Imagine a journey from a footprint
When visiting Jinju's fossil museum, look beyond the idea of dinosaur skeletons and start with the footprints. A track can invite questions about how an animal moved and what other creatures passed across the same ground. At the tracksite in Chungmugong-dong, Jinju, fossil footprints of pterosaurs, birds and dinosaurs have been identified together.
Three kinds of tracks, one remarkable site
The Korea Heritage Service describes this site as having Korea's largest number and density of pterosaur footprints. Such a concentration in a relatively small area is unusual worldwide. Bird and dinosaur tracks were also discovered, making the site valuable for studying life and environments during the Cretaceous Period. The pleasure of visiting is not just looking at ancient creatures, but learning to read traces of their movement.
Why do older articles say Hotan-dong?
Some older travel articles use the name "Pterosaur, Bird and Dinosaur Footprint Tracksite in Hotan-dong, Jinju." The Korea Heritage Service records that the official name changed on July 26, 2021, to the Chungmugong-dong name. The visitor facility is called Jinju Pterosaur Footprint Museum (진주익룡발자국전시관). These names should not be mistaken for separate new attractions.
Check the November visiting schedule
The museum is at 22 Yeongcheongang-ro 68beon-gil, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do. Under the city ordinance effective in August 2026, standard opening hours from November 1 through the end of February are 10:00–17:00, and ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing. The ordinance specifies 09:00–18:00 for March through October. Regular Monday and major-holiday closures have exceptions, and the operator may adjust opening hours. Confirm actual opening, fees and any special program with the official museum before leaving.
Reading the official heritage explanation before your visit can turn each footprint into a small story about prehistoric life.