Chuseok 2026 in Seoul: Free Palaces Sept 24-27, Museums Closed Sept 25

Image generated with ChatGPT for illustration purposes.

Chuseok, the harvest holiday, runs from Thursday 24 September to Saturday 26 September 2026. For a visitor the risk is rarely missing an event. It is arriving at a locked door on the one day a museum shuts. This guide is built closure-first: for each major state-run site in Seoul it says which of the four days (24–27 September) it opens, whether entry is free, and where the official notice says so.

Every date below comes from a notice published by the institution itself and read on 22 September 2026 (KST). Where a notice is silent, the table says "not in the notice" instead of guessing.

The short version

Site	Thu 24	Fri 25 (Chuseok Day)	Sat 26	Sun 27	Entry
Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung	Open	Open	Open	Open	Free 24–27 (Changdeokgung Secret Garden excluded)
Jongmyo Shrine	Open	Open	Open	Open	Free, no reservation needed 24–27
Joseon royal tombs	Open	Open	Open	Open	Free 24–27
National Museum of Korea	Open	Closed	Open	Open	Permanent galleries always free
National Folk Museum of Korea (Seoul)	Open	Closed	Open	Open	Free
MMCA Seoul	Open	Closed (see note)	Open	Open	Not in the notice read here

The pattern is simple once laid out: the royal heritage sites stay open all four days and waive the fee, while the big national museums close on Chuseok Day itself, Friday 25 September.

Why the holiday is Thursday to Saturday, and why Monday is a normal day

The holiday dates come from the Regulations on Holidays of Public Agencies. Checking the statute on the National Law Information Center, Article 2 item 9 lists "the day before Chuseok, Chuseok, and the day after Chuseok (lunar 14, 15 and 16 August)". In 2026 lunar 15 August falls on 25 September, which is why the National Museum of Korea lists "Chuseok (9.25. Fri)" as a closing day.

The substitute-holiday rule is Article 3. Checking the text of the current version (last amended 30 April 2026), paragraph 1 item 2 grants a substitute day when a Chuseok holiday "overlaps with a Sunday". A Saturday overlap does not count for Chuseok. So Saturday 26 September triggers nothing, and Monday 28 September is an ordinary working day. Plan return trips accordingly: public agencies are back to normal working hours on Monday.

The Korea Heritage Service still extended its free opening to Sunday 27 September, one day past the legal holiday.

Palaces, Jongmyo and royal tombs: free for four days

The Korea Heritage Service press release of 18 September 2026 states that from Thursday 24 September to Sunday 27 September the four palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung), Jongmyo Shrine and the Joseon royal tombs open free of charge. Two details in the notice matter for planning:

• Changdeokgung's Secret Garden (Huwon) is excluded. The palace grounds are free; the garden keeps its separate paid ticket.
• Jongmyo drops its reservation requirement. The shrine normally runs on timed, reserved entry. During these four days visitors can walk in.

At Gyeongbokgung the guard ceremonies run without advance booking: the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony at 10:00 and 14:00, the guard duty ceremony at 11:00 and 13:00, and the guard patrol at 15:00. The notice gives phone lines for questions: the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center on +82-2-6450-3834 and the program help line 1522-2295.

What the notice does not give: opening hours for each palace during the holiday, crowd or entry caps, and any change to the last-entry time. Those are listed as "not in the notice" here rather than filled in from older years.

National Museum of Korea: closed on 25 September only

The National Museum of Korea visitor page lists three closing days for 2026: 1 January, Seollal (17 February) and Chuseok (25 September). That makes Thursday 24, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September normal opening days.

Hours from the same page:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday: 09:30–17:30 (last entry 17:00)
• Wednesday and Saturday: 09:30–21:00 (last entry 20:30)
• Outdoor garden: 07:00–22:00

So Saturday 26 September is a late-opening night at the museum. The permanent galleries, the children's museum and free special exhibitions cost nothing; only paid special exhibitions need a ticket. The children's museum runs on timed reservations every day.

National Folk Museum of Korea: closed on 25 September, no guided tours all weekend

The folk museum sits on the Gyeongbokgung grounds, and its own page notes that Gyeongbokgung admission is normally paid; during 24–27 September the palace side is free. Its visitor information page lists "Chuseok Day (2026. 9. 25.)" as a closing day, alongside 1 January, Seollal and temporary closures earlier in the year. Admission is free, and from March to October it opens 09:00–18:00, with last entry one hour before closing.

Checking the notices posted on that same page turns up a detail the palace press release does not mention: exhibition commentary (guided tours) is suspended from 24 to 27 September. The galleries open on 24, 26 and 27 September, but without docent tours. The page also notes that on weekends and public holidays part of the outdoor exhibition area is closed to entry for safety reasons.

MMCA Seoul: "Chuseok" as a closing day

The MMCA Seoul visitor page gives hours of 10:00–18:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday and 10:00–21:00 on Wednesday and Saturday, with closing days of "1 January, Seollal, Chuseok". The page does not spell out a date. Read alongside the national museum calendar, that points to Friday 25 September, but the page itself only says "Chuseok", so call ahead or check the MMCA notice board before building a day around 24 or 26 September. The same page lists temporary closures on 8 September and 1 December, neither of which touches the holiday.

A four-day plan that avoids the locked doors

• Thursday 24: museums first (National Museum of Korea, folk museum, MMCA Seoul) while everything is open.
• Friday 25 (Chuseok Day): palaces, Jongmyo and royal tombs, which stay open and free while museums close.
• Saturday 26: Gyeongbokgung guard ceremonies in the day, then the National Museum of Korea's late opening until 21:00.
• Sunday 27: last free palace day. Changdeokgung's Secret Garden still needs its own ticket.

For festivals later in the autumn with English information, the October 2026 festival roundup lists dates and ticketing. Visitors still sorting out entry paperwork can read the K-ETA exemption guide first.

What this guide could not confirm

• Palace opening and last-entry hours for 24–27 September: the Korea Heritage Service notice does not list them.
• The exact MMCA Seoul closing date: its page says "Chuseok" without a date.
• Anything about Seoul city-run museums, private galleries, shops or restaurants: none of these are covered by the notices read here.
• Transport disruption and crowd levels: not in any of the notices.

Official notices change. If a date here and an institution's own page disagree, the institution's page wins. Sources were read on 22 September 2026 (KST).