Showing 1-22 of 22 results
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Agriculture Museum
A brand new museum that has imaginative displays such as glass floors, a mock-up of a painted tomb, and a traditional village complete with voices. It's a worthy effort but has no chance of persuading the young generation to become farmers, so the outlook for the industry is bleak despite the upbeat tone of the museum.
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Bank Of Korea Museum
It is worth a quick visit to see the old coins and banknotes as well as the grand hall of the chateau-like Bank of Korea building (constructed in 1912 by the Japanese) where the exhibition is displayed.
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Deoksugung
Originally an aristocratic villa, Deoksugung became a palace in 1593 when King Seojo moved in (after all of Seoul's other palaces were destroyed during the Japanese invasion). The palace contains small gardens and ponds amid an extraordinary mixture of architectural styles that include a grand wooden audience hall in traditional Korean style and a fusion-style tea pavilion, Heonggwanheon, which has pillars, a veranda and metal railings decorated with deer and bats - both auspicious creatures.
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Ewha Womans University Museum
This modern museum in Sinchon has three floors of displays that vary but usually include traditional hanbok, centuries-old pottery, the history of the university and student art.
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Hongneung Arboretum & Surrounds
Winding footpaths turn this 38-hectare arboretum, established in 1922 and packed with many varieties of trees and plants, into a pleasant maze that is popular with dating couples, nature lovers and keen photographers. It is only open on Sunday and picnics are not allowed. On the right is the Forestry Museum which has an original design containing exhibits on native trees and their uses, but little English description.
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Knife Gallery
In a basement is a weird and wonderful global collection of swords and knives along with other army equipment. There is an onsite shop, but good luck getting that Gurkha kukri or bag of throwing stars on the plane back home.
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Lock Museum
For people who like visiting unusual, small museums, up on the 4th floor is a well-lit display of antique locks. In the same rusty-looking building are two (free) exhibition halls that usually display metalwork.
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Museum Of Korean Buddhist Art
The permanent exhibition is displayed in one section, and just down the street is the second section which hosts changing exhibitions. The entry price includes admission to both. The permanent exhibition is small but the paintings and carvings, many 200 years old, suggest that Korean Buddhist art is undervalued by the global art scene. The Yeonam teashop has homemade teas - hibiscus petal tea is worth trying.
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Museum Of Korean Embroidery
Only a small amount is on show, but it includes exquisite examples of a neglected craft. In the 'good' old days nearly everything was embroidered - clothes, shoes, boxes, pillow-ends, screens, pin cushions, toys and thimbles. Delicate patchwork pojagi (wrapping cloths) had many uses and some were made out of silk or ramie (cloth made from pounded bark). Items are not described but illustrated books on Korean embroidery (in English) are on sale.
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Museum Of Korean Straw Handicrafts
In this quirky museum the masks, human figures, torches, bird catchers, bags, mats, cradles, chicken nests, rope, egg holders, and human and cattle shoes are all made of straw.
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Namsangol Hanok Village
Five differing yangban (aristocratic) stone, wood and tile houses from the Joseon era have been moved here from different parts of Seoul. The architecture and furniture are austere and plain, and conjure up the lost world of Confucian gentlemen scholars who wielded calligraphy brushes rather than swords.
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National Folk Museum
Outside the museum are shamanist stone statues and wooden posts that used to guard the entrances to villages. Inside, the clothing, games, rituals, handicrafts, food, housing and occupations of the Joseon era are displayed to illustrate life in the days back when a person's social class was signalled by what they wore.
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National Museum Of Contemporary Art
This large and impressive art gallery is spread over three floors and also has sculptures in the garden. The outstanding exhibit is 'The More the Better' - a 1988 installation of 1000 flickering TV screens piled up into a pagoda shape by leading Korean artist, Paik Nam-june. The gallery of figurative art includes Kim Tschang-yeol's famous drops of water while the circular international gallery has a sequinned Buddha. Make of that what you will.
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National Museum Of Korea
This grand, marble-lined, modernist building cleverly channels plenty of natural light to show off Korea's ancient treasures. The museum took eight years to construct, finally opening in October 2005. Walking past the reflecting pond by the entrance, the west wing of this spacious museum has a hands-on, fun-filled, young children's section and houses the 800-seat Yong (Dragon) theatre which has hosted concerts, musicals and even a circus.
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National Palace Museum
This spacious museum is in the front courtyard of Gyeongbokgung, but is run separately. English descriptions are brief but an audio guide is around ₩1000 . The museum provides the usual uncritical look at certain aspects of the lives and significance of the 27 Joseon kings, including scientific inventions and Jongmyo ritual metalware.
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Olympic Park
This very large park with lakes and pheasants is best visited by bicycle but the park itself has none for hire. The park contains the sports stadiums built for the 1988 Seoul Olympics - the indoor swimming pool (sometimes open to the public), tennis courts, three gymnasiums and the open-air velodrome where in summer months thousands gamble on the short cycle races.
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Rodin Gallery
This unusual glass pyramid building has two large sculptures by French sculptor Rodin on permanent display plus changing contemporary art exhibitions in another two galleries.
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Sejong Gallery
It's worth popping into this gallery, which is divided into three sections: on two floors in the building south of the main theatre and in the subway station behind. It exhibits changing modern art shows.
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Sejong University Museum
The best of the university folk museums, Sejong has a superb collection, especially the well-displayed hanbok that takes up an entire floor and includes outstanding royal clothing. Rarely visited, the museum should be much more popular - the furniture chests, palanquins, shamanist items, and the wooden, leather and silk shoes for the different social classes all present vivid images of the feudal past.
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Seoul Arts Centre
This sprawling arts complex has a circular opera house, with a roof shaped like a Korean nobleman's hat, which also houses the 700-seat Towol Theatre and the smaller Jayu Theatre. The national ballet and opera companies are based here. Music House consists of a large concert hall and a smaller recital hall and is home to the national choir, the Korea and Seoul symphony orchestras and the Seoul performing arts company.
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Seoul Museum of Art
This art gallery opened in 2002, and is considered one of the best in Korea. It puts on interesting and varied exhibitions that reflect every style of modern art in Seoul. The shows change regularly. Its ultra-modern and bright galleries hide behind the brick-and-stone facade of the 1927 Supreme Court Building.
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War Memorial & Museum
This huge museum documents the history of warfare in Korea and has an especially good section on the Korean War. It takes at least three hours to look round everything so arrive well before closing. Only snacks are available. Trying to cover this museum and the National Museum of Korea in one day is too exhausting.
Showing 1-22 of 22 results
