Koo House: A Gapyeong Museum of Art & Design

There are some pretty cool things to do in Gapyeong just east of Seoul, but some get a bit more attention than others. The next time you take a trip to Gapyeong, bypass some of the more popular touristy destinations and find the hidden gems the locals check out.

Koo House Art Museum is one of those gems that is a fun stop for everyone and something a bit artsy to see. It’s fun. It’s colorful. It’s a great daytrip option.

Koo House Art Museum, Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, Korea

Plan a trip to Gapyeong that includes Koo House Art Museum:

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How To Get There

Address: 49-12 Munaemi-gil, Seojong-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do (경기도 양평군 서종면 무내미길 49-12 (문호리 779-5))
By Public Transportation: Take a train out to Yangsu Station and outside of exit 1, you’ll find a bus stop. Take a bus that goes to stop 46044, Seojeong Police Office/Munho Intersection. From there, you can walk.

Basic Information

Admission: Adults: W15,000; Children: W6,000
Days: CLOSED Mondays & Tuesdays
Hours: Wednesday – Friday: 1:00pm ~ 5:00pm; Saturday & Sunday & Public Holidays: 10:30am ~ 6:00pm
Notices: No food or pets allowed inside the museum. Children under 7 should be accompanied by parents. Large bags and luggage should be deposited at the checkroom upon entrance.
Website: www.koohouse.org

What To See

I love finding the arts and culture spaces in and around Korea. There are so many and this gem in Gapyeong is pretty easy to get to. Koo House (구하우스 미술관) is a private museum that showcases a private collection of contemporary art and design works.

The concept of the museum is ‘Living with Art’. The galleries are separated into reinterpreted rooms in a house and the art has been curated through a personal view of “how paintings, sculptures, photography and furniture can come together to present a wholly intimate perspective into the works of world’s preeminent artist’s and designer’s work.”

The unique ‘Living House Museum’ concept is a house concept, but it’s definitely not inside of anything that looks like a house. The gray building has curves and straight lines that smoothly connect. Walk around the large structure and then inside and make sure to follow the halls and steps as they naturally lead you through each room of the ‘house’.

There are paintings and sculptures from floor to ceiling. And make sure to head to the garden outside and back around because there’s more art and installations to see around the outside of the building. Oh, but this is after you’ve made it up the rooftop as well. Basically, if there’s a door and it opens, follow it and see everything wherever you can.

Started in 2003 by Suh Do Ho, there are works by renowned international artists like Damien Hirst, Yoshitomo Nara, James Turrell, and Andy Warhol as well as some amazing Korean artists like Paik Nam June, Choi Jeong Hwa, and Bae Hyung Kyung.

Slow down and take your time enjoying each step because it’s packed to the brim, but in a loving way, with colorful pieces, and interesting things to see. If you’ve got a kiddo, make sure they slow down to enjoy it too.