Above: The main facade of the old Carcel de Cebu, now the Museo Sugbo.

Just along M.J. Cuenco Avenue is an interesting facility that ordinary people perhaps would not expect to house a museum. Surrounded at present by unsightly structures, this facility, commonly known to locals as the old Cebu Provincial Jail, was once a prison built in 1871 where criminals were incarcerated including the Katipuneros during the Philippine revolution and some guerillas during the Japanese occupation during World War II. It was designed in 1869 by Domingo de Escondrillas, a Spanish architect in Cebu who also designed the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva church in El Pardo, Cebu City.

Below: Old photos of the facade of the carcel. In the early American colonial period (second photo), a second storey was built at the main building. (Photos from Skyscrapercity Forums and eBay)

Then called the Carcel de Cebu, this facility was originally intended to be the main prison for the Visayas which accounts for its relatively large size at the time it was built. It was renovated in 1892 with the addition of more buildings behind the main structure. The second storey of the main building dates to the American colonial period judging from its architecture.

This prison continued to serve its purpose well into the 21st century until the provincial government built a bigger and more modern prison complex at Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City. This facility was then occupied by the Department of Education for a short period until the governor decided to convert it into a repository of Cebuano heritage & history, the Museo Sugbo (Cebu Museum).

Museo Sugbo is located at M.J. Cuenco Avenue and is open from Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM. Entrance fee is P30 for adults and P10 for students and those below 18 years old. Entrance fee for foreigners is P75.

Below: View of the main facade from across the street.

Below: Inside the complex.

Below: Some of the displays inside the museum.