Sejong National Children’s Museum: From Time-Slot Reservations to the Baby Forest

Why it opened in the National Museum Complex on December 26, 2023

The National Children's Museum is Korea's first national children's museum, opened on December 26, 2023. Established as a multicultural space within the National Museum Complex in Sejong City, it was designed to stimulate creativity and a thirst for learning among children and families.

The total floor area is 4,891㎡, with an exhibition area of 4,100㎡. Urban architecture, design, digital cultural heritage, and national records are explained at children's eye level. Five permanent exhibitions are arranged in the Complex Exhibition Hall, making it more like a space for hands-on exploration than a history museum viewed all at once.

The day is divided into two sessions, at 09:30 and 14:00

Operating days are Tuesday through Sunday each week. Session 1 runs from 09:30 to 13:00 (last admission at 12:30), and Session 2 runs from 14:00 to 17:30 (last admission at 17:00). The museum is closed from 13:00 to 14:00 for tidying, so morning visitors cannot remain until the afternoon session. It is closed every Monday, public holiday, and designated closure day. If Monday is a public holiday or substitute holiday, the first following weekday becomes the closure day. It is also closed on January 1 and the day before and day of Lunar New Year and Chuseok.

The permanent exhibitions are free. Sejong City information materials list general admission to special exhibitions as 2,000 won and group admission as 1,000 won, but it is difficult to confirm whether these are the latest applicable fees. Tickets can be issued at the information desk or kiosk on the first floor, and reserved tickets can be issued until one hour after the session begins. On-site tickets can be issued until 30 minutes before the session ends, subject to remaining seats.

Individual reservations can be changed or canceled until one hour before the session begins. If a reservation holder does not issue a ticket within one hour after the session starts, the reservation is automatically canceled and refunded. If an individual reservation is missed two or more times, reservations are restricted for 90 days, so it is safest to issue the ticket early in the relevant session.

Entry is not permitted without an accompanying child

Adult visitors must be accompanied by a child, and children must be accompanied by an adult guardian to enter. Therefore, adults who wish to see only the exhibitions without children and children who arrive without a guardian may be denied entry. This rule is the condition visitors are most likely to encounter first if they try to use the National Children's Museum like an art museum intended for general adults.

A visitor review from October 2025 recorded that the doors did not open until the Session 1 entry time of 09:30, so visitors had to wait in front of the entrance. The same review noted that blue tickets were used when only the permanent exhibition was reserved, while yellow tickets were used when the special and permanent exhibitions were reserved together. Checking the ticket color and admission scope immediately after arrival can therefore help prevent route confusion.

For children under 36 months, start with Baby Forest on the first floor

Baby Forest is an infant room for children under 36 months. The exhibition invites visitors to listen to the sounds of the forest and observe the plants and animals living in and beneath it, making it a good idea to choose an age-appropriate space first so infants are not pushed aside in activity areas designed for older children.

There is a nursing room inside Baby Forest, equipped with a diaper-changing table, water purifier, and microwave. The museum also has a storage room on the first floor and a medical room stocked with emergency first-aid supplies, reducing the need to carry diapers or outerwear around continuously.

Experiencing a vehicle repair shop at the Urban Design Playground

“We Live in a City” is an exhibition designed to help visitors observe and experience the various elements that make up a city before imagining a city of their own. A visitor review from October 2025 recorded that the Urban Design Playground included an activity space decorated like a vehicle repair shop, where visitors could attach license plates, add engine oil, and refuel.

The review repeatedly explains that some parts of the exhibition space can be touched and lightly explored hands-on. The lobby features Vakki's Confronting Geometry (2023), while the Complex Exhibition Hall features Gappa'o's Rainbow Pond (2023). The Niche Exhibition explores children's curiosity about the first museum they encounter in their lives.

Distinguish Space Travel from “Curious About the Mind”

The Atelier is an exhibition that travels through space using media art and features Kang Yiyeon's Space Travel (2023). Special Exhibition 1, “Curious About the Mind,” is designed to help visitors experience various emotions, learn ways to care for their minds, and discover the strength that protects them.

Special Exhibition 2, “The World of Wind,” lets visitors physically experience the power and flow of wind. Because the reservation scope may differ between permanent and special exhibitions, decide whether to see only the free permanent exhibitions or include the special exhibitions before issuing a ticket. Some information materials list special-exhibition admission as 2,000 won for general visitors and 1,000 won for groups, but the latest applicability may change.

How to use Modumaru and the picnic room on B1

Modumaru is the museum's outdoor space. A visitor review from October 2025 recorded that there is a place to wash hands in front of Modumaru, along with chairs where guardians can sit and watch their children. You can plan to wash your hands after outdoor activities before returning indoors.

The picnic room is on B1 and is open from 09:30 to 17:30. All visitors may eat packed lunches and snacks they have brought, but food delivery into the museum is not allowed. The education area includes a workshop room and Education Rooms 1, 2, and 3, where programs are conducted by audience and subject.

Getting there from Sejong Express and Intercity Bus Terminal and Osong Station

From Sejong Express and Intercity Bus Terminal, take bus 203 or 205 and get off at Sejong Arts High School stop. From Osong Station, buses B1, B2, B3, and B6 are available. Another recommended route is to get off at Hansol-dong (Cheotmaeul) stop and transfer to bus 204.

The route from Osong Station to Government Complex Sejong South stop, followed by a transfer to bus 274 and alighting at National Museum Complex stop, operates only on weekends. Since bus intervals and the walking distance after the stop are not provided here, visitors departing from Osong Station should plan separate weekday and weekend routes.

09:00–18:00 parking and an 80–120-minute visit plan

Parking is available from 09:00 to 18:00. Small cars are free for the first hour, after which 1,000 won is added every 30 minutes; the daily fee, based on 24 hours, is 10,000 won. Large vehicles are free for the first hour, after which 2,000 won is added every 30 minutes; the daily fee is 20,000 won.

Patriotic merit recipients, people with disabilities, compact cars, low-emission vehicles, and families with multiple children can receive a 50% parking discount. Paying visitors are exempt from parking fees for up to four hours of visiting, and education participants are exempt for up to two hours of class time. A visitor review from October 2025 judged the outdoor parking lot more convenient than the underground parking lot.

Based on visitor reviews and public information, allow approximately 80–120 minutes for the visit. The main telephone number is 044-251-3000, and the information desk numbers are 044-251-3093–3095. The official website is https://child.nmcik.or.kr/. The official address is listed as 130 Eoulnuri-ro, Sejong Special Self-Governing City, 30106, so compare the destination with the address shown on a separate map before setting out if they differ.