Visiting Moominland Jeju, Jeju-do
While Jeju is most famously known for its various outdoor activities and natural wonders, including stunning mountain hikes and grandiose waterfalls, the island offers an equal number of fun indoor activities as well. Such activities are especially fitting if you choose to visit Jeju during its monsoon season, which runs from mid-June to early October. There are a number of indoor attractions on the island to pick from, including the ARTE Museum, Haenyeo Museum, Teddy Bear Museum and more. However, there was one particular place that caught my eye during my last stay: Moominland Jeju, a multi-story museum, exhibition space, and café dedicated to the famous Finnish comic book and cartoon series Moomin. Intrigued, I decided to check it out for myself.
This post will cover all you need to know about Moominland Jeju, including how to get there, what you can expect, and more. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
A History of Moomin
Moominland Jeju is dedicated to the beloved children’s book and comic strip series Moomin. Created by author Tove Jansson and published from 1945-1993, Moomin tells the story of the Moomins—a family of eccentric white, round, and long-snouted trolls—their friends, and all their many adventures together. The success of the novels and comics in Finland and its neighboring countries inspired the creation of various Moomin television shows and films, including the popular Dutch-Japanese-Finnish animated series Moomin. This show is said to have started the ‘Moomin Boom’ (lit. muumibuumi in Finnish), during which Moomin became globally recognized and merchandizing for the brand exploded. Following this boom was the opening of many Moomin theme parks, stores, and cafés around the world, including Korea’s own Moominland Jeju which opened in 2020.
Getting There
Moominland Jeju is located on the western side of Seogwipo. You can get there via public transportation or by car.
Bus
From Jeju City: From the Jeju International Airport take either Bus no. 151 from the Jeju International Airport 4 bus stop [제주국제공항4 (대정,화순,일주서로)] or Airport Bus no. 600 from the Jeju International Airport (600) bus stop [제주국제공항 (600번)]. Take either bus to the 동과육거리 bus stop. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see a six-way intersection. From there, walk to the bus stop next to the Paik’s Coffee and board Bus no. 752-2. Take this bus to the 상천리 stop. From there, it’s a short 1-minute walk to the museum. In total, the trip takes about 1 hour 15 minutes.
From Seogwipo: From the Seogwipo Bus Terminal take either Bus no. 282 from the Jeju World Cup Stadium Seogwipo Bus Terminal bus stop [제주월드컵뎡기장 서귀포버스터미널(북)], or Bus no. 600 from the Jeju World Cup Stadium [제주월드컵뎡기장 (600번)]. Take either bus to the 동과육거리 bus stop which is located at a six-way intersection. From there, walk to the bus stop next to the Paik’s Coffee and board Bus no. 752-2. Take this bus to the 상천리 stop. From there, it’s a short 1-minute walk to the museum. The route with Bus no. 282 takes about 54 minutes while Bus no. 600 takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Car
By car, it will take about 30 minutes from Jeju City to drive to Moominland Jeju. Alternatively, if staying in Seogwipo, it will take anywhere between 20-30 minutes from the Seogwipo Bus Terminal.
Exploring Moominland Jeju
After arriving at the museum, you will be directed towards the basement entrance where you can purchase your ticket.
Tickets are 15,000 won for adults, 14,000 won for teens, and 12,000 for children. Jeju residences, seniors over 65, disabled, and veterans can all receive a 4,000 won discount.
After purchasing your ticket, you can begin to explore the museum starting from the basement and working your way up to the top. There are stairs along with an elevator to get to each floor.
Upon entering the museum, a giant Moomin statue was there to greet me.
First up is the Exhibition Hall which provides a timeline of Tove Jansson’s life, including her early upbringing and artistic works prior to Moomin. This area also features many of Jansson’s original illustrations of the Moomins.
Next up is a space dedicated to introducing the various Moomin characters. Some of the descriptions were quite funny and charming.
Going further is a small room dedicated to showcasing the original Moomin novels.
The next room holds what is perhaps the main attraction: a recreation of Moominvalley featuring a 10-meter-high replica of the Moomin house. You can enter the house and explore all the different characters’ rooms. I found this area to be very cute and appreciated all the little decorative details put into each space.
Moving on from Moominvalley was a series of rooms recreating scenes from the comic and later-made film Moomins on the Riviera. There was also a galley room which projected animated landscapes of Moominvalley.
The last stop in the exhibition is a space where guests can participate in Moomin-themed games and crafts. This area was especially popular among the younger kids.
Café and Gift Shop
After the museum is the Moomin Café which serves a variety of foods and drinks themed after Moomin, including character-shaped pancakes, hot lattes, and teas. I opted for an iced lemon tangerine tea which didn’t have any special decoration to it, but it was good nevertheless! Near the café is also an outdoor seating area, but since it was raining I didn’t go outside.
Down a flight of stairs from the café is the gift shop. I ended up purchasing a Moominland Jeju mug, a postcard, and a Moomin novel translated into Korean.
Nearby Attractions
After you’re done, there’s a number of nearby attractions to visit next. Very close to Moominland Jeju is Hello Kitty Island and the Osulloc Tea Museum. If the weather’s good, you can also head to Camellia Hill, a 20-hectare arboretum containing 6,000 camellia trees and 500 different species of plants. Further south is Jeju’s famous waterside cliffs Daepo Jusangjeolli and the Teddy Bear Museum.
If you want to eat something afterwards, there’s a decent restaurant located nearby that you can walk to. They have a small menu featuring bibimbap, spicy beep soup with rice, and Korean pancakes. They’re open daily from 11:00-20:00, closed on every odd-numbered Sunday.
Conclusion
Overall, I had a wonderful time at Moominland Jeju and I would recommend checking it out if you’re a fan of Moomin or are looking for a fun indoor activity suited for the whole family! Another character-based attraction in Jeju is Hello Kitty Island, which is talked about much more often than Moominland Jeju. However, in my personal experience, Hello Kitty Island— while cute— is more of a giant playground for kids than an actual museum. Moominland has a larger educational aspect that can be enjoyed by adults while also offering fun activities which keep kids engaged.
Additional Information
Hours:
Museum: 10:00-19:00 daily (doors close 18:00)
Café: 10:30-19:00 (laster order 18:30)
Address:
제주 서귀포시 안덕면 병악로 420
Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea