Jangheung: The Secret & Wonderful Place To Take Kids North Of Seoul

On the way up to Majang Lake one time, I took a road through Jangheung and saw lots of colorful facades, interesting signs for art spaces and places, and gardens and so it was put on the list for the next trip out. We’ve since been to this area at least three times and we love it.

If you’re looking to take an adventure with your kiddos and want to find a best kept secret, this is the area to go. It’s fun and full of hidden gems. Plenty more that we haven’t yet visited. Here are some great things to do in Jangheung. Also note, this is Jangheung-eub in Yangju. There is also a Jangheung-gun down south in Jeollanam-do. This is not that. Know where you’re going!

Jangheung Gana Art Park, Jangheung, Yangju, Korea

Take an adventure. Here’s where to go:

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Jangheung Gana Art Park (가나아트파크)

This is a great place to visit in the warmer months as there are multiple buildings and some fun outdoor play areas too. Gana Art Park, previously named Jangheung Art Park, was established in 1984. Today there is an art museum, performance hall, and a children’s experience center. There is an outdoor sculpture park and a playground too. This is really a great little adventure for kiddos. Check out this other list of awesome places to take kids in Seoul if you need some more adventures.

After checking out the sculpture park and playground outside, you’ll see the Children’s Art Museum which is the main building and then three buildings with colorful facades, the Blue Space, the Red Space, and the Yellow Space. Do NOT miss the Yellow Space. You’ll want to book a time to get your kid inside as there are specific time slots and only a certain number of kiddos can go in at one time (this is not a Covid related thing either, this is normal.).

The Yellow Space houses the “Air Pocket” which you see in all of these pics. The textile work and net playground was designed by artist Toshiko Horiuchi Macadam. The entire thing was made by hand after consulting a playground structural engineering expert. It is ergonomically designed to help children move in a sense of balance and rhythm and it’s super fun. This was the first time we’d seen her artistic and playful works and since have found more. It’s a special experience to play in something so beautiful.

We really enjoyed our time visiting the Gana Art Park. I definitely recommend going when it’s warmer though so you can take full advantage of the entire space.

Address: 117 Gwonyul-ro, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기 양주시 장흥면 권율로 117)
Hours: Tuesdays ~ Sundays: 10:30am ~ 6:00pm
Days: Closed Mondays and holidays
Admission: Adults: W8,000; Teenagers: W7,000; Children Aged 2-13: W6,000
Website: www.artpark.co.kr

Jangheung Botanical Garden (장흥자생수목원)

When Covid was getting us down this year, I started looking for smaller off the beaten path botanical gardens and parks and saw this one just north of us. We ended up going four times over the summer because it was just so lovely and quite the hidden gem. If you visit at just the right time, you’ll be rewarded with an amazing azalea covered mountain view too.

The thing to know about this botanical garden is that it’s on the side of a mountain. There are no flat paths. You’ll be going up or down the entire time so don’t take any strollers. That said, it’s not so big that my little five year old couldn’t handle the paths herself. She was just fine and there were little things to see along the way so just take your time and let the little people stop off when they see the bugs, birds, and tadpoles. There were so so so many tadpoles.

There are a lot of huge parks and gardens in Seoul, but there are some just lovely smaller parks and botanical gardens that help when trying to be socially distanced. Don’t overlook these lovely smaller parks. We have really enjoyed this one. Take some snacks and some bug catching equipment and the kids will have a grand time.

Address: 161-3 Seokhyeon-ri, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기 양주시 장흥면 석현리 산 161-3)
Hours: Every day: 9:00am ~ 5:30pm
Admission: Adults: W6,000; Children: W5,000

Chang Ucchin Museum of Art, Jangheung, Yangju, Korea

Chang Ucchin Museum of Art (양주시립장욱진미술관)

This space is a bit more equally interesting for adults and kids than the first artistic spot I mentioned. The Chang Ucchin Museum of Art has some fun installations outside which are great for the kiddos to check out and the indoor area is a bit more interesting for the adults. Chang Ucchin is a representative contemporary Korean artist. The museum opened in 2014 and was designed by Choi Pereira Architecture and used Chang Ucchin’s tiger painting “Hojak-do” for the concept. It’s a beautiful building with exhibition rooms, video rooms, lecture rooms, and archive lounges.

This space doesn’t take as long to enjoy as the first museum, but is a fun stop on the way up to Majang Lake which is where we had lunch afterward.

Address: 193 Gwonyul-ro, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기 양주시 장흥면 권율로 193)
Hours: Tuesdays ~ Sundays: 10:00am ~ 6:00pm
Days: CLOSED Mondays & holidays
Admission: Adults: W5,000; Children: W1,000
Website: http://www.yangju.go.kr/changucchin/index.do

Ilyeong Herb Land (일영허브랜드)

Having visited “herb lands” further away like the Herb Village close to the DMZ, and Farm Kamille in Taean-gun, I wondered if all of them were just as large and beautiful. The answer is no, but there are other reasons to visit. We visited this herb farm in the spring for Parent’s Day and had the spot really to ourselves.

Because it’s not the largest spot and not the most beautiful, there are pros like having more space to walk and getting to do the experiences alone. There were some goats for Ava to greet and then we found the experience center in the back. Walk through the greenhouse and find the entrance to a small holistic shop where you can ask to have a foot bath or do one of the other experiences. When we visited, I noticed they were just opening a NEW building with the foot bath experience right out front too so note that there are two different places to partake in the experience: the new building right at the entrance which is also a café and there’s another experience center further in at the greenhouse area.

We never pass up a nature spot and though this isn’t the largest place, it was actually great for us and the footbath was the perfect Parent’s Day treat.

Address: 346-26 Iryeong-ro, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기 양주시 장흥면 일영로 346-26)
Hours: Every day March – November: 10:00am ~ 9:00pm; Every day December – February: 10:00am ~ 8:00pm

Other Spots To Check Out

There are more places and spaces in the small Jangheung-eub area that we haven’t quite visited but I have on my list. Want to beat me to it? Here is another spot on my list to check out.

Songam Stars Valley (재단법인 송암스페이스센터): Looks to be a space observatory and museum.

Address: 103 Gwonyul-ro, 185 beon-gil, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do (경기 양주시 장흥면 권율로185번길 103)
Hours: Tuesday – Friday: 11:00am ~ 9:00pm; Saturday: 11:00am ~ 9:30pm
Website: www.starsvalley.com

Make a day of it and see how many of these cool spots in Jangheung you can visit. See a sign that looks interesting and pull over and check it out. There was a sign for a sculpture park and art park that I saw too but didn’t get the chance to visit yet. See what you can see and have some fun with the kiddos in Jangheung in Yangju north of Seoul soon. Fun is indeed afoot.

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