From a 1973 Golf Course Site to Seoul Children's Grand Park, a 530,000 m² Family Park

From Seoul Country Club Golf Course to a Children's Park on May 5, 1973

Seoul Children's Grand Park opened on Children's Day, May 5, 1973. According to materials from the Seoul Metropolitan Archives, the site was originally the Seoul Country Club golf course, and the project was launched after an order to create a grand park for children was issued on December 4, 1970. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 3, 1972, and the park opened after approximately 180 days of construction.

The park site also preserves older memories of Neung-dong. In the area to the right of the current main gate, stone structures associated with Yugangwon, the tomb of Queen Sunmyeong, who was the crown princess consort of King Sunjong, remain. After Yugangwon was relocated, the site was converted into a golf course around 1930 and then transformed into a park in the 1970s. For this reason, the site is not merely a space for amusement facilities; it is an urban space where a royal tomb area, a golf course from the colonial period, and a park from the industrialization era overlap.

Free Park from 05:00 to 22:00; Schedule the Zoo for 10:00 to 17:00

The park is open year-round from 05:00 to 22:00, and admission is free. The Seoul Facilities Corporation information line is 02-450-9311, and the official operating organization is the Seoul Facilities Corporation. The address is 216 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (Neung-dong). Because the site is extensive and the itinerary involves walking, travel time can become lengthy if you do not decide on your destination immediately after entering.

The zoo's visiting hours are 10:00 to 17:00, shorter than the park's opening hours. If you plan to prioritize the animals, enter through the main or rear gate after 10:00, finish the zoo area before 17:00, and then move to the Musical Fountain, Environmental Pond, and Palgakdang. This order is generally reliable. Seoul Metropolitan Council materials from 2025 list the park's area as 536,088㎡, with 560 animals representing 58 species and 522,292 plants representing 494 species.

The Roles of Exit 1 at Children's Grand Park Station on Line 7 and Exit 4 at Achasan Station on Line 5

Use Exit 1 of Children's Grand Park Station on Line 7 when entering through the main gate. The Seoul Facilities Corporation identifies this exit as the one connected to the main gate, and the Seoul Culture Portal's information for the Open Stage indicates that it is approximately a five-minute walk from Exit 1. It is best not to confuse it with Exit 6, which faces Sejong University.

When approaching the zoo and Achasan from the rear gate, use Exit 4 of Achasan Station on Line 5. Buses 302, 721, 2222, 3216, 3220, and 4212 stop at the main-gate bus stop, while buses 130, 320, 370, 2221, 2311, 9301, and 9403 can be used toward the rear gate and Achasan Station. The corporation also states that the main gate is approximately five minutes by bus from Konkuk University Station.

• Main gate: Exit 1, Children's Grand Park Station, Line 7
• Rear gate: Exit 4, Achasan Station, Line 5
• Main-gate buses: 302, 721, 2222, 3216, 3220, 4212
• Rear-gate buses: 130, 320, 370, 2221, 2311, 9301, 9403

After Palgakdang's Reopening: An Indoor Route for Rainy Days Combining the Indoor Playground, Exhibition Room, and Book Café

Palgakdang is the central building for creating an indoor route within Seoul Children's Grand Park. According to Seoul Metropolitan Government information from 2023, it reopened on July 5 after remodeling. The ground-floor level has a café and a reading area with children's picture books, the basement level has an exhibition room, and the second and third floors contain an indoor children's playground.

The information states that the second-floor play area is intended for children aged 3 to 5. If your itinerary is focused on older children, it is better to increase the emphasis on the outdoor playground, zoo, and botanical garden. The indoor playground has been operated with separate reservations, so check the availability and session times on the official reservation page again before departure. The direct elevator connection to the interior of the second floor of Palgakdang is useful when traveling with a stroller.

The Difference Between Three Hours and Half a Day: Deciding Whether to Include the Amusement Park and Soccer Field

Allow approximately three hours if you are only walking through the park and focusing on the zoo; if you also add Palgakdang and the playgrounds, it is better to set aside half a day. Seoul Metropolitan Council materials from 2025 record one amusement park, three children's playgrounds, two outdoor performance venues, one soccer field, three tennis courts, two futsal courts, and six health yards among the managed facilities.

Individual amusement-park rides have separate fees from the park's free admission, and sports facilities such as the soccer field have their own rental and reservation requirements. For example, daytime weekend and public-holiday rentals of the artificial-turf soccer field are listed as operating from 06:00 to 18:00 in six two-hour time slots. If a reserved game or event overlaps with a family outing, noise and pedestrian traffic may increase in some areas, so it is better to check the schedule first.

On Days When the Subway Is More Convenient Than the 979-Space Parking Lot: Separate Your Main-Gate and Rear-Gate Plans

Seoul Metropolitan Council materials from 2025 list 979 parking spaces at the park. However, parking demand can concentrate on spring weekends and public holidays. If you are targeting the main gate, using Exit 1 of Children's Grand Park Station on Line 7 can reduce the risk of waiting for a parking space. If traveling by car, first choose the entrance closest to your destination among the main gate, rear gate, and Guimun Gate to avoid crossing the park internally.

Wheelchair and stroller users can take advantage of the wide outdoor walkways, and Palgakdang is connected to its second-floor interior by elevator. However, because the total area exceeds 530,000㎡, it is more realistic to fix the day's entrance rather than try to travel through the entire park in a short time: from the main gate, visit Palgakdang, the Musical Fountain, and the zoo; from the rear gate, visit the zoo and head toward Achasan Station. We were unable to confirm the availability of information in English or other foreign languages, so it is safer to prepare a map app along with the destinations' Korean names.

Four Things Easily Missed If You Only Trust the Word “Free”: The 17:00 Zoo Closing, Paid Rides, Reservations, and Seasonal Events

Admission to Seoul Children's Grand Park is free, but not every experience is free. Amusement-park rides require payment, and the indoor children's playground at Palgakdang and the sports facilities may have separate reservation or usage requirements. Therefore, if you plan only to enter the park and then try to add an indoor activity on site, you may miss your preferred time slot.

Before visiting, check these four items again: whether the park is open from 05:00 to 22:00, whether the zoo is open for viewing from 10:00 to 17:00, the indoor playground's reservation sessions, and performances, events, and parking congestion on the day. The park's main contact number is 02-450-9311. You can check the address, public transportation, and driving directions in the Seoul Children's Grand Park information on the Seoul Facilities Corporation's official website.

• Park admission: Free
• Park hours: Open year-round, 05:00 to 22:00
• Zoo visiting hours: 10:00 to 17:00
• Main contact: 02-450-9311