The Mansion is one of the most popular tourist spots in Baguio City. This is the official summer residence of Philippine presidents starting from Manuel Quezon. It used to be a summer vacation palace of U.S. Governors-General from 1908-1935. The public is clearly not allowed to book rooms in this palace but everyone is free to visit it. Getting a glance at its magnificent palace and wide lush green garden is quite pleasant.
The Mansion: Architecture
The Mansion’s gate looks majestic and elegant—it’s the biggest gate I’ve seen so far. The combination of the large marbles together with its metal rails has an imposing royal and superior look. This gate was actually rumored to be a replica of Buckingham palace’s gate but was proven false later. Posted on its pillars are short inscriptions about the origin of The Mansion and related events. These are written in both Filipino and English separately.
The actual building looks very similar to the Malacanang Palace in Manila which is the main office/resident of Philippine presidents. Both have Hispanic architectural style facade with several arches. The noble theme of this palace makes it a perfect fit for a presidential summer rest house. The 300 years of Spanish occupation of the country clearly left a big mark as it’s evident in these buildings.
What to do here?
Nothing much really—people visit it just to enjoy the nice view of the mansion and its wide garden. We only took some pictures of the place and had a short stroll in it. My son did some jump shots and that’s it. A street vendor was selling some oranges near the gate which bought for a snack. You can also have a quick stroll at the park in front of it. The park’s name is Wright Park which has a small lagoon at the center.
Related Post: Camp John Hay
1 thought on “The Mansion: Grandiose Facade and Garden – Baguio City”