Gwacheon National Science Museum, a Great Day Out Near Seoul With Kids

January 2026

We’re always looking for places to take Liam on the weekend, and since he loves science, Gwacheon National Science Museum seemed like a perfect fit. It’s one of the closer spots from our place, and it was easy to get to by public transport. On top of that, it’s a national museum, so the entry fee is really cheap and a day out there didn’t feel like a burden. There’s plenty to do both indoors and outdoors, so we didn’t get bored even after spending the whole day there.

Visitor Information (as of 2026)

• Location : 110 Sanghabeol-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Opening hours : 9:30 am – 5:30 pm (last tickets 4:30 pm)
• Closed : Every Monday (if Monday is a public holiday, it closes the next weekday instead), plus New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year and Chuseok
• Permanent Exhibition Hall admission : Adults (20–64) 4,000 KRW / students & youth (7–19) 2,000 KRW / under 7 and seniors (65+) free
• Planetarium : Regular program 2,000 KRW (separate from the exhibition ticket)

On the last Wednesday of every month (“Culture Day”), individual admission to the Permanent Exhibition Hall is 50% off. Prices and closing days can change, so it’s worth checking the website before you go.

Gwacheon National Science Museum website

The website sometimes lists special events depending on the season, so it’s handy to have a look. A few things, like the Children’s Hall and the Planetarium, need to be booked in advance, so check and reserve before you go. The Permanent Exhibition Hall itself doesn’t need a reservation.

Telescope for Kids

Getting There

We took public transport. Get off at Daegongwon Station on Subway Line 4 and take Exit 5, and the museum is right in front of you.

Indoor Exhibitions

Because it was so cheap, we didn’t feel bad about spending just one day there. The building looks big from the outside, but once you go in it’s even bigger, split into lots of different halls with plenty to try. The Permanent Exhibition Hall is divided into the Children’s Hall, Science Exploration Hall, Korean Science & Civilisation Hall, Advanced Technology Hall, Natural History Hall, Future Imagination SF Hall and more. To be honest, it’s a place that suits upper primary-school kids or older more than a child Liam’s age, but there was still enough for him to enjoy for a whole day, so it wasn’t really an issue. The show at the Planetarium was worth watching too.

Outdoor Area and Playground

The outdoor area is big too, with a playground and an ecology park, so it looks like a lovely place to spend time outside on a nice day. Even though we went in winter, there were still lots of kids, Liam included, playing at the playground. The outdoor exhibits include things like aircraft and space, a dinosaur park and a geology park. We wanted to see the ecology park as well, but even though we got there in the morning we ran out of time, so we didn’t make it.

Tip: Food Court on the 2nd Floor

There’s a big food court on the 2nd floor of the museum, so we didn’t have to head outside for lunch, which was really handy. The area near the entrance of the food court is always crowded, but if you walk all the way to the back there are plenty of tables. We didn’t know that at first, and it seems like a lot of people don’t realise there are seats further in either. Also, once it’s past 12 the queue to order gets really long, so it’s a good idea to have lunch a little before noon.

Final Thoughts

It was a great spot for a day out with kids, with plenty to enjoy both indoors and outdoors and no need to worry about the cost. Older primary-school kids would probably get even more out of it, but even a little one like Liam had plenty of fun, mostly at the playground and the Children’s Hall. Next time, once it warms up, I’d love to have a look around the ecology park too.

3 Days Seoul Trip with a Kid : Lotte World, Sledding, and Pullman Ambassador Eastpole