Places · Maritime museums · Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries
National Maritime Museums: hours, closing days and admission
Korea's national maritime institutions sit on the coast at Busan, Incheon and Mokpo, and mix shipwreck archaeology and navigation history with aquarium-style displays of coastal marine life. The largest, the Korea National Maritime Museum in Busan, is free and closes on Mondays.
Hours, closing days and admission, side by side
Checked against each institution's own visitor pages on 2026-09-21. Fees and hours change — follow the official link in the table before you travel.
| Place | Region | Hours | Closed | Admission | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korea National Maritime MuseumMinistry of Oceans and Fisheries | Busan | Tuesday–Friday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm (last admission 5:30 pm) | Mondays; when the Monday is a public holiday, the next working day instead | Free, apart from the 4D theatre and ticketed special exhibitions | Official |
About National Maritime Museums
For a country with this much coastline, the maritime institutions are surprisingly under-visited. The Korea National Maritime Museum on Yeongdo in Busan is the biggest: trade routes and the shipwrecks that record them, navigation, shipbuilding, fisheries and maritime law, with marine-life displays alongside. The National Museum of Korea's Incheon branch and the institutions at Mokpo cover underwater archaeology in more depth.
They are generally free, generally closed on Mondays, and generally well placed for a half-day rather than a full one. In Busan the museum combines naturally with Taejongdae at the end of Yeongdo island or the Jagalchi market back across the bridge, which is how most people end up using it.
- Everything here closes on Mondays — plan Busan's indoor days around Tuesday to Sunday.
- Yeongdo pairs the museum with Taejongdae at the far end of the island for a full day.
Maritime museums, one by one
Names that link go to our visiting guide; the rest go straight to the institution's own site.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Busan maritime museum free?
Yes, including the permanent galleries and the marine-life displays. The 4D theatre and any ticketed special exhibition are charged separately, and both are optional rather than part of the main route through the building.
Is it worth going with children?
Very much so, but book. The children's museum runs in timed sessions with a small online allocation for each one, and weekend slots go early. The main galleries, with the aquarium sections, need no booking at all.
How do I get to Yeongdo?
City buses towards the island run from Busan Station and Nampo-dong and stop at the museum or at the maritime university entrance. It is a short ride rather than an expedition, and there is parking if you are driving.
When is the best time to visit?
A Saturday between May and August, when the museum stays open until 9pm. The building is on the water and a summer evening there is considerably more pleasant than a Busan afternoon in July.
Pages checked: www.mmk.or.kr · www.mmk.or.kr