Gyeongbokgung Closed on Tuesday? Two Free Museums Right Next Door
Gyeongbokgung closes on Tuesdays, but the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum of Korea — both on or inside the palace grounds — stay open. Both are free, with no advance booking required, and you do not need a Gyeongbokgung ticket to enter either one.
Rain, heatwave, bitter cold: the answer is the same. Both are indoors.
Which free museums sit next to Gyeongbokgung?
| National Palace Museum of Korea | National Folk Museum of Korea | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Free | Free |
| Booking | Not required | Not required |
| Gyeongbokgung ticket | Not required | Not required |
| Location | Southwest of Gyeongbokgung (Sajik-ro) | Inside Gyeongbokgung grounds (37 Samcheong-ro) |
| Subject | Joseon royal court and Korean Empire artefacts | Korean daily life and seasonal customs |
| Tuesday | Open | Open |
| Monday | Open — except the last Monday of each month | Open |
Both are open on Tuesdays, when Gyeongbokgung is closed. They are also open on Mondays, when Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung are closed — but note that the National Palace Museum closes on the last Monday of each month (or the day after, if that Monday is a public holiday). If you are visiting on a Monday, check whether it is the last one of the month.
The National Folk Museum has no fixed weekday closure at all — only a handful of designated dates.
The Folk Museum sits inside the Gyeongbokgung grounds, but that does not mean you need a palace ticket. It has its own entrance and is free to enter independently.
What are the opening hours?
National Folk Museum of Korea
| Season | Hours |
|---|---|
| March–October | 09:00–18:00 |
| November–February | 09:00–17:00 |
| Evening extension | March–October every Wednesday 09:00–20:00 (not available November–February) |
- Last entry: 1 hour before closing
- 2026 closure dates: 1 January / Lunar New Year’s Day (17 February) / Temporary closure 7 July / Chuseok day (25 September)
- On weekends and public holidays, the outdoor exhibition area interior is closed for safety reasons (accessible on weekdays). If outdoor exhibits are your priority, visit on a weekday.
- Free stroller and wheelchair rental, library, museum shop, café on site.
National Palace Museum of Korea
| Days | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday–Friday, Sunday | 09:30–17:30 (last entry 17:00) |
| Saturday | 09:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30) |
| Last Wednesday of each month | 09:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30) |
- Closure dates: 1 January / Lunar New Year’s Day (17 Feb 2026) / Chuseok day (25 Sep 2026) / last Monday of each month (if the last Monday is a public holiday, closed the following day)
- Guided tours: weekdays 10:00 / weekends 10:00, 15:00
- Admission: free
A free museum open until 9 p.m. on Saturdays is not common in Seoul. You can tour the palace in hanbok during the day and drop into the museum in the evening — though the rental shop return deadline (mostly around 19:00) remains the constraint.
What if I’m in Seoul on a Tuesday?
Tuesday is the day Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo are closed. Here is what you can use in the area that day.
| Open on Tuesday | Cost |
|---|---|
| National Palace Museum | Free (open until 21:00 on the last Wednesday of each month) |
| National Folk Museum | Free |
| Changdeokgung (main hall) | 3,000 won · free in hanbok |
| Changgyeonggung | 1,000 won · free in hanbok |
| Deoksugung | 1,000 won · free in hanbok |
| Tongin Market yeopjeon dosirak | 10,000 won (closed Mondays, so Tuesday means it is open) |
| Bukchon Hanok Village (10:00–17:00) | Free |
Recommended Tuesday route: National Palace Museum → Changdeokgung → Changgyeonggung. Gyeongbokgung is closed, but the day still works.
On Mondays, the opposite applies: Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung are all closed, so the combination becomes Gyeongbokgung + the two museums.
Where to go when it rains?
Palaces are mostly outdoors. Rain cuts your options sharply.
| Situation | Alternative |
|---|---|
| Rain, heatwave, cold snap | The two museums (indoors, free) |
| Need a short break | National Folk Museum café, library |
| Palace has suspended public access | Both museums are separate institutions and remain open |
Under the Royal Palaces and Tombs Viewing Regulation, palaces may suspend public access due to heatwaves, fine dust and other abnormal weather conditions. On those days, the museums stay open.
A note on entering museums in hanbok — both venues restrict food and drink. If your skirt is wet from rain, take a moment at the entrance to shake off the water before walking into the exhibition halls.
I ran a hanbok rental shop at Gyeongbokgung from 2015 to 2025. On rainy Tuesdays, I would send customers to these two museums — most came back surprised. “We had no idea these were here,” they’d say, almost every time. One is literally inside the palace grounds.
Frequently asked questions
Are there free museums next to Gyeongbokgung?
Two: the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum of Korea. Both are free, require no advance booking, and you do not need a Gyeongbokgung entry ticket to enter. The National Palace Museum covers Joseon royal and Korean Empire artefacts; the National Folk Museum covers Korean daily life and seasonal customs.
What should I do on Tuesday when Gyeongbokgung is closed?
Both the National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum are open on Tuesdays (the Palace Museum only closes on the last Monday of each month). Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung are also open on Tuesdays and free in hanbok. Tongin Market's yeopjeon dosirak (coin lunchbox) is open on Tuesdays too, since it closes on Mondays. A sensible Tuesday route: National Palace Museum → Changdeokgung → Changgyeonggung.
What are the National Folk Museum's hours?
March–October: 09:00–18:00, November–February: 09:00–17:00. Last entry is one hour before closing. From March to October, the museum extends its hours to 20:00 every Wednesday. 2026 closure dates: 1 January, Lunar New Year's Day (17 February), a temporary closure on 7 July, and Chuseok day (25 September). The outdoor exhibition area interior is closed on weekends and public holidays for safety reasons — visit on a weekday if outdoor exhibits matter to you.
What can I do near Gyeongbokgung on a rainy day?
The National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum are both indoors and free. Palaces may suspend public access due to heatwaves or fine dust, but these museums are separate institutions and operate as normal. The National Palace Museum stays open until 21:00 on Saturdays and the last Wednesday of each month, making it a useful evening alternative too.
Shops this applies to
- Hanboknam (한복남)Near Gyeongbokgung Stn. (Line 3) · short walk to the palacefrom₩10,000Standard · Premium · Themed
- Cham Hanbok (참한복)Near Gyeongbokgung Stn. (Line 3) · short walk to the palacefrom₩10,000Standard · Premium · Themed
- Daehan Hanbok (대한한복)Right by Gyeongbokgung Stn. (Line 3) · short walk to the palacefrom₩10,000Standard · Premium · Modern / fusion
Prices and free extras are the shops’ own published figures. No paid rankings.
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- Rain on Your Gyeongbokgung Day? The All-Indoor Half-Day Plan (Mostly Free)