The Sedaemun Natural History Museum of Seoul

"Located in the metropolitan area, our museum is an educational space for the young people, a cultural space for the local residents and a recreational space for the families.

We offer an opportunity to the people living in the city to encounter animals and plants easily which will encourage them to love and care for all living creatures."
-The Sedaemun Museum website



The Sedaemun Natural History Museum is Seoul's largest and only museum dedicated entirely to the presentation of the plants and animals from Seoul and around the world. It is located at the top of one of the hills in Seoul, surrounded by trees and apartment buildings. Three stories high, it is a great museum full of stuffed animals, Korean plants, and dinosaurs.

Outside the front door is a HUGE chrome apatosaur skeleton slide (just like the wooden ones that filled my room as a kid!)


The highlight of the Sedaemun Museum is definitely a cast skeleton of an Acrocanthosaurus atokensis (a new one for my list!) The skeleton is awesome, located in the main lobby and a huge draw for schoolchildren.

Acrocanthosaurus atokensis - from Texas.

Check out the high neural spines on his back! Scientists used to think it was in the Spinosaur family, but it is actually related to Allosaurus. The spines represent convergent evolution.

The main lobby with kids, Acrocanthosaur, and Xiphactinus (fish on wall)

Kids vs Dino

Look out, Kid!

"Wow!"

Tupuxuara longicristatus, a pterosaur from Brazil, swooping overhead

Pteranodon sternbergi flying over the Acrocanthosaur.
Zoom in...

...zoom in...

...full zoom. "Wonder."

Xiphactunus chasing some other prehistoric fish. (don't know which ones)

Back to Dinosaurs: Triceratops horridus

A wonderful pose, with the "Protoceratops and Velociraptor fighting fossil" behind

A cast of the famous Mongolian "Protoceratops vs Velociraptor" fossil. The two animals were found in the ground together, meaning they died together (either buried under a collapsed sand dune or in a fast-moving sandstorm!)

Stegosaurus stenops, with the famous Thagomizer on his tail.

A pair of Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis head butting - an outdated behavioral idea.
The domes were probably more likely used as a battering ram,
hitting their sides (not head-on).

A life-sized reconstruction of a mating pair of Troodon formosus - Truely Canadian Dinos!!!

The "Progression of Homonids" was very interesting, as the reconstructions looked Asian (as opposed to European - which is what most reconstructions look like!) In actuality, Asian-looking homonids make more sense as the accepted general progression of homonids is from Africa to Asia to America.

This stuffed leopord made me laugh out loud for at least 10 minutes.
Check out the drugged look on it's face and the drooping legs! Haha!
Worst stuffed animal ever!

Time for a drink in the Lobby. Very happy grape juice.

Dino Park on the roof. Stego, Brachiosaurus, and a T-Rex.

The King 'n' I.

There is much more than dinosaurs in the Sedaemun Museum - geology, volcanoes, weather, Korean history, insects etc. Everything a good natural history museum should be! I highly recommend it.

Check it out the next time you are in Seoul. You won't regret it!