National Folk Museum of Korea: A Free Look at Everyday Korean Life Inside Gyeongbokgung

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If you are already visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace, there is a free museum inside the same grounds that many travelers walk right past: the National Folk Museum of Korea. The palace shows you how kings lived. This museum shows you how everyone else lived - farmers, merchants, families - and that is the part of Korea most visitors never get to see.

Inside the permanent exhibition of the National Folk Museum of Korea
Traditional white porcelain jars in the permanent exhibition. Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

Why It Is Worth Your Time

Most museums in Seoul focus on royal treasures. The National Folk Museum is different. It is about ordinary daily life: what people ate, how they farmed through the four seasons, how they celebrated a baby's first birthday, how they held weddings and funerals. If you have ever wondered why Koreans still do certain things today - bowing on Lunar New Year, preparing food for ancestral rites, the first-birthday party called doljanchi - this is where the background starts to make sense.

Admission is free, and you do not need a reservation for the main building. Note that the museum itself is free, but entering Gyeongbokgung Palace requires a separate paid ticket.

What You Can See

A traditional funeral bier on display at the National Folk Museum of Korea
A traditional funeral bier, part of the exhibition on the Korean life cycle. Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)
  • Permanent exhibitions - Korean life through history, the yearly cycle of seasonal customs, and the stages of a Korean life from birth to death.
  • Outdoor exhibition area - recreated traditional houses and a retro street that shows Korean town life in the 1970s and 1980s. It is one of the most fun parts for photos.
  • Special exhibitions - the museum runs rotating themed exhibitions alongside the permanent halls.

Check Before You Go (Autumn 2026)

  • Permanent Exhibition Hall 1 is closed from September 30 to December 21, 2026 (planned). The other halls remain open.
  • A special exhibition on North Korean folk life, titled Zero, runs from September 1, 2026 to February 12, 2027.
  • On weekends and public holidays, entry into the buildings of the outdoor exhibition area is restricted for safety. On weekdays you can go inside.

Opening Hours and Basic Information

Opening hoursMarch to October: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
November to February: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Last entry: 1 hour before closing
Late openingEvery Wednesday, March to October: until 8:00 PM (not offered November to February)
ClosedJanuary 1, Lunar New Year's Day, and Chuseok Day
AdmissionFree (no reservation needed for the main building)
Address37 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (inside Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds, Cheongunhyoja-dong)
Phone+82-2-3704-3114
Websitewww.nfm.go.kr
MapOpen in Google Maps

How to Get There

  • Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 1 - walk straight to the Dongsipjagak corner tower, then turn right onto Samcheong-dong road. The main gate is on your left after about 400 m. About 15 minutes on foot.
  • Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), Exit 5 - about 14 minutes on foot via Dongsipjagak and Samcheong-dong road.
  • By car - there is no parking at the museum. Use the paid Gyeongbokgung Palace parking lot and walk about 5 minutes.

Local Tips

  • Combine it with the palace. Visit Gyeongbokgung in the morning, then walk to the museum at the northeast side of the grounds.
  • Need more time? From March to October, the museum stays open until 8:00 PM every Wednesday.
  • Go on a weekday if you want to step inside the traditional houses in the outdoor area.
  • Walk to Samcheong-dong or Bukchon afterwards. The museum's main gate opens toward Samcheong-dong road, so cafes and the hanok streets of Bukchon are an easy walk away.

Information checked on October 26, 2026 against the museum's official visitor guide. Hours and closures can change, so please confirm on the official website before your visit.
Source: Korea Tourism Organization TourAPI (photos, KOGL Type 3); Seoul Open Data Plaza, Jongno-gu Tourism Data (English) - Korea Open Government License Type 1 (KOGL Type 1); National Folk Museum of Korea visitor information.

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