You’d rather spend time indoors than outdoors, but you’re tired of movie theaters and malls. Then it’s all for show. And if it’s free, even better. We’ve rounded up the best free exhibition spaces in Seoul that are kind to our wallets.
1. Seoul Museum of Art
Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) is always free, except for special offers. In addition to showcasing national and international masters, such as painter Edward Hopper last year and architect Norman Foster this year, we also feature ambitious work by younger artists.
From the Seosomun Main Building, a converted former Supreme Court, to the North Seoul and South Seoul halls, the Nam June Paik Memorial Museum, and the Art Archive, which opened last year and is rumored to be a light restaurant. For more information about the Seoul Museum of Art’s spaces throughout Seoul, visit the Official website in the documentation.
📍Seosomun Main Building61 Deoksugung-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea; North Seoul Building 1238 Dongseong-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, Korea; South Seoul Building 2076 Nambusunhwan-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Korea
🕑 Closed on Mondays, weekdays 10:00-20:00, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays Summer (March-October) 10:00-19:00, Winter (November-February) 10:00-18:00
2. National Museum of Modern Art
Seoul has the Seoul Pavilion on Samcheong-ro and the Deoksugunggung Pavilion in Seokjojeon. Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) is free to visit on Wednesday and Saturday nights when the museum is open.
The Seoul Pavilion is beautifully organized like seven islands of architectural space, suggesting a Seoul where modernity embraces the past and nature, and is worth a visit even without the exhibition.
Individual tickets cost 2,000 won and combined tickets cost 5,000 won. For more information, see the Official website Notes.
📍SeoulPavilion, 30 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea 99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Deoksugung-gu, Seoul, Korea
🕑 Wed・Sat 10:00-21:00, others 10:00-18:00 (Deoksugunggwan is closed on Mondays)
3. Lium Art Museum
Nestled among the galleries of Hannamdong Lium Art Museum is home to a collection of ancient art, ranging from prehistoric times to the Joseon Dynasty. This permanent exhibition of ancient art is free to visit.
Famous for its spiral staircase, the Rium Museum of Art was designed by three world-class architects whose names you may recognize if you’re interested in architecture. It was built by Pritzker winners Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas, the Nobel Prize of architecture, and red brick magician Mario Botta.
For non-permanent exhibitions, the museum is particularly good at showcasing emerging Korean artists, and for more information, see the Official website in the documentation.
📍60-16, Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea
🕑 Closed for the month, 10:00-18:00
4. Culture Station Seoul 284
Restored old Seoul Station with a Renaissance-style facade Culture Station Seoul 284 and you’ll be transported back to a time you’ve never been to. The multi-cultural space has been hosting free exhibitions that cross genres from art to coffee to tech.
Since then, we’ve had the International Typography Biennale, the Heatherwick Studio Exhibition, the Fritz Hansen Exhibition, and now reSOUND: Echoes and Beyond” exhibit is now open. For more information, see the Official website for more information.
📍1, Tongil-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 284, Culture Station
🕑 Closed for the month, 11:00-19:00
5. ArarioGallery
International Gallery, FaceGallery, Song Eun There are some great galleries in Seoul that you can visit for free. It’s smaller than a museum, but if you’re lucky enough to find an artist that resonates with you, it’s worth the trip.
ArarioGallery is one of them. Right next to the gallery is the Arario Museum which showcases a colorful collection of contemporary art, but there’s a fee for the exhibits. For more information, see the Official website Notes.
📍1, Tongil-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 284, Culture Station
🕑 Closed for the month, 11:00-19:00