From 1877 Tin Foil to Gyeongpo Lake: Chamsori Museum Connecting Three Halls of Sound, Light, and Film

From the 1982 “Chamsoribang” to the Three-Museum Complex at Gyeongpo Lake in 2007

This place began in November 1982 as “Chamsoribang,” founded by Director Son Seong-mok in Songjeong-dong, Gangneung-si, to create a venue for science education. In November 1992, the Chamsori Gramophone Museum opened. After being newly built and relocated to the lakeside of Gyeongpo Provincial Park, it reopened in February 2007, dividing its exhibition themes between the sound-focused Chamsori Gramophone Museum and the science-focused Edison Science Museum.

Admission is currently offered as an integrated ticket covering the Chamsori Gramophone Museum, Edison Science Museum, and Son Seong-mok Movie·Radio·TV Museum. Thanks to its location northwest of Gyeongpo Lake, it is easy to connect an indoor exhibition visit with a walk along the lakeshore toward Gyeongpodae Pavilion, but allowing around two hours including transfers is advisable if visiting all three exhibition halls.

From Edison’s 1877 “Tin Foil” to 150,000 Records: Highlights by Collection Numbers

According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, the museum holds more than 4,500 gramophones from around 30 countries, 150,000 records, 5,000 books, and more than 3,500 Edison inventions. Representative holdings include Edison’s 1877 “Tin Foil,” regarded as the starting point of sound-recording technology; cylinder phonographs, disc phonographs, portable phonographs, the Multiphone, and the phonograph that was the first item collected by Director Son Seong-mok.

The Chamsori Gramophone Museum has around 2,500 music boxes, gramophones, radios, and televisions, as well as a music listening room. The Edison Science Museum displays around 2,000 Edison-related inventions and personal effects, including phonographs, light bulbs, and projectors. The Outdoor Automobile Exhibition Hall includes an Edison electric car and Ford automobiles from the 1920s. The museum states that holdings difficult to display to the public on a permanent basis are presented through rotating exhibitions three to four times a year.

Visiting from 10:00 to 17:00: Check the 15:00 Last Admission and Tuesday Closure First

According to the currently available ticketing information, operating hours are 10:00–17:00, last admission is at 15:00, and the regular closing day is Tuesday. Admission is restricted after 15:00, so if you plan to visit all three museums, it is better to arrive in the morning or early afternoon. Since schedules may change due to the season, temporary closures, or group bookings, it is advisable to reconfirm by calling 033-655-1130 before setting out.

The standard prices shown on the online sales page are KRW 15,000 for adults, KRW 12,000 for middle and high school students, KRW 9,000 for children and seniors, and KRW 6,000 for preschool children. The online prices are listed as KRW 13,000, KRW 10,000, KRW 7,000, and KRW 5,000, respectively. However, these prices may vary depending on the seller’s posting period and conditions, so check the latest ticket types and usage-date requirements before deciding whether to pay on-site or online.

• Operating hours: 10:00–17:00
• Last admission: 15:00
• Regular closing day: Every Tuesday
• Main telephone: 033-655-1130
• On-site standard adult price: KRW 15,000

393 Gyeongpo-ro and the “Gyeongpodae Chamsori Museum” Stop Served by Buses 202 and 202-1

The road-name address is 393 Gyeongpo-ro, Gangneung-si, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and the coordinates are 37.798222, 128.897870. By public transportation, guidance recommends taking bus 202 or 202-1 from the area around Gangneung Station or the Gangneung Intercity·Express Bus Terminal and getting off at the “Gyeongpodae Chamsori Museum” stop. Other sources also suggest taking bus 204 from Gangneung Station and getting off at the “Chamsori Museum” stop, so it is best to check Gangneung’s bus routes and schedules separately for the day of your visit.

By car, enter the parking lot from the direction of Gyeongpo Lake to access the ramp at the entrance of the Son Seong-mok Movie·Radio·TV Museum. Since reliable, up-to-date official information on parking fees and the number of spaces could not be confirmed, it is advisable to call the museum to ask about parking availability during peak seasons or on weekends. Because it is close to Gyeongpo Lake, you can continue toward Gyeongpodae Pavilion and Gyeongpo Beach after visiting the museum.

The Difference Between the Chamsori Hall with an Elevator and the Second Floor of Edison Hall, Which Has Only Stairs

Wheelchair and stroller users need to plan the route separately for each building. The Chamsori Gramophone Museum allows movement between floors by elevator, but the second floor of the Edison Science Museum can only be reached by stairs, meaning that visitors with mobility limitations can visit only the first floor, according to Accessible Tourism guidance. There is a step along the passage connecting the two museums, requiring particular care when using small-wheeled strollers or wheelchairs.

The entrance to the Son Seong-mok Movie·Radio·TV Museum from the plaza has stairs, but visitors approaching from the Gyeongpo Lake parking lot can use the entrance ramp. The first and second floors are accessible by elevator, but the sloped-ramp exhibition hall leading from the second floor to the basement level has a passage with a 6–7 degree incline, and there is no elevator between the basement level and the first floor. Manual wheelchair users are advised to plan the route with a companion.

• Chamsori Gramophone Museum: Inter-floor elevator available
• Edison Science Museum: Access to the second floor is limited because it has only stairs
• Connecting passage between the two halls: Step present
• Son Seong-mok Movie Museum: Entrance ramp available from the parking-lot side
• Foreign-language information: The scope of the latest official guidance could not be confirmed

Guided Explanations and the Music Listening Room: A Visit That Goes Beyond “Looking at Exhibits”

Gangneung tourism information introduces the opportunity to hear explanations from a guide while viewing more than 4,000 items, including gramophones, music boxes, televisions, and radios, as well as listening to sounds from 300 years ago. Accessible Tourism guidance also states that visitors who attend during an explanation session can listen to music while touring the old gramophones, music boxes, and music listening room. Therefore, rather than simply trying to see as many exhibition halls as possible, ask at admission whether guided explanations are operating and when they begin to make the visit more rewarding.

For first-time visitors, an easy-to-follow order is to begin at the Chamsori Gramophone Museum by viewing mechanical sound-reproduction devices, then connect the inventions—gramophones, light bulbs, and projectors—at the Edison Science Museum before moving to the Son Seong-mok Movie Museum. The video and experience halls of the Son Seong-mok Movie Museum are introduced mainly through old projector exhibits recreating the atmosphere of an American theater from 100 years ago, while the sloped-ramp exhibition hall extends from the second floor to the basement level.

Combine It with Gyeongpo Lake’s 2.2 km Deck, but Visit the Museum Before 15:00

Gyeongpo Beach, close to the museum, has an approximately 2.2 km deck walkway extending from the artificial waterfall in the north to Gangmun Sotdae Bridge in the south. Barrier-free tourism guidance describes the route as generally flat except for the section with a 5–6 degree incline near the artificial waterfall in Solhyanggi Park, making it possible to add a beach walk after the museum visit when the weather is good.

However, because the museum’s last admission is at 15:00, taking a long beach or Gyeongpo Lake walk first may make it difficult to see all three halls. The recommended order is to enter the museum in the morning or just after lunch, complete the integrated-ticket visit, and then move to Gyeongpo Lake and Gyeongpo Beach. On rainy or very windy days, place greater emphasis on the indoor exhibitions and postpone the Gyeongpo Lake walk until the weather is more stable.