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Museum admission in Seoul: National Museum of Korea, Folk Museum and MMCA compared
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
Two of the big Seoul national museums are free to walk into: the National Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum of Korea charge ₩0 for their permanent exhibitions. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA Seoul) charges per exhibition (an all-pass ticket is ₩10,000 when three or more paid shows run) but is free on Wednesday and Saturday evenings from 18:00 to 21:00 and on the last Wednesday of each month. Late opening is the main difference: the National Museum of Korea and MMCA stay open to 21:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The three museums compared
| Museum | Admission | Regular hours | Late night | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Museum of Korea (Yongsan) | Free: permanent exhibition halls, Children's Museum and free special exhibitions. Charged special exhibitions cost extra (price not on the page). | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun 9:30 to 17:30, last entry 17:00 | Wed and Sat 9:30 to 21:00, last entry 20:30 | 1 Jan, Lunar New Year's Day, Chuseok; the permanent and special galleries also close on the first Monday of March, June, September and December |
| National Folk Museum of Korea | Free. All exhibitions can be viewed free. Gyeongbokgung Palace itself needs a separate ticket. | March to October 9:00 to 18:00 (entry to 17:00); November to February 9:00 to 17:00 (entry to 16:00) | Wednesday 9:00 to 20:00 (entry to 19:00), in the March to October period | 1 Jan, Seollal, Chuseok; 7 July 2026 (temporary closure) |
| MMCA Seoul | Paid exhibition tickets: price varies. All-pass ticket ₩10,000 when 3 or more paid exhibitions run. Free groups listed below. | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun 10:00 to 18:00 | Wed and Sat 10:00 to 21:00 (late opening 18:00 to 21:00) | 1 Jan, Lunar New Year's Day, Chuseok |
National Museum of Korea
- Fees: the museum's hours page says admission is free, "except for special exhibitions". The Children's Museum is also free, but its page says online reservation is required, with five sessions a day from 9:30 and 320 online tickets per session.
- Hours and last entry: admission closes 30 minutes before closing, and visitors are guided to the exit 10 minutes before closing. The outdoor exhibition area is open 7:00 to 22:00, and the Pagoda Garden also 7:00 to 22:00 with no ticket.
- Closing days printed on the page: 1 January, Lunar New Year's Day (17 Feb 2026) and Chuseok (25 Sep 2026). Those 2026 dates have passed; the page does not yet show next year's. The galleries close on the first Monday of March, June, September and December, with a note that there is no closure in March 2026.
- English highlights tour: a regular tour for international visitors, in English, Chinese and Japanese, at 10:30 and 13:00 on weekdays and Saturdays; on Sundays 10:30 and 13:00 in English and Japanese and 13:00 in Chinese. The page says the schedule changes monthly.
National Folk Museum of Korea
- Fees: "Admission: Free of charge." All exhibitions can be viewed free. You do not need to pre-book exhibitions or the guided tours; only the Children's Museum needs online pre-reservation (the page says its online service is currently Korean only).
- Hours: March to October 9:00 to 18:00 with entry until 17:00, and Wednesday 9:00 to 20:00 with entry until 19:00. November to February 9:00 to 17:00 with entry until 16:00.
- Temporary closure now: Permanent Exhibition Hall 1 is closed from 30 September to 21 December 2026.
- Closing days: 1 January, Seollal, Chuseok and, in 2026, 7 July (temporary). The page lists no weekly closing day.
- Docent tours: free, on-site sign-up at the lobby information desk; foreign-language tours are for foreign visitors only. Groups of 10 or more should ask about reservation.
MMCA Seoul
- Tickets: "Paid Exhibition Ticket: admission fees vary", and an all-pass ticket of ₩10,000 "when operating 3 or more paid exhibitions". The Seoul page showed no exhibition in the list when it was read, so no exhibition price was available.
- Free evenings: admission is free on Wednesdays and Saturdays during the late opening hours (6 PM to 9 PM), and the free day is the last Wednesday of every month, "Culture Day".
- Free categories: individuals under 24 or over 65; undergraduate students; donor card holders and up to three accompanying persons; ICOM and CIMAM card holders; patron or partner card holders. Show an ID or valid document at the booth.
- Closing days: 1 January, Lunar New Year's Day and Chuseok; no weekly closing day is printed.
National Palace Museum of Korea
The National Palace Museum (next to Gyeongbokgung) is not covered here. Check its own official site, gogung.go.kr, for admission, hours and closing days.
Which museum is open when
| Day | Open until 21:00 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | None | National Museum galleries closed on the first Monday of March, June, September and December |
| Wednesday | National Museum of Korea, MMCA Seoul | Folk Museum stays open to 20:00 from March to October |
| Saturday | National Museum of Korea, MMCA Seoul | Folk Museum closes at 18:00 (March to October) or 17:00 |
| Sunday | None | All three close by 18:00 (National Museum 17:30) |
The Folk Museum page notes that Gyeongbokgung Palace needs its own ticket (₩3,000 for an adult, see palace admission fees), and stop 14 of the Seoul City Tour Bus is listed as serving Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Folk Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Common questions
Is the National Museum of Korea free for foreigners?
Yes. The museum's page says admission is free except for special exhibitions, and it does not distinguish between Koreans and foreigners.
Which Seoul museum has evening hours?
The National Museum of Korea and MMCA Seoul stay open until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the Folk Museum until 20:00 on Wednesdays from March to October.
Is the MMCA free on any day?
Yes: during the late opening hours on Wednesdays and Saturdays (6 PM to 9 PM) and all day on the last Wednesday of the month, according to the MMCA Seoul admission section.
No page printed a revision date; all were read on 2026-10-19. Some museums list 2026 closing dates that have already passed; check each museum's page before travelling. Not covered: special-exhibition prices, MMCA Gwacheon, Deoksugung and Cheongju, group booking, parking.
Official sources
- National Museum of Korea — viewing hours and admission fees (English) — fees, regular and late hours, closing days; no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
- National Museum of Korea — guided tours (English) — international-visitor highlights tour times (checked 2026-10-19)
- National Folk Museum of Korea — visiting (English) — hours, free admission, closing days, temporary closures, docent tours; no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
- MMCA — Seoul visiting information (English) — opening hours, ticket types, free admission times and categories; no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
Prices change. If an official page shows a different number from this page, the official page wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.