The American
Cemetery is
free.
The largest American military cemetery of the Second World War sits on a rise in Taguig, a ten-minute drive from BGC's malls: 17,184 graves in eleven curved plots and a memorial carrying the 36,286 names of the missing. It is free, open 9am to 5pm daily, needs only a photo ID at the gate, and is kept to a standard nothing else in the city matches. Give it an hour, go early when the light is low and the grass is wet, and pair it with BGC.
What to expect at the American Cemetery
Twenty-five hectares of mown lawn, marble crosses and Stars of David in eleven arcs, with mosaic maps of the Pacific campaigns in the memorial hemicycle at the top of the hill.
The scale is the thing. The graves belong mostly to men who died in the New Guinea and Philippines campaigns; the walls of the missing carry more than twice as many names again, including servicemen lost at sea. Reading the state names on the walls is what gets people.
The mosaic maps are worth the climb — enormous, detailed, and the clearest explanation you will find anywhere of how the Pacific war was actually fought, campaign by campaign.
It is administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission, which is why the maintenance standard is closer to Arlington than to anything else in Metro Manila. Staff are helpful and can look up individual graves if you have a name.
Practically: bring a photo ID, dress respectfully, and combine it with BGC — Bonifacio High Street is ten minutes away and the contrast between the two is the most Manila thing in Manila.
Is the American Cemetery for you?
The American Cemetery, practically
American Cemetery FAQ
Is the Manila American Cemetery free?
Yes, entirely free, and it always has been — it is run by the US American Battle Monuments Commission. You need a photo ID at the gate; there is no ticket, no booking and no donation expected.
How big is the Manila American Cemetery?
It holds 17,184 graves — the largest number of American military dead of the Second World War at any cemetery — across 25 hectares, plus a memorial hemicycle listing 36,286 servicemen missing in action from the Pacific campaigns.
How do you get to the American Cemetery from BGC?
It sits on McKinley Road in Taguig, about ten minutes and ₱120–200 by Grab from Bonifacio High Street. There is no rail; walking is possible in theory but the approach roads are hostile and hot.
How long does the American Cemetery take?
An hour covers the graves and the memorial. Two hours if you study the mosaic campaign maps, which are the best explanation of the Pacific war you will see anywhere and are routinely walked past.