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First published
Oct 5, 2026
Substantive editorial change
Oct 4, 2026
Practical facts checked
Oct 4, 2026

National Science Museum

Daejeon’s national science museum combines natural history, science and technology, children’s galleries, astronomy facilities, a botanical garden and large outdoor exhibits.

Open NAVER Map Official info
Why it matters now

The official museum site is active with October 2026 exhibitions and events, while visitor basics remain 09:30–17:30 with last ticketing at 17:00. General admission is free, but the Science Alive Discovery Center, KkumAty Hall and Planetarium use separate paid/reservation systems, so families should check the exact hall before arrival.

Why go

A strong family and rainy-day choice for travelers who want hands-on science rather than another sightseeing stop. Many core galleries are free, while some experience halls and the planetarium use separate tickets or reservations.

Practical Korea

Plan the visit

Use the confirmed place facts below, then continue to the broader travel guides for transport, facilities and eating practicalities.

Open travel information →
Getting thereGovernment Complex Daejeon Station (Line 1), then a local bus or short taxi; the official directions page lists multiple bus routes to National Science Museum stops.Find directions on NAVER Map ↗481 Daedeok-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon
Nearby facilities & servicesOpen guide →09:30–17:30; last ticketing 17:00. Closed Mondays and on listed major holidays; if open on a public/substitute holiday, a following-day closure may apply. General admission is free, but some halls/programs are paid or reservation-only.
Food & eatingOpen guide →
Area guideOpen guide →
GuideRelated practical guides
Getting around Daejeon: subway, bus, taxi and transit cards

Use Subway Line 1 as the city spine, buses for places beyond the rail corridor, and taxis when luggage, late hours or a direct trip matter more than cost.

Reviewed: Oct 5, 2026Daejeon Station to the Expo, science and Dunsan arts district: use Line 1, then plan the last leg

DCC, the National Science Museum, Hanbat Arboretum, Daejeon Arts Center and the Yeonjeong Korean Traditional Music Center sit in one broad visitor zone, but none is simply 'at' Government Complex Station. Use Line 1 as the spine and choose the final bus, taxi or walk by destination.

Reviewed: Oct 5, 2026Eating around DCC and the National Science Museum: two reliable food anchors

In Daejeon’s Expo/science district, visitors do not need to guess where the nearest dependable food options are. DCC 1 has official on-site bakery/cafe facilities, while Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science provides a larger restaurant, food-hall and cafe fallback in the same visitor cluster.

Reviewed: Oct 5, 2026
Explore places on the map →Last checked: Oct 4, 2026

Stories featuring this place

Understand the context and what to noticeEating around DCC and the National Science Museum: two reliable food anchors
In Daejeon’s Expo/science district, visitors do not need to guess where the nearest dependable food options are. DCC 1 has official on-site bakery/cafe facilities, while Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science provides a larger restaurant, food-hall and cafe fallback in the same visitor cluster.

Events here

Check dates and participation conditionsThe Sun and Moon Siblings Performance
Free 60-minute family performance at the National Science Museum Science Hall: Oct 10 at 15:00 and Oct 11 at 11:00 and 14:00. Advance reservation only; no walk-ins. Reservations open Oct 6 at 11:00 / 14:00 / 16:00 respectively and close Oct 8 at 23:00. Museum membership is required; first-come-first-served; up to four seats per person including guardians. Saturday and Sunday duplicate bookings are not allowed.
Check dates and participation conditionsOctober Weekend Science Classes — National Science Museum
A four-Saturday science course series at the National Science Museum Science Education Hall on October 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2026. It covers 15 themes/classes for children age 5 (born in 2020) through elementary grade 6, with 16 students per class. Class slots are 09:30–11:30, 13:30–15:30 and 16:00–17:00 depending on age/topic. Tuition is KRW 43,000 for the preschool 1-hour four-session course and KRW 72,000 for elementary 2-hour four-session courses. This is a monthly four-session course rather than a drop-in event.
Check dates and participation conditionsTechConE Military Fandom Gathering — Talks, Q&A and Networking
A three-hour TechConE subprogram at the National Science Museum on October 16, 2026, 13:00–16:00. The program combines talks by military-content creators Lee Se-hwan and Tae Sang-ho, a one-hour audience Q&A and a final networking session for people interested in military history, aircraft, armored vehicles, models, gear, games and related hobbies.
Check dates and participation conditionsTime Mirror: Travel Back to the Beginning of Clothing
A free interactive pop-up in the National Science Museum Natural History Hall 2F Human Gallery, running September 22–November 29, 2026. Visitors stand before a digital mirror and move through clothing changes across Korea, France, the UK and Japan back toward prehistoric leather clothing, then can save a personal time-travel video by QR code. The official exhibition notice says walk-in participation is allowed. Rechecked October 5: the museum currently lists general visitor hours as 09:30–17:30 with ticketing closing at 17:00 and normally closes Mondays, Lunar New Year and Chuseok day; these are museum-wide access rules, not a separate timed session for this pop-up.
Check dates and participation conditions72nd National Science Exhibition — Public Display
A free display of 303 entries from Korea’s 72nd National Science Exhibition at the National Science Museum Future Technology Hall 3F. The official exhibition notice sets visiting hours at 09:30–17:00 through October 10, 2026 and specifically says the display is closed on October 6. Parking is paid separately.
Check dates and participation conditionsOctober Citizen Natural Science Exploration — The Hidden 120-Day Journey of Cabbage
A free one-hour public science lecture on October 17, 2026, 15:00–16:00 at the National Science Museum. Researcher Wi Seung-hwan connects cabbage's roughly 120-day growing journey with climate change, future agriculture and citizen science. The museum's official reservation page lists all-ages participation with elementary-school age and above recommended.
Check dates and participation conditionsMegaengineering Lecture 3 — Building Cities on Water
A free National Science Museum engineering lecture on October 18, 2026, 14:00–15:30 about mega-floating technology, floating airports and offshore cities. The official science-museum network lists engineer An Ik-seong as speaker and elementary-school age and above as the audience.
Check dates and participation conditionsOctober Science Talk — What Future Did People Imagine 40 Years Ago?
A free October 24, 2026, 14:00–15:30 science talk at the National Science Museum comparing 1980s visions of AI, space, robots and biotechnology with 2026. Science Donga editor Lee Chang-wook and Children's Science Donga editor Kim Jeong lead the talk. Advance booking opened October 1 at 10:00, but walk-in admission is also officially allowed; seating is unassigned.
Check dates and participation conditionsBotanical Art Exhibition at the National Science Museum
A free botanical-art display in the National Science Museum Biology Exploration Hall through October 11. Detailed botanical illustrations are installed among subtropical plants so visitors can compare leaf veins, petals, stems and roots in the drawings with living specimens nearby. The exhibition follows museum access conditions and ends this Sunday.
Check dates and participation conditionsThinking or Calculating — National Science Museum Special Exhibition
A special exhibition at the National Science Museum Creative Narae Hall exploring what 'thinking' means across art, neuroscience and artificial intelligence. It connects the Pensive Bodhisattva and The Thinker with brainwave research, embodied AI, Korea’s early humanoid robot CENTAUR and brain-computer-interface technology. The exhibition runs through October 18; normal museum visitor hours apply, and some participatory programs have separate schedules.
Check dates and participation conditionsAI Gwageo: Korean Traditional Science Talent Challenge
A two-day National Science Museum program on October 9–10, 09:30–17:00, combining a Joseon-era civil-service-exam theme with AI and hands-on science activities across the Korean Science and Technology History Hall and outdoor plazas. Some programs are on-site activities, while the separate “Mugwa Training” martial-arts component requires advance booking: applications close October 5 at 18:00 KST; sessions are 10:00 and 13:00 on October 9–10; ages 6 through elementary school; 30 minutes; KRW 1,000; 30 participants per session, 120 total. Participants are instructed to gather at the Geupjecheong booth 30 minutes before their session. These fee, capacity and booking rules apply to Mugwa Training, not the whole event.
Check dates and participation conditions2026 Tandongcheon Biodiversity Exploration Mission
A free guided biodiversity field program on October 24, 2026, 12:00–17:40, starting at the National Science Museum and moving through Tandongcheon and Seongdusan. Participants rotate through plant, insect/spider and bird observation teams, then return for expert result sharing and Q&A. The official program is for Grade 4 age (born 2016) and older through adults, with 75 places.

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