10 Things you need to know before visiting Seoul Museum of History

The Seoul Museum of History was founded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and was officially opened on the 21st of May 2002. It exhibits the history and culture of Seoul from the Joseon Dynasty to the present day.

1.  Where is the museum located?

The Seoul Museum of History is a multi-branch museum with its main branch in Gwanghwamun (55, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul). It has several branches that offer a unique perspective on Seoul's history, from traditional architecture and urban development to cultural practices and daily life, which are all situated in different locations of the capital city :

-        Gyeonggyojang House Museum (1)

-        Gyeonghuigung Palace (2)

-        Gongpyeong Historic Sites Museum (3)

-        Gungisi Relics Exhibition Hall (4)

-        Donuimun History Museum (5)

-        Dongdaemun History Museum and Stadium Memorial (6)

-        Baek In-je House Museum (7)

-        Cheonggyecheon Museum (8)

-        Seoul City Wall Museum (9)

-        Seoul Urban Life Museum (10)

-        Dilkusha (11)

-        Seoul Museum of Korean Folk Music (12)

We advise you to use a tourist map to find your way from the location of one branch to another.

2.  When can you visit the museum?

The museum is open for visiting on weekdays (from Tuesday to Friday) and at the weekend (on Saturdays and Sundays), but it is always closed on Mondays and on the 1st of January.

The opening hours are between 9 AM and 6 PM, with the last admission at 5:30 PM. The museum is currently extending the operating hours on Fridays from 6 PM to 10 PM. However, for each branch you visit, you need to check for its specific opening hours because they could have different schedules.

3.  How can you get there?

If you choose public transport, you have several buses and a subway line to help you get there.

-        Buses: You can take a Blue Bus (101, 103, 150, 160, 260, 270, 271, 273, 370, 470, 600, 601, 602, 702A, 702B, 704, 705, 720, 721, 741, N26, N37), a Green Bus (7019), a Red Bus (1004, 8600, 8601, 9701, 9709, 9709A, 9710, 9710-1, G6005) or the Airport Bus 6002.

-        Subway: If you prefer the underground train system, you can take the subway using line 5, and then you get off either at Gwanghwamun Station using Exit No. 7 or at Seodaemun Station using Exit No. 4.

-        Car: If you choose to come by car, the parking is available from 8 AM to 10 PM, and a fee will be charged depending on the type of vehicle and the number of hours spent. There are 114 spaces available (including two spaces for large vehicles). For a passenger vehicle with fewer than 20 seats, you pay KRW 1.000 for the first one hour, then you are charged KRW 400 for each additional 5 minutes. If you want to hire the parking lot for a full day, you have to pay in advance KRW 22.000. For disabled people and men of national merit, there’s a discount of 80% of the parking fee, and for compact cars and low-pollution vehicles, there’s a discount of 50% of the parking fee. For a passenger vehicle with 20 or more seats, the prices are double for each category mentioned above.

4.  How much is the admission fee?

There’s no admission fee charged, so you have to pay only for the parking spot if you come by car (as mentioned above at number 3). You are encouraged to use public transport when you visit the museum to be exempt from any fees.

5.  What facilities are available?

-        Storage lockers: You have to leave your bags and other packages in the storage lockers on the first floor, so you can’t carry food and other items with you during the visit.

-        Baby strollers and wheelchairs: There are baby strollers for infants and wheelchairs for the elderly available for use free of charge at the Information Desk (13 baby strollers, 12 wheelchairs).

-        Cafeteria: If you feel hungry during the visit, you can purchase small meals at the cafeteria inside the museum.

6.  Are there tourist guides available for foreign tourists?

There are guided tours available in English at 11 AM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and at 2 PM on Saturdays. If you want to arrange a tour as a visitor, you need to contact the museum in advance via email at 201912021@seoul.go.kr and complete a reservation form. You can download the reservation form directly from the official website of the museum.

If you want to explore the exhibits at your own pace, the museum offers audio guides in English, Japanese, and Chinese. According to visitseoul.net,  the museum offers the U-Exhibit Guidance System, an automatic translation system which is available in various languages to assist visitors throughout their visit to the museum. ​

7.  What are the museum’s rules and guidelines?

-        Smoking is prohibited in all areas of the museum

-        No outside food or beverages

-        No pets allowed

-        No flammable materials allowed in the museum

-        No rough play or disruptive behavior is permitted

-        No flash photography or tripods

8.  What is the Permanent Exhibition Hall?

The Permanent Exhibition Hall at the Seoul Museum of History is a central feature of the museum, designed to showcase the comprehensive history of 600 years of Seoul. The history of the capital city from its ancient beginnings to contemporary times is explored in detail in the 5 main zones.

Zone 1 – gives a detailed picture of the Hanyang period of the Joseon Dynasty

Zone 2 – depicts a picture of Seoul in its early days of modernization

Zone 3 – analyses the lives of Seoulites during the Japanese occupation

Zone 4 – details the events starting with the independence and ending with year 2002

Zone 5 – presents a videography of present-day Seoul, together with the digital blueprint of the city

9.  What will you see in the Permanent Exhibition Hall?

You can see historical artifacts (tools, documents, household items), scale models and dioramas (including a large, detailed model of Joseon-era Seoul), multimedia presentations and interactive displays, and maps, photos, and reconstructions showing the urban transformation of Seoul. The museum houses a vast collection of artifacts from different periods of Seoul's history, including items from the Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese colonial era, and extensive collections of maps and photographs that document the geographical and cultural changes in Seoul throughout its history. All these exhibits are designed to provide visitors with a deep understanding of Seoul's rich history and cultural heritage.

10. What extra features does the museum have?

-        Lobby Exhibition: There’s a special exhibition available for the public in the lobby, a space that features exhibits related to Seoul on an ongoing basis.

-        Museum Shop: If you want to have something as a memory after you visit the museum, you can buy souvenirs and cultural objects in the Museum Shop on the first floor.

-        Learning Room for Children: All children aged 5 to 7 years old accompanied by their legal guardians can spend time here from Monday to Friday, from 1 PM to 6 PM. The room is closed during the educational programs.

-        Seoul History Library: The museum’s archives include information and materials on various topics such as Seoul studies, science, history, art history, archaeology and folklore.

-        Donated Relic Exhibition Hall: The museum owns collections of exhibits donated by common people over time. The collections are exhibited and shared with the museum’s patrons in honor of the donors’ kindness. The Seoul Museum of History appreciates the continuous donations and support from the common people and is continuously looking for items and documents related to Seoul’s history, cultural heritage, economy, society, research, education and even famous notable personalities.

-        Education Programs: The museum offers a lot of opportunities to people interested in studying Seoul’s history and culture. There are various free lifelong study programs designed for different age groups and topics that can be accessed by different types of participants such as children, teenagers, adults, elders, families, international visitors and more. You can apply for these education programs online by visiting the Learning page on the museum’s official website.

Ready to walk through time and discover the stories that shaped Seoul at the Seoul Museum of History?