The War Memorial of Korea is Seoul’s big military history museum, at 29 Itaewon-ro in Yongsan. Entry is free. It opens 09:30 to 18:00 from Tuesday to Sunday, the last visitors go in at 17:00, and it shuts every Monday.
The reason to spend part of a short trip here is the Korean War, told at full scale. The collection runs to about 33,000 items, roughly 10,000 of them on show, and a B-52 bomber is parked outside. It’s rated 4.6 on Google Maps from more than 18,000 reviews, and when people say you could spend a whole day here, they mean it.
With that much to see, decide the order before you walk in: the 6·25 Korean War Room first, the outdoor yard second, then anything else your feet can handle.
🪖 What the War Memorial of Korea holds
It opened on June 10, 1994. The War Memorial Service Korea Society founded it to honor the people who died defending the country, so it is both a memorial and a museum. Reviewers describe the displays as detailed and tasteful.
People underestimate the size. The grounds cover 116,793 m², almost 29 acres. The exhibition halls alone take up 20,360 m², about five acres of floor, and that doesn’t count the weapons yard outside.
There are six indoor halls. These are their official English names:
- 6·25 Korean War Room
- Patriotic Memorial Room
- War History Room
- Expeditionary Forces Room
- Development Hall
- Large Machinery Room
South Koreans call the Korean War “6·25” because it began on June 25, 1950. That’s where the first hall gets its name. Once you know that, the number stops looking like a typo.
🎯 Who it suits, and who can skip it
History buffs get the most out of it, and their reviews are glowing. Some say it’s worth a full day.
Families do well here too, mostly because of the outdoor yard. Kids who glaze over at captions tend to perk up next to a B-52.
If a DMZ tour is on your list, come here first. The museum explains the war that created that border, and the tour will make more sense afterwards.
If 20th-century military history doesn’t interest you, skip it without guilt. A palace or a market will give you more for the same three hours.
🕘 Hours, the Monday rule and what’s free
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Open | Tuesday to Sunday, 09:30–18:00 |
| Last admission | 17:00 |
| Closed | Every Monday |
| If Monday is a public holiday | The closed day moves to the next working day |
| Admission | Free for everyone |
| Special exhibitions | Ticketed separately |
Google Maps shows the same opening hours. The official listing has one timetable for the whole year, with no separate summer or winter hours. Google leaves out last admission, which is an hour before closing.
Last entry is 17:00. If you turn up at 17:15, you won’t get into the halls.
Mondays catch people out. Arrive on a closed day and the most you’ll see is the outdoor displays, which is what happened to at least one reviewer. When a Monday is a public holiday, the closure moves to the next working day, usually the Tuesday. If your dates include a Korean holiday, check before you set out.
Admission is free for everyone, adults and children, Koreans and foreigners, so you don’t need to check any age rules. You only pay for a special exhibition, if one is running. The official listing mentions booking only for groups.
Phone numbers
- Museum information (official listing): +82-2-709-3144
- Main number on Google Maps: +82-2-709-3114
- Group bookings: +82-2-709-3139
- 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330, in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese
To check a holiday closure in English, 1330 is the easiest number to call.
🚇 Getting there and parking
By subway, go to Samgakji Station, where Lines 4 and 6 meet, and take Exit 12. It’s a short walk from there. The subway is the easiest way to get here.
In map apps and taxis, use the Korean name, 전쟁기념관. It comes up straight away in Naver Map and Kakao Map, and a taxi driver needs nothing more. The street address is 29 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu.
Itaewon is two stops east on Line 6, so it’s an easy place for lunch after a morning here.
Parking rates
There’s parking on site. These are the official rates:
| Vehicle | First 2 hours | Each extra 30 min | 24 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars and vans (up to 15 passengers) | 3,000 won | 1,000 won | 20,000 won |
| Buses (16 passengers or more) | 10,000 won | 3,000 won | 50,000 won |
For a car, a three-hour visit costs 5,000 won (about US$3.50) and four hours costs 7,000 won (about US$5). The 24-hour rate of 20,000 won is roughly US$14.
♿ Wheelchairs, strollers and the nursing room
This section comes from the Korea Tourism Organization’s barrier-free travel listing. It’s written for wheelchair users, but it also answers most of what parents ask.
- Entrances: ramps lead up to them, and the doors are automatic. The main entrance has a ramp and is wheelchair accessible.
- Tactile paving: in front of the main entrance.
- Wheelchairs: 4 to borrow at the information desk.
- Strollers: 5 to borrow, also at the information desk.
- Elevator and toilets: there’s an accessible elevator and there are accessible toilets. The listing doesn’t say where they are.
- Nursing room: there is one. Ask where it is when you collect a stroller.
- Accessible parking: 12 spaces at the Museum Wedding Hall, 8 in the underground car park beneath the Central Plaza, 7 at the Children’s Museum.
Four wheelchairs and five strollers isn’t many for a site of almost 29 acres. Bring your own stroller if it folds.
The parking list also shows there’s a Children’s Museum on the grounds. The listing gives no hours or booking details for it, so call the information line before you promise it to the kids.
🏛️ The six halls, and the order to see them
Some displays are closed at times. One reviewer found quite a few of them shut and still enjoyed the visit, so it won’t ruin your day. Ask at the information desk what’s open and plan your route from there.
6·25 Korean War Room: start here
If you only see one hall, make it this one. It covers the war in detail, and visitors keep calling it moving. Give it at least an hour.
The room also makes a point of thanking the countries that sent help. If yours was one of them, give yourself extra time here.
Patriotic Memorial Room
This is the space that remembers the war dead, and it’s why the building is called a memorial. See it after the Korean War Room, before you move on to anything else.
Large Machinery Room
This is the big equipment kept indoors. Visitors mention guns and aircraft, so on a rainy or very cold day you can see the hardware here without going out to the yard.
War History Room
This hall goes back through Korea’s earlier wars, centuries before 1950, and shows how often the peninsula has been fought over. It’s worth it if you like the long view. The museum also has a large reconstruction of a wooden warship.
Expeditionary Forces Room and Development Hall
The first covers Korean troops sent overseas, and the second covers the modern armed forces. If you’re short on time, skip these two.
Only two hours? See the 6·25 Korean War Room, then the outdoor yard. That’s enough for a complete visit.
✈️ The outdoor yard: a B-52 and more
The official listing describes this as a display of large weapons. In practice that means aircraft and military vehicles from the last century, out in the open, including a B-52, an F-4 Phantom and a MiG. You can walk right up to some of them and touch them.
If you’re with kids, start here and do the halls afterwards. The B-52 won’t fit in a phone photo from close up, so step back farther than you think.
Besides the hardware, there’s a ring of flags, sculptures by the entrance and a garden with fountains. Sit there for ten minutes after the Korean War Room. You’ll want the break.
All of it is outdoors. In July and August, visit the yard early in the morning or late in the day. In winter, go out while it’s still light.
🎬 Extras: 3D, 4D and the honor guard
The official listing names a cinema, an F-15K 3D experience, an Operation Chromite 4D experience (Chromite was the 1950 Incheon landing), a battlefield experience and an exhibition on protecting the Steller’s sea eagle.
The listing doesn’t say what these cost or when they run, and special exhibitions are ticketed separately. Ask at the information desk before you plan your day around one of them.
Military band and honor guard events are listed too, along with things like a drawing contest. No dates are given. If you’re coming mainly for the honor guard, call +82-2-709-3144 before you choose a day.
The listing also mentions 20 educational programs for all ages, but doesn’t say which ones run in English. The museum’s mascot is Mudori, a helmet that stands for protecting the country, with a bay leaf for peace.
🗺️ How long to stay, and when to arrive
| Time you have | What to cover |
|---|---|
| About 2 hours | 6·25 Korean War Room, then the outdoor yard |
| Half a day | Add the Patriotic Memorial Room, the Large Machinery Room and a rest in the garden |
| A full day | All six halls, a 3D or 4D session, and any special exhibition that’s on |
Here’s a half-day plan that starts at opening time:
- 09:30 Go straight to the 6·25 Korean War Room.
- 10:45 Patriotic Memorial Room.
- 11:15 Large Machinery Room.
- 11:45 The outdoor yard, then the garden.
- 12:30 Line 6 from Samgakji to Itaewon, two stops, for lunch.
If you’re coming in the afternoon and want more than the two-hour version, arrive by 14:00. Entry stops at 17:00 no matter what.
Visitors have found the halls uncrowded, and a weekday morning gives you the best chance of the same.
🧭 Fitting it into a Seoul day
The War Memorial is closed on Mondays, but Gyeongbokgung is open, so the palace can take that day. Our Gyeongbokgung guide covers its hours, including a closing time that changes with the season.
The museum closes at 18:00, so your evening is free, and Namsan is close by. Our N Seoul Tower piece helps you choose the right time to go up.
For dinner, we’d send you to Gwangjang Market.
❓ Short answers
Is the War Memorial free to enter?
Yes, for everyone, including foreign visitors. Only special exhibitions need a ticket.
Which day is it closed?
Monday. When a Monday is a public holiday, the closure moves to the next working day.
What time is last entry?
17:00. The museum closes at 18:00.
How long should I allow?
About two hours for the 6·25 Korean War Room and the outdoor yard. Allow a full day for all six halls and the extras.
Which subway station is closest?
Samgakji, on Lines 4 and 6. Use Exit 12.
Can I borrow a wheelchair or a stroller?
Yes, at the information desk, which has 4 wheelchairs and 5 strollers. The listing also mentions ramps, an accessible elevator, accessible toilets and a nursing room.
Do I need to book?
The official listing mentions booking only for groups, on +82-2-709-3139.
Who can I call in English?
The 1330 Travel Hotline, +82-2-1330, answers in English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. The museum’s own information line is +82-2-709-3144.
📝 In short
- Free for everyone. Special exhibitions are ticketed separately.
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:30 to 18:00. Last entry 17:00.
- Closed Mondays. If a Monday is a public holiday, it closes on the next working day instead.
- Samgakji Station (Lines 4 and 6), Exit 12. Search the Korean name in Naver Map or Kakao Map.
- See the 6·25 Korean War Room first and the outdoor yard second.
- 4 wheelchairs and 5 strollers to borrow at the information desk.
- Car parking: 3,000 won for the first two hours, then 1,000 won per 30 minutes.