Museum SAN

Have you ever heard the name, Ando Tadao? He is one of the greatest architects in the world. Yes, Museum SAN was designed by the master. Interesting right? It is a must see. This will be so epic experience to you. Trust me. Even though I am not familiar with the arts, I could fully acknowledge the value of Museum SAN. For your information, according to their website, the parking area can contain 196 cars.

"Museum Mountain, the art gallery I've been meaning to visit for a year. When my lovely and adorable girlfriend suggested going, I felt so happy. We set off after enjoying some buckwheat noodles, arriving at Museum Mountain just as the rain began. I thought the museum nestled in the mountains would be even more charming in the rain, and it truly was – bustling with people yet still retaining its allure. It was simply beautiful, like a museum within mist within a highway within mist. The sound of rain mixed with the garden's water, making it feel like sheer luck brought us here. And let me tell you, the soft serve ice cream at the entrance is a must-try, even if it costs 7,000 won. You might think it's pricey, but trust me, the rich milk flavor and nutty cookie taste are worth every penny. It's unlike any ice cream I've ever had before!" -BOFF

Beautiful museum with well designed building. Especially James Turrell exhibition is beyond my expectations.

The Oak valley shuttle bus is not currently running. We were told by museum staff that it was finished ( and the link from the museum San website leads to a blank page) However the Wonju City Tour Bus is a great option if you don’t want to take a taxi or drive. There are 6 buses a day doing a loop from Wonju bus terminal and Wonju, Manjong and Seowonju train stations to museum San and back. ( see photos) E.g.the bus leaves Wonju bus terminal at 09.29, 10.49, 12.40 etc, and arrives at museum San at 10.21, 11.41, 13.41 etc. Each stop has a red sign with the loop route shown, and times of departure from that stop. We think the bus runs daily, just not sure about Mondays when the museum is closed anyway. Cost is W5000 for a day pass. We paid on the bus with credit card. This gives you a wristband which can also be used for 20% discounted entry to the museum. We bought a ticket for museum entry, meditation and Turrel exhibition when we arrived. This is usually W46,000 so we saved W9000 each. The Museum is excellent, and while expensive we felt it was worth the money. We especially loved the architecture and the gardens, landscape setting. The exhibitions were interesting and beautifully displayed. There was some introductory signage in English, hopefully with time they will add more as it did add to our appreciation. The guided meditation and turrell tour was in Korean but we were able to follow along ok. The Terrace cafe is in a lovely setting, and food and drinks are of good quality. But it is VERY expensive. A flat white coffee W10,000, a slice of cake W13,000 and a panini sandwich is W25,000. Not a cheap day out, but one you will remember for a long time. So start saving!!!

an unusual exhibition, but worth visiting once

This place is all about museum, space, art and nature but I think the ticket is expensive, 22.000 won/person is the cheapest price, but if you want to visit James Turrell and Meditation Hall then you have to pay more. It’s better to buy it online so you don’t have to wait (price is the same with offline). Honestly, most of the art here I did not understand but I enjoy the view more. They also have coffee shop inside with beautiful view, price is still expensive but delicious.

Tucked away above an over priced golf course is an expensive museum with 3 incredibly maintained gardens and the best cafe experience I've had in ages. The tickets are 28 for the full exhibition and 15 for just the permanent exhibition. The special exhibition closes at 5, so we could only enjoy the permanent one but it's worth 15$ for the experience. The mountain view is spectacular. It feels so removed from the daily grind of the city. It's a great getaway. Surprisingly more families with little kids than expected. They have some interactive programs for kids if you go early, and some programs like concerts if you look at there schedule in advance. Highly recommend it. Only an hour or so from southern Seoul.

A bit disappointed… I went to the one in Naoshima a few weeks ago, and I was expecting something similar. Unfortunately this was not the case. The James Turell part is very good, but the guided tour (mandatory) blows away the effect of surprise by revealing everything beforehand. She also talks too much, which prevents from truly embracing the vibe of the place. The singing bowl meditation was just recorded and played on a speaker. Several people fell asleep and started snoring.. how can you meditate in these conditions ? The exhibitions are interesting but nothing crazy either. There is a nice but expensive café. Overall, it’s worth a visit if you are passing by but don’t go there just for the museum. PS: there is a shuttle bus from Wonju Intercity Bus Terminal, takes around 45mn from there to the museum.