Best 20 Museums and Art Galleries in Korea

You can find a museum for just about every area of life in Korea. You will find the one you are looking for, from archaic folk conventions and royal artifacts to recent chronology and futuristic technologies.

If you plan to investigate the culturally rich South Korea, we have listed 20 top must-visit museums and art galleries in Korea for you. These museums in Korea display the history from prehistoric times to the modern-day. 

Top Museums in Korea

Leeum Museum

The Leeum Museum is by the global conglomerate Samsung. It is in Hannam-dong.

The museum has two sections named Museum 1 and Museum 2. Leeum is one of the most prestigious art galleries in Seoul, South Korea. The museum mainly houses both Traditional and Contemporary Korean Art pieces.

• Website: https://www.leeum.org/
• Address: 60-16 Itaewon-ro 55-Gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
• Entry Fee: 10,000 Won but the last Wednesday of every month is discounted by 5,000 Won for students, seniors, and those under 24 years of age
• Open Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30 – 18:00

Check out the Seoul Museum Tour

Seoul Museum Tour; Leeum Samsung Museum&National Museum

$82.06

Seoul Museum Tour; Leeum Samsung Museum&National Museum

$107.00

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) showcases contemporary art in Seoul, South Korea. It is also one of the first of its kind, the museum in the country that displays modern and contemporary art from South Korea and worldwide. The aim is to raise art and cultural awareness in Korea via exhibitions, research, and exchanges.

• Website: https://www.mmca.go.kr/
• Address: 30 Samcheong-ro, Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
• Entry Fee: 4,000 Won, but on the last Wednesday of every month, it is free for students, seniors, and those under 24.
• Open Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 – 18:00

Discover Seoul Pass – Free Entrance to the Leeum, MMCA, and More!
Learn more about the Discover Seoul Pass.

Discover Seoul Pass Card

$28.32

Discover Seoul Pass

$34.95

[Seoul] Discover Seoul Pass Card - Seoul official Tourist Pass

$36.61

Discover Seoul Pass (24/48/72 - Hour Pass)

$48.40

Discover Seoul Pass

$88.39

Independence Hall of Korea

The Independence Hall of Korea collects, preserves, exhibits, and examines Korean chronological documents and antiques from the history to the present. The museum mainly concentrates on the independence movements during the Japanese colonial period. It has seven exhibition halls, and approximately 90,000 items are in the collection, out of which 4,000 objects are on display.

• Website: www.i815.or.kr
• Address: 1, Dongnipginyeomgwan-ro, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do
• Entry Fees:  No Fee for Historical Park, fee for Taegeuk Tram is 1,000 won- 700 won, free for 3 years and below
• Open Hours: March-October 09:30-18:00, November-February 09:30-17:00

National Museum of Korea

The National Museum of Korea is one of the best museums in Korea in terms of size, as it is the biggest in Asia and the Sixth in the world. It also has a symbolic significance for the history of Korea’s museums as it is a repository of over 5,000 years of Korean history. The museum plays an active role in preserving and globally promoting the cultural heritage of Korea.

• Website: https://www.museum.go.kr/
• Address: 137 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04383, Republic of Korea
• Entry Fees: Free
• Open Hours: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun 10:00 – 18:00, Wed/Sat 10:00 – 21:00

Check out Seoul Museum Tour

Seoul Museum Tour; Leeum Samsung Museum&National Museum

$82.06

Seoul Museum Tour; Leeum Samsung Museum&National Museum

$107.00

The War Memorial of Korea

The War Memorial of Korea is one of the best museums in Korea. It is located in Seoul and is well known for preserving and showcasing materials related to the Korean War. This museum serves as a national moral and educational venue. It comprises six indoor halls to commemorate the noble sacrifice of patriotic martyrs—the museum houses almost all artifacts, with about 10,000 on exhibit in indoor and outdoor collections.

• Website: https://www.warmemo.or.kr/
• Address: 29, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
• Entry Fee: No entry or admission fee. However, there is a fee for variable events and exhibitions.
• Open Hours: 09:30-18:00

National Folk Museum of Korea

If you want to examine Korea’s daily life and cultural beliefs, then The National Folk Museum of Korea is your call. It is inside Gyeongbokgung Palace.

This museum represents it and is visited by more than 2 million people per year. It showcases the historical relics utilized in the Korean nation’s day-to-day lives in the past. The museum has three exhibition halls with other subsidiary facilities.

• Website: https://nfm.go.kr/
• Address: 37, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Entry Fee: Free for museum
• Fee applies to entry into Gyeongbokgung Palace
• Open Hours: March-May, September-October: 09:00-18:00, June-August: 09:00-18:30, November-February: 09:00-17:00

Check out the History Tour including National Folk Museum

History of Joseon Dynasty with National Folk Museum, Palaces, and Temple Half Day Tour

$24.25

Museum SAN

Museum SAN is in the peaceful and natural city of Wonju. The museum is named SAN after the first letters of Space, Art, and Nature. As the name implies, it displays this all. One of Korea’s must-watch museums and art galleries, the SAN museum, was opened in 2013.

• Website: http://www.museumsan.org/eng/
• Address: 260, Oak valley 2-Gil, Jijeong-myeon,
• Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
• Entry Fee: The museum fee for adults is 19,000 won and for students is 11,000 won
• Open Hours: 10:00 – 18:00

O’sulloc Tea Museum

To introduce and spread the history and tradition of Korean tea, O’sulloc Tea Museum was opened in 2001. The first tea museum in Korea has now become one of the best 21st-century museums featuring a variety of spaces, including an indoor garden, Tea Cup Gallery, and Tea Stone. It is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Jeju, attended by 1.5 million people yearly.

• Website: https://www.osulloc.com/kr/en/museum
• Address: 15, Sinhwayeoksa-ro, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do
• Entry Fees: Free
• Open Hours: 09:00 – 18:00

Other museums in Jeju island:

Lotte World Folk Museum

All the museum enthusiasts are keen to observe model villages and life in those can surely visit the Lotte World Folk Museum. This museum features Korean folk culture through miniature exhibits. You can see the towns from different periods of history here at the Lotte World Folk Museum. Visit the crafts room and observe traditional crafts.

• Website: https://adventure.lotteworld.com/museum/main/index.do
• Address: 40-1 Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Entry fee: For Adults (20 and up) 5,000 Won, for teens and young adults (14 – 19) 3,000 Won
• Open Hours: 11:00 – 19:00

Haslla Art World

Another one of the must-see museums in Korea is Haslla Art World. It is a cultural park overlooking the East Sea. During the Goguryeo and Silla Periods, Haslla was the name for the Gangneung area. This park is also home to the Haslla Museum Hotel and Haslla Wedding Hall. You will see a contemporary art floor, a Pinnochio floor, and a glorious outdoor statue park.

• Website: https://museumhaslla.com/
• Address: 1441 Yulgok-ro, Gangdong-myeon, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• Entry Fee: 15,000 Won
• Open Hours: 9:00 – 18:00

[Klook Discount] Haslla Art World Discount Ticket

$6.55

Youngwol Y Park

In Jucheon-myeon, the Sulsaem Museum was remodeled, and a new park was established named Youngwol Y Park. It is a cultural complex that comprises many contemporary artworks, several museums, and workshops. Youngwol Y Park includes ten different zones, and it uses the signature color red of Sculptor Choi Ok-yeong.

• Website: https://ypark.kr/
• Address: 1467-9 Songhakjucheon-ro, Jucheon-myeon, Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• Entry Fee:  For Adults 15,000 Won and Children 10,000 Won
• Open Hours: 10:00 – 18:00

Youngwol Y Park Admission Ticket

$5.65

Arte Museum

Arte Museum Gangneung is Korea’s largest immersive media art exhibition and holds thirteen media artworks under the theme of the valley. It reveals the regional facets of Gangneung and Gangwon province.

The Arte Museum was created under the theme of Eternal nature. Therefore the artworks procure an entirely immersive knowledge with pictorial intensity, pleasing sound, and sophisticated fragrance.

There are exhibitions in Yeosu and Jeju island as well.

• Website: https://artemuseum.com/
• Address: 505-4, Chodang-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
• Entry Fee: For Adults, the fee is 17,000 Won; for teenagers, 13,000 won; and for Children, 10,000 won.
• Open hours:  Remains Open daily from 10:00 – 20:00

Bunker Des Lumieres

Bunker Des Lumieres was once a massive fortress later transformed into a gallery of light. Standing there, Bunker Des Lumieres represents the beautiful colors of Jeju. It is a reinforced concrete building managing the submarine optic cord system of the nationwide telecommunication network. Witness the colorful laser graphics on the concrete walls in various exhibitions.

You can also check out the exhibition in Seoul as well. The exhibition will be in Walkerhill hotel from May 27th, 2022 to March 5, 2023.

• Website: https://www.deslumieres.co.kr/
• Address: 2039-22 Goseong-ri, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo
• Entry fees: For Adults, 15,000 won, for Youths, 11,000 won, and for Children, 9,000 won
• Open Hours: In Winter, 10:00 to 18:00; In Summer 10:00 – 19:00

Seodaemun Museum of Natural History

Seodaemun Museum of Natural History is Korea’s first natural history museum established by a governmental agency. It opened to the general public on July 10, 2003, and is in the natural resting area of Ansan Mountain. The museum delivers numerous resources to encounter and discover the setting.

• Website: http://namu.sdm.go.kr/site/eng/home
• Address: 51, Yeonhui-ro 32-Gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
• Entry Fees: For Individual Adults, the fee is 6,000 won, and for Groups of Adults, the cost is 4,800 won
• Open Hours: For Weekdays 09:00-18:00
• For Weekends 09:00-19:00

Goseong Dinosaur Museum

Goseong Dinosaur Museum is Korea’s first dinosaur museum in Korea in Sangjogam County Park. This site is famous because of the world’s largest dinosaur footprint fossil sites. One of the best museums in Korea is awaiting you to witness the breathtaking scenery and dinosaurs’ footprints. It is a four-story building with five halls for exhibition.

• Website: https://www.goseong.go.kr/tour/index.goseong
• Address: 618, Jaranman-ro, Goseong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do
• Entry Fees: The fee is 3,000 won for adults, while for Groups of Adults, the discounted price is 2,500 won. 
• Open Hours: March-October: 09:00-18:00, November-February: 09:00-17:00

Animation Museum

Animation Museum is the first-ever animation specialize in Korea with animation exhibition halls, a 3D hall, and a theater. The building is three stories and has about 10,000 collections related to animation and experience facilities. You will learn about animation information, which will add to your value and function.

• Website: https://www.gica.or.kr/
• Address: 854 Baksa-ro, Seo-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• Entry Fee: The fee for individual adults is 5,000 Won; the discounted price is 3,200 Won for a group of adults.
• Open Hours: 10:00 – 18:00

Anmyeondo Jurassic Museum

Anmyeondo Jurassic Museum is the perfect site to visit if you are with your kids. You will have a great day at the museums, and it is the best gift for all dinosaur fans. It is a bit expensive, but you will know it is worth the price once you enter. Don’t forget to add it to your wishlist while planning your trip to museums.

• Website: http://anmyondojurassic.com/
• Address: South Korea, Chungcheongnam-do, Taean-gun, Nam-myeon, 641-3
• Entry Fee: 10,000 won for adults
• Open Hours: 9:30 – 17:30

Jangsaengpo Whale Museum

The Jangsaengpo Whale Museum is the first and only whale museum in Korea. Whaling was banned back in 1986, and at that time, 250 antiques from whalers and the whaling industry were compiled and put on exhibition. Learn the record of whale hunting in Korea and whale-related products like whale skeletons and whale fetuses.

• Website: https://www.whalecity.kr/
• Address: 250 Jangsaengpogorae-ro, Nam-gu, Ulsan, South Korea
• Entry Fee: The fee for the Whale Museum for Adults is 2,000 Won, and for the Whale Ecology Experience, it is 5,000 Won for Adults.
• Open Hours: 9:30 – 18:00

Korea National Museum of Maritime Museum

The Korea National Maritime Museum is the only extensive maritime museum in Korea that illustrates specialized data in marine culture, past, science, and archaeology and furnishes high-level maritime experience projects.

• Website: https://www.knmm.or.kr/
• Address: 45 Haeyang-ro 301beon-Gil, Dongsam 1(il)-dong, Yeongdo-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Entry Fees: Free (excluding 4D Theater and Special exhibitions)
• Open Hours: Weekdays 09:00-18:00, Weekends 09:00-19:00

National Aviation Museum of Korea

The National Aviation Museum of Korea is the first national museum in the aviation field to promote a unified awareness of the aviation industry. It consists of the Aviation History Hall, the Aviation Industry Hall, and the Aviation Future Hall.

• Website: https://www.aviation.or.kr/
• Address: 07505 177 Haneul-Gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul 
• Entry fees: For exhibition viewing, there is no fee, but the experiences vary from 2,000 – to 5,000 Won.
• Open Hours: Everyday 10:00 – 18:00 except Mondays

We have brought you the top museums in Korea with all the information you need to know before planning your trip to any of these. Museums and art galleries are the best ways to observe the history, culture, art, and tradition of a country keenly. Korea has a rich history, and the Korean museums and art galleries are waiting for you to come and witness the relish of history.

Check Out All Museum Tours & Tickets in Korea

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