seafoods and a bicycle, so... a fancy palengke! It’s the personal marketplace of the filthy rich person, located just two bike-pedals away from his main house. And yes, I’m sticking to that storyline.

Fancy palengke!

The Kitchen

There’s a gas stove, a sink, a rice cooker, veggies, condiments, utensils, spatulas, some pots and a refrigerator that you can open if you need more ingredients. Don’t forget to wear the apron! Now go and fix us a meal.

Kitchen

The Dining Area

This place is positioned sideways so good luck getting a decent bite off your meal. But fret not, the food trolley has the dessert ready for you.

Dining area

The Laundry Area

Just some dirty clothes, nothing to see here. Kidding! There’s a washing machine, detergent, lots of fabric conditioner and a flatiron as well. The complete set! We take clothing care very seriously in here.

The Bathroom

You can jump in the toilet or in the shower. All the bathing essentials are available. You can scrub with the loofah, shampoo and condition your hair and when you’re done you can use the fresh towels, too! Just make sure to wash it in the laundry area when you’re done.

Bathroom

The Fortune-Telling Room

Alright, we’re finally at the most solemn area in the house. Not everyone is allowed here so count your lucky stars the master was gracious enough to show the place to you. Lucky stars, get it? No? Okay. But seriously, the galaxy background is to die for! You would totally stay longer here just to get that perfect shot for your new profile picture. Say hello to Mr Skull, too. He gets lonely sometimes.

Fortune teller's room

The Casino/Gambling Room

This is the last room but get your money and poker face ready and we’ll play cards. But if you’re not in the mood for cards, we can play some pachinko, wheel of fortune or simply gaze at the vintage pin-up posters. Your call!

And that’s the end of the tour of the upside down rooms, people! Good job keeping your heads in place. Let’s me just turn the gravity back on for you.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE & SOME RECOMMENDATIONS

The upside down world museum was truly enjoyable, albeit a bit dizzying. It may seem like nothing at first but the magic happens once you flip the picture you took. As for recommendations, it would be great to have costumes available, too! It can certainly add a certain playfulness overall. Also, it’s nice to have some background music which matches the themed rooms, or even the smell of food in the kitchen for a complete and immersive experience. Then again, I may be asking for too much since those two factors are not easy to control. But hopefully, they can also add more themes in the future for variety.

TIPS!

There are camera markers on the floor which indicates the best angle for the shots, take note of them but try to experiment when you can.
Don’t be shy and ask assistance from the staff. While it’s best to come here in a group, you can also go solo and the staff will gladly take your pictures (and even suggest some poses) to make your experience better.
Wear comfortable clothes since you’ll be doing lots of poses.
They sell souvenirs so you can bring extra money if you want to buy some memorabilias or even snacks or drinks.
They have photo contests at times so feel free to join and win prizes!
Bring extra camera batteries. You’ll be taking lots of pictures.
Be creative or plan ahead how you want to pose or play around. There are 11 themes to choose from, so have fun!

ADDITIONAL DETAILS ABOUT UPSIDE DOWN WORLD MUSEUM CEBU

Ticket Prices:

Adult - 350 Php

Kids (below 12 years old) - 250 PHP

Infants and toddlers (0-3 years old) - FREE

Senior Citizen and Persons With Disability - 250 PHP

The owner also mentioned group discounts, so don’t hesitate to contact them at (032) 234-7842 for landline or at 0917-7728-670 for mobile. For inquiries, you can also email them at upsidedownworld.cebu@gmail.com. Check out their social media for some cool pictures:
Facebook page: Upside Down World Museum Cebu
Instagram: @upsidedownworldcebu

Full disclosure note: This article was written by Cherubim Mae "Chia" Traya who attended a bloggers familiarization tour hosted by the Cebu Upside Down World Museum.

Vibrant Visayas