The Butuan branch of the National Museum holds a significant collection of artefacts from the Agusan River delta — the richest archaeological zone in the Philippines outside Luzon. The collection includes gold jewellery, Chinese trade ceramics, and other objects recovered from burial sites and excavations in the area, dating from roughly the 9th to 16th centuries when Butuan was a major trading port.
The gold artefacts are particularly notable — Butuan's gold deposits made it a wealthy trading partner for Chinese merchants, and the objects recovered from the area demonstrate a high level of goldsmithing skill. The museum puts the Balangay boat culture in broader context. Free entry, as with all National Museum branches in the Philippines.