Dream Park: The Flower Park Near Seoul You Have To See To Believe
I’ve now been to Dream Park (드림파크) in Incheon, just outside of Seoul, three times. It’s a difficult spot to explain with some quirks but it is also home to an amazing flower park that is relatively unknown and quiet most of the year. If you can get there, it’s worth the trip especially in the autumn, but we found some beautiful flowers in the spring in Korea the first time we managed to find the park so there’s that.
Each autumn in Korea, it’s a rush to find all of the flower fields and autumn blooms as well as fall foliage as it bursts into color. From forests to parks, riverside parks, and mountainsides, there are so many places to go. It can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to go. Here is one destination in Incheon I would highly encourage flower hunters in Korea to go find. From the beautiful pink muhly to bright orange cosmos, daisies, and kochia, there are plenty of flowers to find and lots of space to enjoy them.
See the flowers at Dream Park in Incheon:
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How To Get There
Address: 61 Geowol-ro, Seo-gu, Incheon (인천광역시 서구 거월로 61)
By Car: Not only is this place off the beaten path, but it’s also off of most bus lines and not very close to a subway station so a car is the best bet to get there. Don’t have a car? Rent one for the day. It’s easy and who doesn’t like a road trip? If you do head to the area with a car, don’t miss a stop at nearby Ara Sky Walk and Waterfall. It’s just 10 minutes down the road.
By Subway/Bus: From Geomam Subway Station, exit 3, cross the street to find bus stop #42851. Take bus #43 and get off at the fourth stop. You’ll be right across the street from the Dream Park Aquatics Center. You’ll need to walk through the parking lot and behind the center to find the Dream Park.
What is Dream Park?
Dream Park is one part of the Sudokwon Landfill Site, and this is one reason when you head in, you’d be easily confused and think you should turn around and leave. Huge trucks head in and out of the complex that also houses a golf course, huge Olympic size swimming pool complex and an environmental education center. Much like the World Cup Park’s system which was a landfill and became one of the most amazing parks in the city of Seoul, the landfill was converted into a public space.
In 2006, Sudokwon Landfill was deemed the best managed landfills in the world by the OECD. The Ministry of Environment in cooperation with the Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corporation created the Dream Park Culture Foundation which turned the landfill into one of the best eco-tourism sites in the world.
There is a wildflower complex, which is what we visited, where the flowers are actually farmed using the methane gases produced from the landfill site and it is gorgeous. Landfills are some of the largest methane producers in the world and heats up the atmosphere 21 times faster than CO2. It’s amazing to see it working it’s magic on a field of flowers.
While the site has been deemed the best managed, I wouldn’t give it any award for being the best promoted. You’d be hard pressed to find much information in English or Korean unless you’re searching very specifically for this site. That makes it a good off the beaten path find though that’s for sure.
When To Visit
The park is open from Monday through Saturday and is closed on Sundays and public holidays. The second time we tried to go to the park, we were turned away by a guard and I couldn’t figure it out why. I’m now thinking it must have been a Sunday. I had no idea a park could be closed. Do be aware of the days listed.
They also host an autumn flower festival. This is probably the only time in the year, this park sees this much action. Don’t miss out on the gorgeous flowers here and around the city. This is by far one of the most beautiful spots to see flowers like the orange cosmos. If you want to check out some more flower spots I highly recommend, check out this post on where to find flowers around Seoul from spring through autumn.
One of the most popular spots to see the orange cosmos is in Olympic Park near Jamsil, but that park and area can get super crowded. The cosmos field here in Dream Park is absolutely massive and we saw only a few people meandering around when we visited. It was stunning to see so many flowers.
What To See
Goblin Film Site
There is a road that cuts through at the edge of the flower fields between the flowers and a large lotus pond. This road was filming location for the K-drama “Goblin” (도깨비). If you watched the show, you’ll have no problem recognizing this lane from a night scene where the main actor is walking into the lights of a car and then away from the car. This is the road. And the road is blocked off now so you can take some pretty epic shots all in the safety of the park.
The Energy Amusement Park
When we visited in the spring, this section of the grounds was pretty run down. There were some super cool energy producing rides and experiences for kids once but they don’t seem to be kept up so well at the moment. While this is probably not all that safe for kids anymore, and I was watching mine very closely as we adventured into this part, it would definitely be pretty cool to take pictures in.
Much like the Yongma abandoned amusement park, you can get some pretty cool shots if you’re looking for that derelict look. There are plenty of cool backdrops to choose from and colorful installations.
Flowers Flowers Flowers
The main draw is definitely the numerous flower plots and fields. There are rose tunnels and the cosmos field is substantial. There are daisies and mums everywhere and muhly too. There is path after path that circles around. There are also great art installations interspersed throughout the garden plots as well which really cater to the child or the child inside.
We had a great time exploring this last time just as the first and we actually saw a completely new part of the park. The park is by no means small so keep that in mind. The maps don’t look big but you will be walking for some time and there isn’t any food to eat when there isn’t a festival going on so take some if you’ll want a snack or a drink. I think the photos really speak for themselves with this spot, so just enjoy…
Join A Tour
Dream Park also hosts a tour program that teaches attendees about waste management and the processes as well as how they generate new and renewable energy and the history of Dream Park. Visitors start at the landfill facility, see the treatment facility, the glass greenhouse and then head to the Wilflower Garden and Nature Observation Zone to see the numerous wildflower fields. I haven’t yet joined a tour, but I’ll definitely be back to the park and just might one of these days.
Operating Hours: Weekdays: 10:00am, 10:30am, 2:00pm, 3:00pm; Weekends: 10:00am, 1:00pm
This park is by far one of the prettiest places I’ve seen and is similar to Nari Flower Fields a few years ago when people didn’t really know about it yet but there were so many blooms to enjoy. Get out here now before more people are aware of the spot and it’s crowded. Or, take a drive and find Farm Kamille in Taean-gun. There are so many beautiful flower spots to find in Korea.
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2 Comments
Mhae
Is it open on weekdays Monday to Friday and until what time does it closed?
Kayla
Do you know if the park allows pets?