The Anyang Art Park: Fun, Forests and It’s Free!
The Anyang Art Park (안양예술공원) just outside of Seoul, Korea is one of those places that makes its rounds in the blogosphere almost every year. It’s always fun and always provides cool photos for whoever wants to head south from Seoul just in to Gyeonggi-do. Because of that, I was sort of laughing at myself for taking so long to enjoy the place that is so enjoyable.
Make sure to check out the awesome art installations and there ARE a couple maps I’ve been able to find in this post as well. Good luck adventuring to Anyang!
Skip around and get all of the info you need to plan your trip to the Anyang Art Park:
- How To Get To Anyang Art Park
- When To Visit Anyang Art Park
- Where To Stay Nearby
- How To Find The Art Installations At Anyang Art Park
- Maps of Anyang Art Park
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How To Get To Anyang Art Park
Address: 131 Yesulgongwon-ro, Manan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기도 안양시 만안구 예술공원로 131 (석수동))
By Subway: Head from Seoul down the blue line to Gwanak Subway Station. Go out exit 2 and walk toward the main road where you can see a bus stop outside near Paris Baguette. Take bus 900 just two stops. Get off and cross the street to find another bus stop. Take bus 2-1 which will go just three stops and drop you off right at Anyang Art Park’s parking lot and starting point. The buses take a total of 12 minutes but if you don’t want to switch twice and wait, getting a taxi from Gwanak Subway Station is easiest and it takes just 5 minutes and costs about W4,000.
When To Visit Anyang Art Park
We first tried to visit Anyang Art Park one summer and it was SO humid and SO hot, climbing up and around anywhere was unbearable and so I ended up sitting in the stream with my daughter and husband and everyone else that had headed to the art park that day. With that in mind, I hereby proclaim that if you want to visit Anyang Art Park, DO NOT go in the middle of the summer but visit in the spring or the autumn instead.
Okay, actually, there is a stream and a water park there, so if you do go for the art and it’s too hot, at least you know there’s a good back up activity to enjoy. I was happy to finally find the art installations though on this most recent visit in early spring.
I visited in the early spring and it was great BUT, we missed the cherry blossoms there. The entire stream here is lined with beautiful cherry blossoms so I noticed on Instagram just a week after we went. So, try to plan to see the cherry blossoms here if you’re looking for a great place to see cherry blossoms in Korea.
Where To Stay Nearby
Anyang Boutique Hotel AMA
Just up the road, this unique boutique stay looks like a cement industrial building from the outside and has comfortable spacious rooms inside. Enjoy a nice stay up the road from the artistic fun. Within walking distance and comfortable too, this is a great option if you want to stay the night and enjoy the area of Anyang from art to streams and mountains too. Book a stay at the Anyang Boutique Hotel AMA on Booking.com or on Agoda.com
CS Premier Hotel
Also just up the road less than a kilometer from the Anyang Art Park, CS Premier Hotel has comfortable beds, great staff, and nice verandas to check out. It’s a convenient stay if you want to stay near the Anyang Art Park, stream, and the mountains to hike in too. You can do a lot in a weekend in the area. Have fun and enjoy those views. Book a stay at CS Premier Hotel on Booking.com or on Agoda.com
How To Find The Art Installations At Anyang Art Park
There are a few art installations that are the most popular… and yet some of these still seem to be off the radar of the locals that live and work there. The installations are a bit spread out so go up into the mountainside to see what you can see and then head down for a cafe break before heading back out again. Don’t worry, the installations aren’t all that difficult to get to though they can be quite hidden due to the forest and if you ask for directions to things, it’s quite likely people won’t know where to direct you… so be prepared for a little wander is all I’m saying.
This installation pictured here and the one above are both rather separate and they are definitely two of the most popular. Here are the best directions I can give: When you think you’ve arrived at Anyang Park and you see the parking lot and all of the cafes and restaurants, yes you can find the hillside installations if you head across the stream and into the forest.
BUT to get to these two, you need to keep going further down the road headed east. Go further than you feel like you should past a swimming pool and it’ll seem like you’re going too far and you’re headed to a botanical garden, yes, that is the right place. You’ll find the installations.
The Anyang Art Park has not only art installations to see, but if you’re a hiker, you can take a jaunt into the forests and the mountains, or if you’re a cafe goer, there are cute cafes and restaurants all around. There really is something for everyone here.
There are recreational facilities like a swimming pool which gets its water from the valleys of Gwanaksan and Samseongsan Mountains. There are walking paths, a stream to dip your feet in or for kids to swim in, museums, art galleries and plenty more to see and do.
FYI, this art park is a ton of fun, but there are also parks in Seoul and around Korea that have various art installations as well. My favorite park for art installation viewing IN Seoul is the World Cup Park’s Pyeonghwa Park or Peace Park. There are art installations there from a flower expo some years ago and they provide some great photo ops as well. If you like going out of the city though, there is also the cool Hamchang Art Road to check out as well as the Yeonmisan Art Park in Gongju, Korea. Or you could just head to Gimpo to find the Gimpo Sculpture Park.
Walking into the forest, the mirror installation is just a couple minutes up from the main road and then you can see where to go from there. There are “maps” etched into rocks at each installation. The only problem is they never provide the map in its entirety but just the directions to the next spot so you never really have any idea how far in or out you are. You won’t get lost, but it certainly won’t provide you any idea of how much more or less you have to see.
There are a ton of cool and quirky artistic installations along the stream. Some are big enough to walk into and some are small and hang along the streams edge. There are some that spout water in the summer and some that are just… odd.
If you want to see ALL of the some 52 installations, take a look at the map on the main road as it has them laid out easily and has ALL of the installations. Once you get onto the mountain and the paths, there are maps carved into stones but they change depending on where you are and can be rather confusing. Don’t just walk around and see what you can see because I tried that and didn’t see much.
At the peak of the mountain nearest to the stream, don’t worry, I say mountain but it’s not too strenuous as I was literally carrying my 3 year old up, there is a tower which snakes you up to an amazing viewpoint.
If you have kids that are just a bit older, this is definitely a spot they can hike without your help or need to carry them. This is just one of those cool things to do if you have kids in Seoul. I also had a stroller which I parked and left at the staircase and it was still there when I came back down no problem. Love that safety in Korea.
I was happy to have a blanket to wrap that little one up in though as it was very windy atop the structure in early spring when we visited. The winding installation is so fun and really offers spectacular views for being up 141 meters. From the mirror installation to this peak, it’s less than 10 minutes if you bypass the other art installations so like I said, it’s really not much of a hike but it’s good to know that going in.
As you can see the installations are not only fun for adults but for kids too. My little kid in tow was having a great time seeing her reflection and how the light played with the colors of the crates, windows and mirrors. This is definitely a great spot to enjoy a little day trip outside of Seoul away from the crowds.
If you have kids, this is a great area to get them out and about because no path is all that far from the main road with restaurants and cafes so if you, or the kids with you, need a break and a rest, it’s easy to get back and forth. The paths in the mountains aren’t difficult and kid will definitely have fun finding the various structures and installations.
I’ve pictured the more chic and aesthetically pleasing for me, but for the kids in tow there are animals and other creatures to find too. They just weren’t my particular jam.
Maps of Anyang Art Park
I’ve never found particularly helpful maps of the area before but recently Anyang City released some new maps that are a bit of use so I’ll put the pics of the maps I’ve found that you may be able to work with and help you deduce how to make your way around the area. They’re definitely better than most of the random rocks with directions that you find on the mountain too. Screen shot them for use when you arrive at the park.
You could easily spend the whole day in this area searching for the art installations, walking around the forest, dipping your feet into the stream and cafe hopping. Spend a day in the area or stay for a night in one of the hotels just at the end of the road and have a great weekend away.
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