Seoul Museum of History

This is the museum about Seoul itself rather than about Korea, and it fills a gap the national museums leave: how a walled Joseon capital of a few hundred thousand became a city of ten million in one lifetime. The permanent galleries run chronologically - the Joseon capital and its walls, the colonial period, the post-war reconstruction, the industrial decades - using ordinary objects, shop signs, household goods, photographs and film alongside documents. The exhibit most people remember is Seoul Diorama, a scale model of the whole city about twenty metres across on the third floor, lit and detailed enough that you can find individual neighbourhoods. Outside stand a section of the old streetcar and the relocated remains of Gyeonghuigung palace. Entry is free. For anyone spending more than a few days in the city it explains a great deal that the palaces do not.

What you actually see

• Seoul Diorama - the twenty-metre scale model of the city.
• The chronological galleries - capital, colonial period, post-war, industrial.
• The everyday objects - shop signs, household goods, film.
• The outdoor pieces - old streetcar and Gyeonghuigung remains.

When to go

Any season. Closed Mondays. It is rarely crowded on weekdays, which makes it an easy rainy-day option.

Honest expectations

Free. English labelling is decent but thinner in the later galleries. It is a city-history museum - expect documents and context rather than treasures.

Nearby

Gyeonghuigung is adjacent; Gwanghwamun, Deoksugung and Jeongdong are a short walk.