Places · National museums · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism·Korea Heritage Service·Korea Forest Service
National Museums of Korea: hours, closing days and admission
Permanent exhibitions at every national museum in Korea are free, and most issue no ticket at all — you walk in. What differs between them is the closing day: the big Seoul institutions open on Mondays and shut only on 1 January and the two main holidays, while most regional branches close every Monday.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Museum of KoreaMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Seoul | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun 9:30 am – 5:30 pm (last admission 5:00 pm) | 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok. The permanent galleries and special exhibition halls 1 and 2 also close for maintenance on the first Monday of March, June, September and December (in 2026: 1 June, 7 September, 7 December) | Free, including the Children's Museum. Only the ticketed special exhibitions charge, and each sets its own price | Official |
| Gyeongju National MuseumMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Gyeongbuk | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (last admission 5:30 pm) | 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok, when the outdoor galleries close too. The second Monday of March, June, September and December is a maintenance day, though the garden and outdoor galleries stay open | Free, covering the permanent galleries, the children's museum and the free special exhibitions. Only ticketed special exhibitions charge | Official |
| Gwangju National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Gwangju | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm | 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok; also the first Monday of April and of November | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| Jeonju National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Jeonbuk | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm | 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| Buyeo National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Chungnam | — | Mondays, 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| Daegu National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Daegu | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm | Mondays, 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| Cheongju National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Chungbuk | — | Mondays, 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| Gimhae National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Gyeongnam | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm | Mondays, 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| Jeju National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Jeju | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm | Mondays, 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| Chuncheon National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Gangwon | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm | Mondays, 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| Jinju National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Gyeongnam | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm | Mondays (the next working day if that is a public holiday), 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| Gongju National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Chungnam | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm | Mondays (Tuesday when the Monday is a substitute holiday), 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| Naju National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Jeonnam | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm | — | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| Iksan National MuseumNational Museum of Korea · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Jeonbuk | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm | — | Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separately | Official |
| National Folk Museum of KoreaMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Seoul | March–October 9:00 am – 6:00 pm | 1 January, the day of Seollal and of Chuseok, plus occasional one-off closures (in 2026: 7 July) | Free. Gyeongbokgung Palace itself is ticketed separately | Official |
| National Palace Museum of KoreaKorea Heritage Service | Seoul | Monday–Friday and Sunday 9:30 am – 5:30 pm (last admission 5:00 pm) | 1 January, the day of Seollal and of Chuseok, and the last Monday of each month (the day after the holiday ends if that Monday is a public holiday) | Free, and free until the museum announces otherwise | Official |
| National Museum of Korean Contemporary HistoryMinistry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Seoul | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm | 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok | Free | Official |
| National Hangeul Museumclosed for worksMinistry of Culture, Sports and TourismClosed after a fire in 2025; reopening announced for October 2028 | Seoul | — | — | Free once it reopens | Official |
| National Intangible Heritage CenterKorea Heritage Service | Jeonbuk | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm | Mondays and Seollal | Free | Official |
| National Mountain MuseumKorea Mountain Trekking Support Center · Korea Forest Service | Gangwon | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm (shorter in winter) | Mondays, 1 January, and over the Seollal and Chuseok holidays | Free | Official |
About National Museums of Korea
"National museum" in Korea covers more institutions than the name suggests, and they sit under two different ministries. Under Culture, Sports and Tourism there is the National Museum of Korea in Seoul and its thirteen regional branches — Gyeongju, Gwangju, Jeonju, Buyeo, Daegu, Cheongju, Gimhae, Jeju, Chuncheon, Jinju, Gongju, Naju and Iksan — plus the National Folk Museum inside Gyeongbokgung and the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History on Gwanghwamun Square. Under the Korea Heritage Service there is the National Palace Museum and the National Intangible Heritage Centre in Jeonju.
The practical difference between them is the calendar, not the price. Seoul's National Museum of Korea, the National Folk Museum, the contemporary history museum and the National Palace Museum all open on Mondays, which makes Monday a workable museum day in central Seoul when almost everything else in the country is shut. Most regional branches close every Monday, and the National Museum of Korea and the Gyeongju branch each take one extra maintenance day a quarter. The National Hangeul Museum has been closed since a fire in 2025 and is not due to reopen until 2028.
- If you have one museum day in Seoul, make it a Wednesday or a Saturday: the National Museum of Korea and the contemporary history museum both stay open to 9pm on those two days.
- Monday in Seoul is still a museum day — four national museums are open. Monday anywhere else in Korea usually is not.
National museums, one by one
Names that link go to our visiting guide; the rest go straight to the institution's own site.
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · SeoulNational Museum of KoreaMon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun 9:30 am – 5:30 pm (last admission 5:00 pm) · 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok · Free, including the Children's Museum9 events on
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Gyeongbuk · Part of National Museum of KoreaGyeongju National Museum10:00 am – 6:00 pm (last admission 5:30 pm) · 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok, when the outdoor galleries close too · Free, covering the permanent galleries, the children's museum and the free special exhibitions1 event on
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Gwangju · Part of National Museum of KoreaGwangju National Museum10:00 am – 6:00 pm · Closed 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok; also the first Monday of April and of November · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Jeonbuk · Part of National Museum of KoreaJeonju National Museum10:00 am – 6:00 pm · Closed 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Chungnam · Part of National Museum of KoreaBuyeo National MuseumClosed Mondays, 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Daegu · Part of National Museum of KoreaDaegu National Museum9:00 am – 6:00 pm · Closed Mondays, 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Chungbuk · Part of National Museum of KoreaCheongju National MuseumClosed Mondays, 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Gyeongnam · Part of National Museum of KoreaGimhae National Museum9:00 am – 6:00 pm · Closed Mondays, 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Jeju · Part of National Museum of KoreaJeju National Museum9:00 am – 6:00 pm · Closed Mondays, 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Gangwon · Part of National Museum of KoreaChuncheon National Museum9:00 am – 6:00 pm · Closed Mondays, 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Gyeongnam · Part of National Museum of KoreaJinju National Museum9:00 am – 6:00 pm · Closed Mondays (the next working day if that is a public holiday), 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Chungnam · Part of National Museum of KoreaGongju National Museum9:00 am – 6:00 pm · Closed Mondays (Tuesday when the Monday is a substitute holiday), 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Jeonnam · Part of National Museum of KoreaNaju National Museum9:00 am – 6:00 pm · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · Jeonbuk · Part of National Museum of KoreaIksan National Museum9:00 am – 6:00 pm · Free for the permanent exhibition; ticketed special exhibitions are charged separatelyOfficial
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · SeoulNational Folk Museum of KoreaMarch–October 9:00 am – 6:00 pm · 1 January, the day of Seollal and of Chuseok, plus occasional one-off closures (in 2026: 7 July) · Free2 events on
- Korea Heritage Service · SeoulNational Palace Museum of KoreaMonday–Friday and Sunday 9:30 am – 5:30 pm (last admission 5:00 pm) · 1 January, the day of Seollal and of Chuseok, and the last Monday of each month (the day after the holiday ends if that Monday is a public holiday) · Free, and free until the museum announces otherwise2 events on
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · SeoulNational Museum of Korean Contemporary History10:00 am – 6:00 pm · 1 January, and the day of Seollal and of Chuseok · FreeVisiting guide
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism · SeoulNational Hangeul Museumclosed for worksFree once it reopens · Closed after a fire in 2025; reopening announced for October 2028Official
- Korea Heritage Service · JeonbukNational Intangible Heritage Center9:00 am – 6:00 pm · Closed Mondays and Seollal · FreeOfficial
- Korea Forest Service · GangwonNational Mountain Museum9:00 am – 6:00 pm (shorter in winter) · Closed Mondays, 1 January, and over the Seollal and Chuseok holidays · FreeOfficial
Frequently asked questions
Is there anything to pay at a national museum in Korea?
Not for the permanent collection. Every national museum's permanent exhibition is free and most do not issue a ticket, so there is nothing to book and nothing to show at the door. Separately ticketed special exhibitions do charge, usually a few thousand won, and each sets its own price and booking rules.
Which ones open on Mondays?
In Seoul: the National Museum of Korea, the National Folk Museum, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History and the National Palace Museum. Most of the thirteen regional branches close on Mondays instead. The exception to the exception is the maintenance day — the National Museum of Korea shuts its permanent galleries on the first Monday of March, June, September and December.
Do I need to book ahead?
For general admission, no, at any of them. Booking applies to children's museums, to group visits and to ticketed special exhibitions. That is worth knowing because several of those booking systems verify a Korean mobile number, which a short-term visitor will not have — the children's museums in particular.
How much English is there?
At the large Seoul institutions, a great deal: bilingual labelling throughout, English visitor guides, and at some an English-language guided tour. At regional branches it thins out quickly and you may find labels in Korean only. Each guide here says what we found, checked separately from the Korean pages.
What happened to the National Hangeul Museum?
A fire in February 2025 closed it, and the stated reopening is October 2028. It is in the directory because it is a national museum and people search for it, but there is nothing to visit in the meantime.
Pages checked: www.museum.go.kr · www.nfm.go.kr · www.much.go.kr