7 Things to Enjoy at the Puzzle Mansion in Tagaytay
4. The Cultural References
The collection spanned massive cultural and pop references. Whether it’s 2D, 3D, or 4D, they have all sorts of knick knacks from the ancient times up to the present. It’s really something that a whole family can enjoy, whether you are a Baby Boomer, a Gen X-er, or a Millennial.Â
3. The Souvenir Shop
After inspecting the entire ground floor, we went upstairs to check out the recreation area and the souvenir shop. There we found that some of the puzzle hobbyists can buy the puzzles that were featured downstairs, including the awesome 4D landscapes ones such as this:Â
There is also an option to have a customized digital photo taken and converted into a puzzle for the price of Php 500.Â
2. The Food
Being in a cultural side trip, I did not expect to find good food. But this coco cream pie is creamy and yummy in all the right places, and I highly recommend you try this before you leave the museum:Â
1. The Inspiration
Saving the best for last, I consider the inspiration of the museum as one of the best things to check out here. Georgina Gil-Lacuna’s brainchild in creating this massive puzzle collection is something that anyone can learn from. There was a medium-sized screen in the middle of the museum that continuously played documentaries from the various TV shows that featured her and the collection. I was listening to it while admiring her handiwork.
In the shelf containing her awards, I also saw that my own alma mater awarded her (apparently, she studied in the same private school as I did). She was candid during her interviews and there was a consistent pattern in them. On most of the interviews, she said that (not exact words) nothing worth having comes easy. That she worked hard for this collection out of genuine love of puzzles and travel souvenirs.Â
This was one person who pursued her passion and did it all one at a time until she was able to leave something that her daughter now continues in the museum. Her intense focus day in and day out turned into a wonderful masterpiece that showcased to the world how well and how meaningfully she had managed her time in this world.
She may not be someone we see frequently, but off the beaten path, here is really someone who personified this generation’s expression of YOLO. You only live once—the sands of time continue to tick no matter how we decide to pursue each moment.
Rounding up our two hours of exploration was the ascent back to the main highway. They have their cute jeepney service. But this is often available only when there are large groups of people milling in the place. So we had to choose to either wait in the noonday sun for other people to line up or climb and explore other places in Tagaytay.
Homer and I decided to hike the way back up, taking no shortcuts in our cultural adventure just as the puzzle maker with her life’s work.
The Puzzle Mansion
Purok 4 Cuadra Street
Barangay Asisan, Tagaytay
 02-661-0019/ 0905-225-0229
