The Coolest Rest Stop In Korea Has An Illumination Theme Park

I’ve been in Korea for thirteen years and been driving for six of them. I’ve been on buses that pulled off at rest stops and pulled off at many on my own road trips and up until this month, I didn’t know there could even be a “cool” rest stop, but there is.

Generally, rest stops in Korea feature a large cafeteria space with tables and chairs to eat food from one of multiple fast options. There is a convenience store and large bathrooms. There are also a few coffee shops too, but that’s about it and that’s pretty standard. You don’t really need much more out of a rest stop, but do you want more? Hell yes if that’s an option, is what I would say. The Deokpyeong Rest Stop is the coolest rest stop in Korea and it is a must see and I’ll tell you why.

Want to skip around?

• How To Get There
• What To Know
• The Space Tower
• The Illumination Theme Park OOOZOOO
• Places To Head On The Way

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The Space Tower

Head out behind what looks like your standard rest stop and you’ll see lights, restaurants and the Space Tower. The Space Tower was the first thing we spotted from the highway as we pulled in. It towers above everything in the area and as I pulled into the parking lot, I crossed my fingers hoping it as indeed somehow connected to the rest stop. Having just been to the awesome rest stop that features a glass floored observatory on my way to Daebudo Island for a day trip, it didn’t seem far fetched. Luckily for us, the Space Tower is indeed connected.

It is the first observation tower in Asia where you can order a drink, get buckled in, and enjoy that drink from 35 meters above the ground. We didn’t try this because we were a bit too enthralled by all of the lights. It does look amazing and if you “plan” to have time there, unlike us who were just surprised to find all of this, definitely take the table for a spin. Had we known we were heading to the coolest rest stop in Korea, we would have taken our cameras and not just our phones and would have gotten there just a bit earlier. But such is life and we lived it up while we were there.

Admission: W12,000

• Children under 12 years old or 105cm ~ 120cm in height are allowed to ride with their guardian.
• Children under 105cm in height are not allowed to ride.

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The Illumination Theme Park Ooozooo

When we first went into the rest stop, it looked like any other except that it seemed to feature an outlet mall. We headed to the restroom where I saw a poster for the illumination theme park. Upon further review, it seemed it was HERE. But where was it, I wondered. We decided that we’d probably never randomly be here again, so we should have a gander before leaving. We walked out back and found a lovely little garden and some stand alone restaurants which looked to have a bit better fare than the regular restaurants in the rest stop.

We continued following the lights and first came to the Space Tower before seeing the entrance to the theme park. There is also a big doggy play cafe and space as well. We don’t have dogs, so didn’t check it out, but looked fun.

We paid our admission fees and headed in to follow the sparkling lights we could see over the all. After entering, you’ll walk through a cafe and up to a garden full of twinkling lights. Just try not to be amazed by the colors and lights. This was far bigger than I expected and was the perfect ending to our day trip from Seoul.

The Flower Garden is a perfect introduction into what you’ll see. The kids were in awe and ran around following the little trails through the tall flower like lights. Lit up bunnies led to the Tunnel Galaxy 101. Walk down the 101 meter long light tunnel which is the longest in Korea. You can’t NOT get a good photo in this amazingly long light tunnel.

Exit the tunnel and you’ll find the ‘Sea of Stars’ a ton of blue lights that harmonize with music playing over the speakers. Take a seat and enjoy the show before moving on to find the Art Cubes. From the outside, they look like simple square buildings but look closely to find the doors and walk inside to find installations that play with light and sound.

We were a bit twinkle struck as we turned every bend and found what we found. I’m not often surprised anymore in Korea. I know what I’m headed out to see more or less and love finding what I find, but this was just such a surprise. I’ve never considered planning which rest stop I’ll stop at. We just pull off when we need gas or are feeling hungry. Now I’m wondering what other rest stops I need to be on the look out for.

Continue walking and find the Tunnel Interstellar, another tunnel of lights that leads to the Secret Garden and the Violet Fantasy. Lights are draped in the trees as if they’re the branches of a willow tree. They swing in the breezes and make a rather magical forest to walk into. It’s here that we were sure we’d seen it all, only to turn a bend and realize there was just so much more. (If you visit in the summer months, be sure to take some mosquito repellent. In this forest, we noticed an uptick in mosquitoes and were so unprepared for them.)

Through the branches, this is where we noticed the outline of the Romantic Garden, but weren’t quite there yet. The Blue Avenue is a street of zelkova trees that look mysterious with blue orbs floating in the branches. Don’t just walk straight through though, there are little wooden structures that have lights inside on the side of the path and colorful swings to sit on as well.

Continue on to find even more animals that are lit up and a pond… watch any little people you have with you because there are no barriers there. Headed out, there’s one last moon installation. Ever wanted to hold the moon in your hands? This is your chance. We were honestly so surprised by this rest stop in the best way and absolutely loved that we got to come here just as the sun was setting and the lights were turning on. What a way to end a day trip from Seoul.

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Places To Head On The Way

You could absolutely head out of the city just to stop at this rest stop to have some dinner and enjoy the lights. I certainly wouldn’t judge anyone that does this. But, should you want to tack this onto an itinerary when you’re headed out for a weekend, here are some spots that you could visit and splice this rest stop into.

Icheon Sansuyu Festival: In the springtime, the sansuyu, or Japanese dogwood trees, burst into yellow blooming beauties. It’s a great little festival to visit just outside of Seoul and would be a great trip to add a stop to. This is a townie festival that features good eats, good views, and good fun. Want to learn more about this local sansuyu festival? Click here.

Hamchang Art Road: We stopped at the Deokpyeong Rest Stop on the way back from Hamchang Art Road; an awesome off the beaten path village with art exhibits hidden in derelict buildings. Run around on a scavenger hunt to find folksy art exhibits and modern sculptures hidden in a village. Honestly, it is one of those small towns that makes me excited to travel. Learn more about the Hamchang Art Road here.

Andong, Korea: Andong has been called the most Korean place in Korea. Visit a beautiful Hanok Village, eat some of the amazing local treats and take in the nature in the area. Andong is great for a weekend away. On your way back from this hot spot known for an awesome autumn mask festival, stop at Deokpyeong just before you reach Seoul. Learn more about Andong, Korea and plan your trip ASAP.

Museum San: Make a day of art and fun and start out at the beautiful Museum San in Wonju where it’s a beautiful combination of nature and architecture that was designed by Tadao Ando. It’s one of those popular but for good reason spots in Korea and you can tack on this awesome rest stop on the way back to Seoul.

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