Oct 7, 2024 - 3 min read

The Fukui Dinosaur Museum

One of the largest dinosaur museums in the world!

Community writer

The Fukui Dinosaur Museum is an excellent place to wander around if you love dinosaurs. It’s a great place to take the kids, to go on a date, or just to explore in general!

The museum looks like an egg that was laid by a dinosaur

The Fukui Dinosaur Museum is one of the largest dinosaur museums in the world! It was first opened in 2000, and after a brief, 7 month-long closure in 2022-2023 for renovations and refurbishments, the Museum was reopened last summer in July 2023.

With 50 real-size dinosaur skeletons displayed as permanent exhibitions at the Fukui Dinosaur Museum, the whole exhibition hall simulates a life-size diorama of the dinosaurs’ surroundings – and how they used to live. Dinosaur animatronics are also used in the exhibition halls, so visitors are able to observe (and be surprised) by how these massive reptiles used to move and behave.

Huge dioramas with working animatronics give visitors a glimpse of how dinosaurs used to live

A T-Rex animatronic sits in the middle of an exhibition hall, roaring at the visitors passing by

The museum has 50 real-sized dinosaur exhibits as part of their permanent exhibition

Fukui, the proclaimed Dinosaur Prefecture of Japan, is where about 80% of all dinosaur fossils have been found in the country. In 1980, fossils from ancient crocodiles, and teeth from carnivorous dinosaurs were found in Fukui’s Katsuyama city. From 1989 to 1999, full-scale excavations revealed more bone and teeth fossils, revealing nine dinosaur species unique to Japan!

Six of the nine species of dinosaur fossils that were discovered in Fukui have been given names for the place that they were found: the Fukuisaurus, Fukuiraptor, Fukuititan, Fukuivenator, Koshisaurus katsuyama, and Fukuipteryx. Paleontologists continue to discover more specimens, and many significant discoveries have been made in Katsuyama over the last 30 years. It is no surprise that Fukui became one of the centres for dinosaur research all around the world!

A giant atrium near the entrance of the museum features 5 models of the dinosaurs found in Fukui

The Fukui Dinosaur Museum features the evolution of the giant dinosaurs and the early appearance of mammals, as well as Earth Science exhibitions. Information on geographical phenomena, and actual specimens of rocks and minerals that occur naturally are displayed for visitors to interact with and observe.

The Museum is an excellent place to take kids to! It is well equipped with outdoor playground equipment and parks to relax in if the weather is nice. There are indoor playrooms with scenic views over the museum grounds, and comfy couches and vending machines with coffee and other beverages for parents and guardians to enjoy. There are also special dinosaur-themed meals that are available on the kids menu for your little ones!

Special dino-themed curry rice on the kids menu

The Tyrannosaurus Monument, right by a big park with dinosaur-themed playground equipment!

In order to get to the Dinosaur Museum, you will first need to make your way to Fukui Station. With many dinosaurs to greet you in and around the station, it seems that Fukui City has really leaned into being the Dinosaur Prefecture of Japan!

If you’re coming from Tokyo, catch the Hokuriku Shinkansen (bound for Tsuruga) directly to Fukui Station. The journey takes about 2 hours and 55 minutes, and is 7 stops long.

If you’re coming from Kansai or Aichi, the JR Thunderbird or the Shirasagi trains can get you to Tsuruga Station fairly quickly. From Tsuruga Station, catch the Local Hapi Line bound for Fukui (福井), and alight after 11 stops (51 minutes) at Fukui Station.

From Fukui Station, you would need to catch a Local train on Echizen Railway (えちぜん鉄道) bound for Katsuyama. Alight at Katsuyama Station after 22 stops (54 minutes).

Tap out, and catch the Gururin Chubu Line direct for the Dinosaur Museum (恐竜博物館前). The journey takes 15–20 minutes, and is a non-stop bus service.

If you are driving to the museum, there is free parking available on site.

Tickets for the permanent exhibition cost around 1,000 JPY per adult, with discounts available for students, children, and seniors.

For more information on ticket pricing and paid experiences, please visit the Fukui Dinosaur Museum’s website.