Things to do in Seoul, South Korea: The Best Museums

November 22, 2021 Fernanda Pittenger

Seoul is the business and cultural hub of South Korea, where skyscrapers tower over Buddhist temples. Take it all in from the N Seoul Tower, built atop a peak in Namsan Park. The teahouses and shops of Insadong give you a taste of Korean flavor, which you can further experience with a visit to the grounds and museums of Gyeongbokgung. UNESCO World Heritage Site Changdeokgung Palace is a fine example of authentic ancient architecture.
Restaurants in Seoul

1. Sookmyung Women's University Museum

52, Cheongpadong2-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul South Korea +82 2-710-9134 http://museum.sookmyung.ac.kr/
Excellent
75%
Good
25%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 4 reviews

Sookmyung Women's University Museum

237, Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu 103-21 Garwol-dong, Seoul 04322 South Korea +82 2-3785-2590
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 2 reviews

Yongsan Park Gallery

3. National Museum of Korea

137 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04383 South Korea +82 2-2077-9000 http://www.museum.go.kr/site/eng/home
Excellent
58%
Good
32%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2,362 reviews

National Museum of Korea

This is the largest museum in Korea with over 220,000 objects in its collection. It has six permanent exhibition galleries such as Historical Gallery and Fine Arts Gallery. It also has special exhibition halls, a children's museum, outdoor exhibit areas, restaurants, cafes, shops and other amenities. *Admission: Free to Permanent Exhibition & Children's Museum(changeable after 2010)*Hours: Tue/Thu/Fri: 9am-6pm, Wed/Sat: 9am-9pm, Sun/holidays: 9am-7pm, closed Mon & January 1st

Reviewed By Janet1016 - Ottawa, Canada

I think it's awesome when a Museum offers free admission, especially to International travelers who can then learn all about a Country's Culture. My husband, son and I spent a week in Seoul, our very first trip to South Korea and visited the National Museum of Korea on our second day. It's a vast building, and one of the largest museums in Asia. We took the MRT to get there and it was a nice walk from the MRT station to the Museum. The Museum offers one hour free English language tours which we took. Our Guide was very friendly and personable and spoke English very well. There are also maps of the Museum available in English and they also detail the top sights if you have a limited amount of time to spend. I was fascinated most by the Gold Crowns and Caps, so delicate and ornate and so different from say English Crowns. :) The Museum houses many, many of Korean's National Treasures and it's really awe inspiring to get to see them and learn South Korea's history. You could spend a couple of days going through here no problem, plus there is another Museum on the grounds as well that is devoted to the Korean Language, the National Hangeul Museum. There is a large Food court area within in you get peckish and it serves really lovely meals. This is a great spot to visit if you're in Seoul. Go!!!!

4. Leeum Samsung Museum of Art

60-16, Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04348 South Korea +82 2-2014-6900 http://leeum.samsungfoundation.org
Excellent
55%
Good
34%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
2%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 741 reviews

Leeum Samsung Museum of Art

Reviewed By JackMassimoDA - Washington DC, United States

This is a manageable museum (you can cover a lot of ground in two hours here) that blends Korean history with modern art and works in between. Great exhibits and a fantastic campus with killer architecture to supercharge your Instagram. Also, around the museum is a v. cool area with trendy cafes and places to eat but not crazy expensive.

5. The War Memorial of Korea

29, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04353 South Korea +82 2-709-3139 http://www.warmemo.or.kr/newwm/eng/main.jsp
Excellent
68%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 4,269 reviews

The War Memorial of Korea

Poignant exhibits, war memorabilia, art works, and military equipment make this a perfect place to learn about Korea’s history of war, most notably with North Korea. Kids will enjoy the display of actual tanks and airplanes.

Reviewed By Culinary-Consultants - Ferrara, Italy

As a veteran I am a lover of places that price and honor, the fellow and good military men and women of the past and present; Men and Women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of freedom and liberty. In this vein, I dedicate part of every travel we make with our company to search for Memorials and Museums of War. The War Memorial of Korea as expected for the history of this country, is no disappointment. It opened in 1994 on the former site of the army headquarters to exhibit and memorialize the military history of Korea and it holds an exquisite collection and memorabilia of several past wars ranging from prehistoric times with very rudimentary weapons; passing with extreme detail throughout the Korean War and the ROK Armed Forces until more modern conflicts and the presence of South Korea as an allied in the United Nations. 13,000 items are displayed in six halls under different themes and about 100 large weapons are displayed in the outside exhibition area on the lawns around the building. Outside the building premises you can see a great variety of mobile units such as fixed-wing air-crafts like the De Havilland Canada U-6A Beaver, the Curtiss C-46D-20-CU Commando, also the Fairchild C-123J built in 1956 as a C-123B and later converted to a C-123J in the 1960s. Helicopters are also in the premises, such as the Bell AH-1J “International Cobra”, also the Bell UH-1B Iroquois, even Russian units as the Sikorsky H-5H Dragonfly and the Sikorsky HH-19B Chickasaw. But there are more mobile units such as armored vehicles, artillery and anti-aircraft guns. Missiles and several other maritime vessels like the Hurricane Aircat Air-boat used by ROK special forces during the Vietnam War and much more well kept pieces of war history are exhibited here at the War Memorial of Korea. The place definitely has been groomed to detail and has also a special glow about it; meaning a building with a soul. I truly recommend this place for the lovers of War History and War Artifacts and here you will also find a special place for the special connection we have with those who gave it all for the sake of freedom in South Korea and everywhere else.

6. Children’s Museum of National Museum of Korea

135, Seobinggo-ro, Seobinggo-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 140-240 South Korea +82 2-2077-9000 http://www.museum.go.kr/site/child/home
Excellent
48%
Good
39%
Satisfactory
13%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 23 reviews

Children’s Museum of National Museum of Korea

7. Kim Koo Museum & Library

26, Imjeong-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04311 South Korea +82 2-799-3400 http://www.kimkoomuseum.org/main/
Excellent
60%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
20%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 5 reviews

Kim Koo Museum & Library

8. Amore Pacific Museum of Art

100, Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04386 South Korea +82 2-6040-2345 http://apma.amorepacific.com/index.do
Excellent
67%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 9 reviews

Amore Pacific Museum of Art

9. National Hangeul Museum

139, Seoubinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu Between National Museum of Korea and Yongsan Family Park, Seoul 04383 South Korea +82 2-2124-6200 http://www.hangeul.go.kr
Excellent
26%
Good
46%
Satisfactory
26%
Poor
2%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 57 reviews

National Hangeul Museum

Reviewed By Donnyw47 - Spokane, United States

As someone who teaches English as a second language, I was particularly taken with this museum. Imagine, a whole museum devoted to the birth of a written language -- originally Hunminjeongeum, now just Hangeul -- for the Korean people. Just the place for language nerds, or for anyone actually interested in how cultures -- and the people who influence those cultures -- adapt to changing times.

10. D Museum

5-6, Dokseodang-ro 29-gil, Yongsan-gu Replace Hannam F, Seoul 04419 South Korea +82 70-5097-0020 http://www.daelimmuseum.org/dmuseum/index.do
Excellent
35%
Good
53%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
3%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 34 reviews

D Museum

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