Gyeongju National Museum

by martinroell · CC BY-SA 2.0

Home of the Silla gold crowns and of Korea's largest bronze bell, cast for a dead king's soul.

Gyeongju was the Silla capital for nearly a thousand years, and everything dug from the mounds around the city ends up here. The gold room holds the Silla crowns — thin sheet gold bent into trees and antlers, hung with curved jade commas — so fragile that scholars believe they were made for burial rather than wearing. Outside hangs the Emille bell, cast in 771 and weighing close to nineteen tonnes; a grim legend says a child had to be given to the furnace before it would ring, and that its tone is the child calling for its mother. The bell is no longer struck; a recording is played instead.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Gyeongju National Museum?

Year-round

How much does it cost to visit Gyeongju National Museum?

Free

How long do you need at Gyeongju National Museum?

2 hours

What are the opening hours of Gyeongju National Museum?

10:00–18:00; to 19:00 on Sundays and holidays; late opening to 21:00 on Saturdays (March–December) and the last Wednesday of the month

Did you know

It displays the gold crowns excavated from the Silla mounds at Gyeongju.
The Emille bell (Divine Bell of King Seongdeok) was cast in 771 and weighs about 18.9 tonnes.
It is Korea's oldest national museum, with roots going back to 1913.
Entry to the permanent galleries is free.

Travel tips

Start in the gold room, then go out to the bell.
The bell is no longer rung; a recording plays at set times.
It is minutes from Wolji pond, so pair them in one late afternoon.

Source: https://gyeongju.museum.go.kr/kor/html/sub01/0101.html

Updated: 2026-08-04