Seoul Children's Grand Park With Kids: Our Family Experience Through Four Seasons
Living in Seoul with children, we have discovered that some of the best family places are not necessarily places we need to plan a special trip to visit. Over time, they simply become part of everyday life.
For our family, Seoul Children’s Grand Park (서울어린이대공원) is one of those places.
We have visited the park many times and in every season. Sometimes we go for a longer outing and visit the zoo, botanical garden or amusement park. At other times, our visit is much simpler. We walk, the children play, we bring badminton rackets, or they spend some time on the swings.
And sometimes, especially when the weather is pleasant, we go there after dinner simply to walk.
Because we have returned so many times over the years, I no longer think of Seoul Children’s Grand Park only as an attraction for children. For us, it has become one of those familiar places in Seoul where we can spend time outdoors together without needing much preparation.
Why We Keep Going Back
One reason we like Seoul Children’s Grand Park is that every visit does not have to be the same.
If we have more time, there is plenty to do. The park has a zoo, playgrounds, an amusement park and large areas for walking and relaxing. We have also visited the botanical garden over the years, although it is currently closed for renovation.
But we do not always need an attraction.
Sometimes the children simply want to play. We can walk around the park, play badminton or stop at the swings. These ordinary visits are one of the reasons the park has remained enjoyable for our family even as the children have grown.
It can be a destination for a family day out, but it can also simply be a place to go outside.
Seoul Children’s Grand Park Through Four Seasons
One of the things I appreciate most about returning to the same park throughout the year is seeing how much it changes.
We have photos of Seoul Children’s Grand Park in all four seasons, and when I look at them together, the same familiar paths can seem like completely different places.
Spring
Spring is one of the most beautiful times for us to visit Seoul Children’s Grand Park. Cherry blossoms appear throughout the park, changing paths and open spaces that we have walked through many times during other seasons.
Some areas become especially beautiful when the trees are in full bloom. People walk beneath the blossoms, sit on the grass and spend time outdoors, and the whole atmosphere feels different from only a few weeks earlier.
Because we live nearby, we can see these changes gradually rather than visiting only once during the blossom season. For us, spring does not necessarily mean planning a special day at the zoo or amusement park. Sometimes we simply come to walk among the flowering trees and enjoy the park as it changes again.
Summer
Summer gives the park a completely different atmosphere. The trees become thick and green, providing shade along many of the walking paths.
Seoul summers can be hot and humid, so the time of day matters. We often find the evening more comfortable for being outside, especially when we just want to walk rather than spend a full day at the park.
Autumn
Autumn is one of my favorite seasons at Seoul Children’s Grand Park.
Because we visit regularly, we can gradually see the scenery changing from green to yellow, orange and deep red. Paths that are very familiar to us begin to look completely different.
The cooler weather also makes walking more comfortable after the heat of summer. Fallen leaves cover parts of the paths, while the trees create layers of autumn color above them.
We do not necessarily come to the park for a particular attraction every time. In autumn, simply walking along these paths can be the main reason for going.
That is one of the things I enjoy about returning to the same place throughout the year. We notice changes that we might miss if we visited only once.
Some areas become especially colorful, with green, yellow, orange and red leaves appearing almost side by side. It is a completely different atmosphere from the same park in spring or summer.
Winter
Winter is quieter and has a completely different feeling.
Without the thick green leaves and bright colors of the warmer months, the landscape becomes simpler. The trees, paths and open spaces become more visible, and the park can feel much calmer.
On snowy days, the atmosphere changes even more. The white ground, bare trees and quieter paths make the same familiar park look completely different from spring, summer or autumn.
Visiting the Zoo
The zoo (동물원) is one of the places that makes Seoul Children’s Grand Park especially attractive for families with children.
Because we can return whenever we want, visiting the zoo does not have to become a full-day event for us. Sometimes we include it as just one part of a longer walk through the park.
Winter visits can feel especially different. Some animals are outside even when there is snow, while animals that are more sensitive to cold weather may spend more time indoors.
The zoo itself is free to enter. Its regular viewing hours are currently 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., although operating conditions can change depending on weather, animal conditions or other circumstances.
The Botanical Garden
We have also visited the botanical garden (식물원) during our visits over the years.
It offers a very different experience from walking outdoors. On a winter day, the contrast can be especially noticeable: outside, the park may be covered with snow, while inside the greenhouse there are tropical plants, palms and other greenery.
One display inside the garden also explains an interesting part of its history. Tropical plants, including palm, mango and banana trees, were brought from Vietnam and planted here in the early 1970s.
There is an important update for anyone planning a visit now. As of September 2026, the botanical garden is temporarily closed for renovation. The closure began on May 27, 2026, and reopening is currently expected in the second half of 2027.
The botanical garden photos in this post are therefore from our visits before the renovation and remain part of our family’s experience of the park over the years.
The Amusement Park
Another part of Seoul Children’s Grand Park that children can enjoy is the amusement park (놀이동산).
It gives families another option when they want something more active than walking around the park or visiting the animals.
Entrance to Seoul Children’s Grand Park itself is free, but amusement rides and some other activities inside the park have separate charges.
For our family, however, the amusement park is only one part of the larger park. We do not need to use the rides every time we visit in order to enjoy being there.
Sometimes We Just Go There to Play
Some of our simplest visits probably say the most about what Seoul Children’s Grand Park means to our family.
The children can play on the swings, and sometimes we bring badminton rackets and play together. Other times, we simply walk.
There is no need to organize a complicated activity.
This is something I have come to appreciate about having a large public park nearby. Children do not always need a carefully planned outing. Sometimes they just need space to move, play and spend some time outdoors.
Our After-Dinner Walks
We also sometimes go to Seoul Children’s Grand Park after dinner.
These visits are very different from going during the daytime to see the zoo or enjoy the attractions. We are not trying to see or do everything. We simply go outside and walk.
After a day of work and school, an evening walk gives us a chance to move, talk and spend some time outside together before going home.
The park itself stays open much later than daytime attractions such as the zoo. The current general park hours are 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., which means the walking areas can still be enjoyed in the evening after many individual facilities have closed.
For me, these simple evening visits show another side of living in Seoul. A place that might be a sightseeing destination for someone visiting the city can become part of ordinary neighborhood life for the people who live nearby.
Getting to Seoul Children’s Grand Park
Seoul Children’s Grand Park is located in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, at 216 Neungdong-ro.
For visitors using public transportation, Children’s Grand Park Station (어린이대공원역) on Subway Line 7, Exit 1 is convenient for the main entrance. Achasan Station (아차산역) on Subway Line 5, Exit 4 provides access from the other side of the park.
Entrance to Seoul Children’s Grand Park itself is free, so visitors can enjoy the walking areas and general park environment without buying an admission ticket. Some individual facilities and activities inside the park have separate fees.
Because operating hours and facility availability can change, especially during renovations or maintenance, it is a good idea to check the official Seoul Children’s Grand Park website before visiting.
More Than a Children’s Attraction for Us
If someone asked me what there is to do at Seoul Children’s Grand Park, I could easily give them a list: the zoo, botanical garden, amusement park, playgrounds and walking areas.
But that list would not really explain why our family keeps going back.
We have seen the park turn green in summer, fill with color in autumn, become quiet in winter and come back to life again in spring. Our children have visited the animals and enjoyed the attractions, but they have also done very ordinary things there—playing badminton, using the swings and walking with us after dinner.
After visiting so many times, the park does not feel like somewhere we need to go “sightseeing.”
It is simply one of those places in Seoul that has become part of our family’s everyday life.
