My Friend Seoul Gallery: The Free Kids Space Hiding Inside Seoul City Hall

No ticket. No reservation. No one tells you about it. Here’s everything you need to know.

Visited July 2026 · With a 3.5-year-old · Spent nearly 2 hours

Seoul City Hall plaza — the gallery entrance is just inside the Seoul Metropolitan Library (the building behind the plaza)

Seoul City Hall is one of those landmarks you walk past without a second thought. You’ve seen it in photos — the bold green wave of glass hovering over the old colonial building — and then you move on to Gyeongbokgung or Myeongdong.

But walk inside, take the elevator to Basement Level 2, and you’ll find something that most tourists completely miss: My Friend Seoul Gallery (내 친구 서울 서울갤러리) — a free, fully-indoors cultural complex with a kids’ play lounge, media exhibitions, a souvenir shop, and an actual Joseon-era archaeological site.

My daughter (3.5 years old) played there for nearly two hours. That almost never happens.

What Is My Friend Seoul Gallery?

My Friend Seoul Gallery (내 친구 서울 서울갤러리) is a cultural complex run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government inside the basement of Seoul City Hall’s New Building — the dramatic wave-shaped glass structure next to the old Japanese colonial-era building.

It opened as a space for Seoulites and visitors to explore the city’s past, present, and vision for the future — but in a genuinely immersive, interactive way. Think media art, large-scale architectural models, and a surprisingly well-designed kids’ play area, not a dusty government exhibit.

The space is divided into zones labeled A through G:

The gallery map — zones A through G, with the Kids Lounge at E and the Seoul My Soul Shop at G

How to Get There

The easiest way in: Seoul Metropolitan Library (서울도서관), which is the old colonial building facing the plaza. Walk through the main entrance, find the elevator, and go down to B2. Signs in English will guide you from there.

Enter through the Seoul Metropolitan Library — the old building facing the plaza

Take the elevator down to B1 (or B2) — stroller-friendly all the way

Getting there from popular areas

From Myeongdong: Walk 10–12 minutes north, or take Line 2 one stop to City Hall Station (Exit 4).
From Gyeongbokgung / Gwanghwamun: Walk south through Gwanghwamun Square (~15 minutes).
From Hongdae: Line 2 direct to City Hall Station, about 25 minutes.
From Itaewon: Line 6 → transfer at Samgakji to Line 4 → Hoehyeon → walk, or taxi (10 minutes).
By car: Paid parking available at Seoul City Hall underground parking lot.

Inside the Gallery: What to Expect

As soon as you come off the elevator, the gallery opens up in front of you. It’s bigger than it looks from the entrance — most people walk in expecting a small room and end up spending over an hour.

My Friend Seoul Exhibition Hall 1 & 2

Before heading to the Kids Lounge, we walked through the two main exhibition halls. These cover Seoul’s history, present, and future through digital media and interactive displays — and they’re genuinely impressive, not the dry government-exhibit type you might expect.

Exhibition Hall 2 — large-scale media art about Seoul’s vision and growth

Exhibition Hall 1 — interactive displays and a 1:1600 scale model of all of Seoul

Even if you don’t have kids, these halls alone are worth 20–30 minutes. Everything has English explanations, and the 1:1600 scale model of Seoul is oddly mesmerizing.

The Kids Lounge — Why Toddlers Won’t Want to Leave

The Kids Lounge is themed around Haechi — Seoul’s official mascot, a mythical guardian beast that looks like a lion covered in scales. The concept is that kids join Haechi and the “Dalal Guardian Squad” to complete missions throughout the space, which gives the whole area a narrative flow that keeps young children engaged.

We arrived around 1pm on a weekend and it was manageable. By 2pm it started filling up fast. If you’re visiting on a weekend, aim to arrive before 1pm.

Haechi’s Magic Bubble — Most Popular Spot

The activity that drew the biggest crowd — and where my daughter spent the most time — is an interactive ball game where kids throw balls at on-screen characters from the Dalal Guardian Squad to complete missions. It’s not just a ball pit; it’s a full interactive game, which is why kids keep going back for more rounds.

Haechi’s Magic Bubble — the most popular station. Expect a queue on busy weekend afternoons.

Meet the Dalal Guardian Squad

Haechi and the Dalal Guardian Squad — Seoul’s official characters, featured throughout the lounge

Postcard Coloring Station

Kids can pick up a postcard and color it in at the art station. Completed postcards are theirs to keep — a nice little free souvenir. Simple but always a hit.

Free postcard coloring activity — kids take their finished cards home

Haechi’s Construction Zone — Big Blocks

Oversized foam blocks that kids can stack, arrange, and build with. There’s always a crowd here, and kids tend to stay a long time. My daughter built “a house and a really long road” and was deeply satisfied.

Haechi’s Construction Zone — big foam blocks, always popular

Dalal 9988 Lab

A science-themed activity zone where kids can do simple hands-on experiments. It’s quieter than the ball game station and great for kids who need a change of pace.

Seoul My Soul Shop — Best Unique Souvenirs in the City

Right next to the Kids Lounge is the Seoul My Soul Shop — Seoul’s official city souvenir store. Skip the generic tourist shops near the palaces; this is where you’ll find things you actually want to buy.

Seoul Ramen, Seoul Jjajang, Haechi goods — items exclusive to the Seoul My Soul Shop

Highlights include Seoul-branded instant ramen (Seoul Ramen and Seoul Jjajang — actual instant noodles with the city’s branding), Haechi character goods, tote bags, stationery, and other items you can only get here. Prices are city-set, so nothing is marked up. Parents tend to browse here longer than the kids do.

Gungi-si Relics Exhibition Hall

When Seoul City Hall’s new building was constructed, excavations uncovered relics from the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897) — specifically from the Gungi-si, the government office that produced military weapons and equipment. Instead of building over it, the site was preserved and turned into an in-situ exhibition.

You’re literally looking at a 600-year-old archaeological site in the basement of a modern government building. It’s a quick walk-through (5–10 minutes), but surprisingly moving if you appreciate that kind of layered history. Everything has English explanations.

Seoul Book Store

A small, curated bookstore featuring books about Seoul — city planning, culture, history, architecture — plus some goods and stationery. There are picture books for kids too. Good spot to decompress if the lounge gets crowded.

Before You Leave: The Tong Tong Tour

On the 1st floor of Seoul City Hall, there’s a free guided tour called the Tong Tong Tour — and on weekends, it’s conducted entirely in English. No reservation required, just show up.

When You Walk Out

Seoul Plaza right outside — in summer, kids can play in the ground fountain for free. In winter, it becomes an ice rink.

Step outside and you land directly on Seoul Plaza (서울광장). In summer, there’s a free ground fountain where kids run through water jets — bring a change of clothes. In winter (Dec–Feb), it becomes a public ice rink. Right across the road is Deoksugung Palace, where a free Royal Guard Ceremony runs daily at 11am, 2pm, and 3:30pm (closed Mondays).

This area has a full day’s worth of things to do — Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Cheonggyecheon Stream and more are all walkable from here.

Combine Your Visit: Klook Picks

Where to Stay Nearby

The Plaza Seoul Autograph Collection

5-star luxury directly across from Seoul City Hall — you can see the plaza from the windows. Marriott Autograph Collection property. The most iconic location of the four.