Seoul Children's Grand ParkA Free Zoo Inside the City

Seoul has several large parks, but very few of them come with a zoo — and fewer still let you walk in without paying.

Free on this scale is rare in Seoul

This is the most important part of the article.

Admission to the park and the zoo is zero. No ticket to buy, nothing to reserve, no queue to stand in. You walk in through the front gate.

Most of Seoul's well-known sights charge for entry — the palaces, the observation decks, the theme parks. Here the zoo is included and the whole thing is free.

For a traveller that is a bigger benefit than it first sounds.

• A family of four still pays zero. Places where the cost does not climb with the headcount are not common
• You cannot lose on it. Leave after thirty minutes and nothing is wasted. Had you paid, you would have walked further out of stubbornness
• It needs no planning. No booking and no pressure about opening slots, so you drop in when a gap appears
• If it rains you simply skip it. Not an option once a ticket is bought

Admission fees add up quietly over a trip. Building in one day where that line reads zero makes the wallet easier.

There are animals

As the fur seal in the photo suggests, there is a fair amount to look at.

Tigers, lions, sea lions, fur seals, monkeys, giraffes and elephants, down through birds and smaller animals. This is not a world-class zoo, and it is only fair to say so. If seeing a zoo is the actual goal, Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon is far bigger.

But under the condition of "a short stop on the way past," it is a different proposition. The subway station is at the gate, it costs nothing, and a full loop takes an hour or two.

The zoo closes at 5:00 PM. The park itself stays open until ten, but the animals do not. If you are going for them, be inside by four at the latest.

The botanical garden is currently closed

The building in the photo is the botanical garden. You cannot go in at the moment.

Renovation began on 27 May 2026, with reopening planned for the second half of 2027. The building dates from 1973, so after more than fifty years it is being rebuilt: the greenhouse frames on either side are being kept and reinforced, while the two-storey centre becomes a single storey.

If you are going now, do not count on the botanical garden. The flower beds in the photo are the garden in front of it and fall inside the same works. The park itself is wide and well planted, so there is still plenty to walk through.

Getting there

The subway is easiest.

• Line 7, Children's Grand Park Station, Exit 1 — the station is named after the park, and the main gate is right there
• Line 5, Achasan Station, Exit 4 — for the back gate

It is one stop from Konkuk University Station on Line 7. Konkuk is known for eating and a young crowd, so the park in the afternoon and Konkuk for dinner is a natural pairing.

Who it suits

Honestly: this is not a reason to come to Seoul.

The reason to write about it is different. It earns its place when your route already takes you past.

• Families travelling with children — first and foremost. At some point on a trip a child needs somewhere to run
• A gap between plans — if you have something in Konkuk University or Seongsu, it is one or two stops away
• A rest in the middle of a walk — there are benches and shade
• Not on a rainy day — nearly all of it is outdoors

If you're visiting from abroad

Seoul Children's Grand Park is a free public park run by the city of Seoul. The name says "children," but adults on their own are perfectly welcome.

• There is no admission fee (zero). Both park and zoo are free, and no ticket or booking is involved
• The park is open from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM
• The zoo runs 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Time your visit around this if you want the animals
• The botanical garden is closed for renovation, with reopening expected in late 2027
• The rides are charged separately and are not covered by park entry. The freepass runs around 30,000 KRW for adults (as of Aug 2026)
• Line 7 takes you to the gate. The station shares the park's name, so it is hard to miss
• One to two hours is enough for an easy loop
• Think about shade in summer and wind in winter. Most of it is open air
• There are kiosks inside, but a proper meal is better found around Konkuk University

Especially good for

• ✅ You are travelling with children
• ✅ You want an hour or two without spending anything — admission is zero
• ✅ You have plans around Konkuk University, Seongsu or Gwangjin
• ✅ You want a short walk and a sit down in the middle of the city
• ✅ You like animals but are not expecting a great deal
• ✅ You're also working other Seoul food spots into the trip — Daewoo Budae-jjigae over in Gangnam is nowhere near this park, but it's a fine separate stop elsewhere in the city
• ⚠️ The botanical garden is closed (reopening expected late 2027)
• ⚠️ The zoo shuts at 5:00 PM
• ⚠️ For a serious zoo, Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon is far larger
• ⚠️ Not recommended in the rain — it is mostly outdoors