■ Yangju City Travel Overview​

Before traveling to Yangju, I only knew that Yangju City had existed since the Goryeo Dynasty, and that it was a very large area in the past, but has now been divided into other cities to form the current Yangju City. Traveling to Yangju City was a bit of a worry as there are no well-known travel destinations, unlike other DMZ border areas, but it is a good travel destination for a day trip from the metropolitan area, including Jangheung Tourist Site and Kisan Reservoir, where large cafes have recently been built.

​■ Duri Land

Doori Land entrance

As has been widely reported in the media, actor Lim Chae-moo said, 'I created a play space because I love children so much.' After hearing this, it was a place I definitely wanted to visit when I came to Yangju. In the past, it was open for free and there were a lot of people, but since it reopened after COVID-19, an admission fee is being charged. Since it is not run by a large corporation but with personal funds, the site is not large, and the price seems to be similar to the recent kids cafe fee.

Left) Kids Cafe, Middle) Soccer Game, Right) Paid Rides

The first floor is operated as a theme park, the 2nd and 3rd floors are a kids cafe, the 4th floor is a restaurant and outdoor playground, and the 5th floor is under construction for reopening. The kids cafe operates a large trampoline, a rock climbing wall, and a world doll exhibition hall. Game machines and small amusement rides can be used by paying a fee of about 1,000 won, and coin exchange machines are located throughout the area, so you can easily exchange them for coins.

Left) Space fighter, Right) Carousel

The theme park on the first floor has a total of 13 rides, including Swinger, Carousel, Space Fighter, Mini Train, Viking, Jump Boat, Simulator, Bumper Car, and Doori Experience Carnival, but it was disappointing that you had to purchase a boarding pass separately from the admission ticket to use it. Even though it was a Saturday visit, there were many people at the kids cafe, but not many theme park users.

ㅇ Operating hours: 10:30~18:00 (Weekdays) / 10:00~18:00 (Holidays)

ㅇ Holidays: Closed every Monday

ㅇ Address: 120 Gwonyul-ro, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do

ㅇ Admission fee: Adults 20,000 won, Children 30,000 won, Free for children 36 months and younger

ㅇ information: 031-855-8515

ㅇ How to use: By car, parking available (parking fee on holidays: 3,000 won)

​■ Hoouniversal Studio

Funeral Studio is a figure museum run by comedian "Sanghoon Lee" and is located in the building just in front of Duri Land.Various figures with various themes are on display, and more than 4,000 figures are on display.Plastic figures such as robots and aircraft carriers that can recall childhood memories are on display.

ㅇ Operating hours: 11:30~19:00 (Weekdays) / 11:00~19:00 (Holidays)

ㅇ Holidays: Closed every Monday

ㅇ Address: 120 Gwonyul-ro, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do

ㅇ Admission fee: Adults 10,000 won, Children 8,000 won, Free for children 36 months and younger

ㅇ information: 031-855-8515

ㅇ How to use: By car, parking available (parking fee on holidays: 3,000 won)

​■ Gana Art Park

Outdoor view of Gana Art Park

Since it is an art museum located right across the street from Duri Land, it is a place worth traveling to for a day with Duri Land in the morning and afternoon. When I go to an art museum, I somehow feel like I have become an elegant person. Recently, museums have been offering stickers that children can experience together, pen drawings that feel like works of art that are completed together with the audience, and doodling on the walls. There are also various experience programs, so you can travel without getting bored.

Left) Monster World exhibition, middle) Chalk graffiti wall, right) Stamp tour

It is said that if you stamp all four stamps placed at the four locations, children can visit for free when you return within June. The children I visited with seemed to be more interested in stamping paper than in the free visit. Monster World was operated in the form of completing various drawings together with the audience. Stickers were given out when purchasing admission tickets, and visitors could go to Monster World and freely attach stickers to the empty spaces.

Left) Children's Experience Center, Right) Outdoor Park Sculpture

The children's experience center was a space where visitors could scribble with pens on the walls, and many families visited. The outdoor park has simple play equipment and sculptures on display, and has a lawn so there is no shortage of space for children to play.

ㅇ Operating hours: Weekends and public holidays, October to March, 10:00 to 18:00 (last admission 17:00), April ~ September 10:00 ~ 19:00 (Last admission 18:00), Weekdays 10:30 ~ 18:00 (Last admission 17:00)

ㅇ Holidays: Closed every Monday (excluding public holidays)

ㅇ Address: 117 Gwonyul-ro, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju-si

ㅇ Admission fee: Adults 12,000 won, Children 12,000 won, Free for children under 24 months

ㅇ Inquiries and information: 031-877-0500

ㅇ How to use: By car, parking available

​■ Songam Space Center

Inside Songam Space Center

Songam Space Center has been operating as a private science museum since 2007, and is one of the few astronomical science museums in Korea. When you arrive at the science museum, you can watch a 3D movie about astronomy in the planetarium for about 40 minutes, then take the cable car up to the observatory and observe astronomical objects through a telescope. Since observations are made using an optical telescope, it is a good idea to visit on a day when the weather is nice, but the day I visited was very cloudy so astronomical observations would be difficult, so I did not visit the observatory.

Left) Exterior view of Songam Space Center, middle) Planetarium entrance, right) Planetarium 3D movie viewing

You will watch a 3D movie at the planetarium, and since it is projected on a dome-shaped ceiling, you can watch it in three dimensions without separate 3D glasses. You will be informed that photography is not allowed due to copyright issues. When visiting with children, you can watch a 40-minute movie about various aspects of astronomy, including geocentrism, heliocentrism, and galaxies.

ㅇ Operating hours: Summer season (April~September)-14:00~23:00 / Winter season (October~March)-14:00~22:00

ㅇ Closed days: Every Monday

ㅇ Address: 103, Gwonyul-ro 185beon-gil, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju-si

ㅇ Fee: Starlight Package (astronomical observatory + cable car round trip + planetarium) - Adults 35,000 won, Children 30,000 won

              Observatory - Adults 24,000 won, Children 22,000 won

              Planetarium - Adults 15,000 won, Children 13,000 won

ㅇ information: 031-894-6000

ㅇ How to use: By car

ㅇ Travel tip: As it is a private science museum, the admission fee is expensive, so it is recommended to use it on a clear, cloudless day (about 130,000 won for a family of 4)

​■ Lighting Museum

Lighting Museum Basement 1

The Lighting Museum opened in 2004 and is a private museum operated by Feelux Co., Ltd. It is said to be the first museum in Korea to focus on lighting, and various exhibits, including matches, electric lamps, and lanterns, as well as Korean history related to lighting, are on display on the first floor. On the first basement floor, there are participatory exhibits that children can enjoy, such as drawing or origami.

Left) Outside the Lighting Museum, Middle) 1st floor of the Lighting Museum, Right) Participatory exhibition hall related to light pollution animals

ㅇ Operating hours: Weekdays, weekends, and public holidays 10:00~17:00 (admission closes at 4:00 PM)

ㅇ Closed days: New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year holidays, Chuseok holidays, KH Feellux founding anniversary (6.20)

ㅇ Address: 235-48 Gwangjeok-ro, Gwangjeok-myeon, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do

ㅇ Fee: Summer (February to November) Adults 8,000 won, Children 7,000 won (Free for children under 24 months), Winter season (November to January) Adults 12,000 won, Children 10,000 won (Free for children under 24 months)

ㅇ Inquiries and information: 070-7780-8911

ㅇ How to use: By car

​■ Gisan Reservoir

Gisan Reservoir is said to be a lake created in 1975 for the purpose of providing agricultural water. A 1.7km waterfront trail will open in 2022, serving as a resort area near the metropolitan area. Large cafes and restaurants are gradually opening up around the area, and while planning a trip to Yangju City, I searched for restaurants, cafes, and lodgings and found that there were many near Gisan Reservoir, so I decided to visit. I thought it would be a good travel destination to take a walk along the waterside trail and have a cup of tea at a cafe on a nice day. At the time of my visit, there were about two large cafes, and about two to three cafes nearby were under construction, so it seemed like Yangju City was emerging as a healing travel destination.

■ Restaurant information (※Source: Yangju City Culture and Tourism website)

ㅇ Samgak BBQ: 2nd floor, 900 Gwonyul-ro, Baekseok-eup, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (near Gisan Reservoir) / 070-4333-0480

- 11:00~21:00, closed every Wednesday

* The first floor is operated as a large cafe, and reservations are required as seats may not be available during peak times on weekends.

* Ramen with beef broth and beef pieces is delicious after a platter meal.

ㅇ Bruda Yangju 909 Gwonyul-ro, Baekseok-eup, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (near Gisan Reservoir) / 070-8838-4096

- 11:00~19:00 (Weekdays), 10:00~19:00 (Holidays)

* Large cafe with parking information staff, bakery cafe

ㅇ Green Table: 229 Yangyeon-ro, Nam-myeon, Yangju-si / 031-859-9924

- 11:00~20:00 (no holidays)

* Sale of white rice, beef ribs, and soy sauce crab sauce. Despite the visit at 14:00, there are many customers, so it is best to visit during peak lunch hours considering the waiting time.