Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
福井県立恐竜博物館
One of the world's three major dinosaur museums. Its egg-shaped exhibition hall displays dozens of full skeletons, making it a top choice for family trips.
The museum is in Katsuyama City. Its silver egg-shaped building was designed by Kisho Kurokawa, and it reopened in 2023 after an expansion. The museum has about 50 full dinosaur skeletons, including the Fukuiraptor and Fukuisaurus, both excavated locally in Fukui. There is also a moving Tyrannosaurus rex model and a fossil-digging experience, which costs extra. Adult admission is about 1,000 yen. Opening hours are 9:00 to 17:00, and the museum is closed on the second and fourth Wednesdays, except in summer, when it is open every day. Time slots must be booked online in advance.
Getting there: from Fukui Station, take the Echizen Railway Katsuyama Eiheiji Line to Katsuyama Station, which takes about 55 minutes, then transfer to a bus for about 15 minutes. There is also a direct bus from Fukui Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Opening hours
09:00–17:00 (closed 2nd and 4th Wednesdays; open through summer break)
Nearby sights
- Echizen Daibutsu
- Heisen-ji Hakusan Shrine
- Echizen-Ōno Castle
- Eihei-ji Temple
- Karikomi Pond
- Ichijōdani Asakura Family Historic Ruins
- Maruoka Castle
- Yōkōkan Garden