Gwangju National Science Museum
A national science museum in Gwangju where light, projection and astronomy become physical experiments, from optical sensors to a spherical theater and 1.2-metre telescope
Hands-on light and sound experiments, Space360, astronomy, planetarium shows and family science activities
A large science campus with interactive permanent galleries, several separately ticketed theaters, outdoor exhibition areas and a dedicated observatory
Across the museum, seeing is an activity: visitors block light, change magnetic fields, stand inside a spherical screen and observe through a 1.2-metre telescope
Light becomes something you can interrupt
At Gwangju National Science Museum, seeing becomes a physical experiment. A wireless harp sounds when a hand interrupts its optical sensor, while a nearby dial changes current through an electromagnet and makes magnetic fluid move with the field and sound
Other stations separate white light into color, use polarizing plates to reveal patterns and compare how light and sound behave as air is removed from a glass tube. Sori Bit adds a large screen and air-touch controls for combining visible colors, backgrounds and rhythm
Across these stations, visitors block, split, filter or redirect light before reading about the effect
Space360 puts the screen around the visitor
Space360 is a 25-person spherical projection space built at one-millionth the scale of Earth. Visitors stand inside the sphere and watch a 360-degree image without 3D glasses
A tempered-glass observation bridge crosses the interior, while a 12-channel projection system and multichannel audio fill the sphere around it. Entry is limited to visitors at least eight years old and 120 centimetres tall, and the separate ticket costs ₩3,000
Current screenings run for about 16 minutes and alternate among three subjects: the origins of light and the universe, followed by Earth and human civilization; a future-energy story about a warming planet; and Hello Korea Dino, which follows Korean Cretaceous dinosaurs on an animated adventure
The planetarium, 4D theater and Dynamic Rider use different screens and motion effects, so Space360 is not simply another film room inside the main gallery
The view eventually leaves the building
The museum opened in 2013, added Space360 in 2017 and completed Starlight Observatory in 2020. The observatory’s main instrument is a 1.2-metre reflecting telescope, the largest-aperture telescope installed at a Korean science museum
In 2026, the Starlight School program uses that telescope for direct astronomical observation after a guide to the night sky. It runs separately from ordinary exhibition admission and requires advance program booking
Before you go
The main building operates 09:30–17:30, with ticketing ending at 16:30. Main-hall admission is ₩3,000 for adults and ₩2,000 for ages 7–19; preschool children and visitors 65 or older enter the main hall free. Space360, the planetarium, 4D theater and other special facilities use separate tickets, age limits or height rules
- Hours
- Open Tuesday–Sunday 09:30–17:30; ticketing for the main building ends at 16:30. Closed Mondays, January 1, Lunar New Year’s Day and Chuseok Day, with announced substitute closure dates
- Admission
- Main permanent hall: adult ₩3,000; ages 7–19 ₩2,000; preschool children and visitors 65+ free. Space360 costs ₩3,000; planetarium, 4D theater and Dynamic Rider use separate tickets
- Access
- Space360 requires age 8+ and height 120 cm+. Astronomy programs at Starlight Observatory are separately booked; the 2026 Starlight School is for ages six and over
- Transit
- City buses Cheomdan 09, Cheomdan 30, Geumho 46, Unrim 51, Cheomdan 193 and Munheung 39 stop at Gwangju National Science Museum