Museum SAN Wonju Review 2026: Lee Bae Exhibition & Scenic Gardens

If you're looking for a peaceful place to walk, explore, and relax

with your parents or family,

I highly recommend the Lee Bae solo exhibition

<En attendant: Waiting>

running until December at Museum SAN in Wonju!

From the exhibition to a leisurely garden stroll,

it's the perfect outing for the beautiful September and October weather.

I'll cover everything from Museum SAN admission fees, parking, merchandise, and top viewing tips 👇

1. Museum SAN Wonju: Basic Information, Location, Parking

Museum SAN is located within Oak Valley, Wonju, Gangwon-do.

Museum SAN Basic Information

📅Period: April 7 ~ December 6, 2026

⏱️Hours: 10 AM ~ 6 PM (Ticket office closes at 5 PM, Closed Mondays)

🅿️Parking: 196 spaces available across Parking Lots 1-4

Bamkki visited during the May holidays,

and this was the parking situation on a Sunday lunchtime.

There were spots available, but it wasn't overly spacious.

Keep in mind that it's likely to be even busier during the upcoming Chuseok holiday!

2. Museum SAN Lee Bae Exhibition: Admission Fees & Ticket Types

Museum SAN tickets can be purchased on-site at the Welcome Center,

or reserved in advance on the website.

Online Price = On-site Price (No price difference)

However, if there are many people, you might have to wait in line to purchase,

so it's more convenient to book online during holidays.

If you only want to see Lee Bae's exhibition, like Bamkki,

the Basic Pass is sufficient.

👉 Ticketing and Guide Information: www.museumsan.org

3. Museum SAN Gift Shop & Flower Garden, Water Garden

After ticket verification, you'll enter behind the Welcome Center and

first encounter the gift shop.

During Lee Bae's exhibition period,

there were many goods inspired by his works,

with a focus on living items such as Gwangjuyo collaboration ceramics.

The goods featured the artist Lee Bae's characteristic

black lines and rough charcoal textures, creating

a mysterious vibe (though the prices were a bit intimidating!).

From the Welcome Center, you don't go directly to the exhibition halls;

you pass through the Sculpture Garden, Flower Garden, and Water Garden.

The entire route is 700m, which is not short,

so I recommend wearing comfortable shoes!

* Strollers are permitted and available for rent.

The path is a bit long, but it offers continuously beautiful scenery like this.

The sky has been beautiful lately,

so it would be perfect to visit during the Chuseok holiday or early October 💞

At the Water Garden, the sky reflected in the water is also beautiful,

making it a favorite spot for many visitors, especially mothers!!

This is Museum SAN's most famous view, isn't it!?

Everyone takes several photos here before heading inside haha!

4. Lee Bae <Waiting> Exhibition Review

The title of artist Lee Bae's solo exhibition, En attendant,

means While Waiting in French.

The waiting for wood to endure fire and become charcoal,

and the cycle of creation and extinction are the themes of the exhibition.

Right from the exhibition hall entrance,

a massive pillar of charcoal chunks!

I had only ever seen artist Lee Bae's works in photos until now...

but seeing it in person, I could truly feel the immense scale.

This piece is made by stacking individual charcoal pieces,

reaching 8m high and weighing 7 tons.

The first part of the exhibition is the Cheongjo Gallery,

and since there's a limit on the number of visitors,

I waited for about 5 minutes before entering.

The artworks weren't hung on the walls;

it seemed to be for artwork protection + visitor safety.

The brushstrokes felt powerful,

and it was fascinating how each piece had different shades and textures.

While the artworks themselves were wonderful,

the Museum SAN space, designed by Tadao Ando,

really complemented them perfectly! 😍

For the next space, you have to take off your shoes!

They hand out shoe bags to everyone.

If you're barefoot, you'll have to wear disposable shoe covers,

so it's more comfortable to wear socks. Lol.

In this entirely white space,

paper, for artist Lee Bae,

signifies a medium that receives and diffuses light.

The artwork on the wall looked like brushstrokes,

but when I looked closer, I realized it was created by

directly embedding something like staples into the wall.

The next space is where massive chunks of charcoal are gathered.

It's truly impressive that they didn't just display individual artworks,

but designed each space with a distinct theme,

curating the exhibition in such a thoughtful way.

In the middle, there was also a room with the artist's brushstroke video

playing on a 9m LED screen...

And then, there was an outdoor exhibition too!

The photo on the left was taken looking outside

while passing through the exhibition space,

and you can also go outside at the very end.

Six bronze sculptures, each about 10m tall,

were designed to align with the height of the building's roof and the surrounding trees.

Not only the spaces themselves, but also how the exhibition was designed

to harmonize with the surrounding natural environment

made it feel even more magnificent! ⭐

📝Museum SAN Checklist for Chuseok and October Holidays

✔️Check closing days: Closed every Monday

✔️Reduce waiting time by pre-booking the basic pass

✔️Comfortable shoes + socks

✔️Ticket sales close: 5 PM

For Chuseok and October holidays, I highly recommend Museum SAN

and the Lee Bae <En attendant> exhibition as a fantastic place to visit in Gangwon-do!

It will be even more beautiful in October and November when the leaves change color,

so if you're planning a holiday outing, definitely check it out! 💞