1 hour herePrivate day from Tokyo
Customizable, with a driver
- Museum stop
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- Hours
- 10
- Price
- from $395
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Guide · Art and gardens
Hakone Open-Air Museum: what to see and how to visit
A hillside of sculpture facing the Hakone mountains, a Picasso collection and a stained-glass tower you can climb. Here is how to plan a visit, from tickets to the footbath.
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Editorial team, hakone-tour.comUpdated October 22, 2026about 6 min to read50 sources
Quick answer
A sculpture park in the mountains
The Hakone Open-Air Museum opened in 1969, set up by the Fujisankei Communications Group inside Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.7 Its founding idea was to bring sculpture out of the gallery and into the landscape, at a time when artists were making ever larger works meant for open air. The result is a museum you walk through rather than look into, with works placed on lawns, beside ponds and against the mountain skyline, so the weather and the light become part of each piece.
The museum's own figure is about 120 modern and contemporary sculptures on a site of about 70,000 square meters overlooking the Hakone mountains.8 Its exhibits page gives some 100 works by masters including Rodin, Bourdelle, Miro and Moore; the difference is a matter of counting, and either way you will not see them all in a hurry.5
Behind the outdoor works stands a far bigger collection. The foundation holds over 2,000 works, focused on modern and contemporary sculpture, and has run 21 international sculpture competitions to add to them.910 The grounds mix lawns, ponds and wooded paths, and the views across the valley change with every season.
A morning at the museum
One way to walk the grounds
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9:00
Doors open
Arrive at opening for the quietest lawns.1
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First hour
Outdoor sculpture
About 120 works on 70,000 square meters.8
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Next
Symphonic Sculpture
Climb Gabriel Loire's stained-glass tower.11
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Late morning
Picasso Pavilion
135 works in the current exhibition.12
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Before lunch
Footbath
Spring water for tired feet, with seats.13
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Midday
On to Gora
About 3 minutes up the line by Tozan train.14
The Picasso Pavilion and the indoor halls
The Picasso Pavilion at the Hakone Open-Air Museum is the reason many visitors come. The museum holds over 300 works by Pablo Picasso, centred on 188 ceramics bought from his daughter Maya.15 The current exhibition, running since 29 June 2025, shows 135 of them arranged in 20 themes, from bullfighting scenes to playful faces.16
Odakyu describes the pavilion as rotating a collection of 319 pieces; the museum's own figures are the safer guide for what is on the walls on your day.1712 Other indoor rooms show masterpieces by sculptors such as Brancusi and Giacometti, so a rainy hour indoors is never wasted.
Indoors the rules are stricter than outside. Photography is for personal use only, and flash, video, tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed in the indoor exhibition area.18 Some works carry a no-photo sign; respect it, and save your camera for the gardens, where almost everything can be photographed.
Guided days with the museum
Three ways to fit the museum into a guided day
1 hour here
2 hours here
Your routeBespoke from your hotel
Route agreed with your guide
- Hours
- 8 hours
- Entry fees
- Not included
- Price
- from $245
Decision helper
How should you do the museum?
Fit the visit to your Hakone plans
Some 100 masterpieces by the world masters of modern and contemporary art, including Rodin, Bourdelle, Miro and Moore, are exhibited within 70,000 square meters of green garden.
Moore, the glass tower and other favourites
Henry Moore is the museum's other great name. A rotating display of 26 of his works, from his years of peak maturity to his late period, stands around the grounds.6 Their rounded bronze forms look different in sun, rain and mist, which makes them worth a second look on the way out. Moore liked his sculptures seen against open sky and hills, and Hakone gives them exactly that, with the ridges of the old crater as a backdrop.
The Symphonic Sculpture is the work most people photograph. It is a tower by the French stained-glass artist Gabriel Loire, entirely covered in stained glass, with a spiral stair running up inside.11 On a bright day the light inside turns every colour of the glass onto the walls and the people climbing.
Do not leave without a rest at the footbath. The museum has footbaths and handbaths fed by spring water, with seating for wheelchair users.13 It is a uniquely Hakone touch: a hot-spring soak for tired feet in the middle of an art museum.
Map
Hakone, the Tozan line and the old road
The whole valley first, then the railway climb to Gora, the streets around Yumoto station, the cedar road over the pass and the way in from Tokyo.
1Yumoto Station2Hakone Open-Air Museum3Owakudani4Sengokuhara5Hakone Checkpoint
6Tonosawa Station7Ohiradai Station8Miyanoshita Station9Kowakidani Station10Chisuji Falls11Gora Station12Hakone Gora Park13Sounzan Station
14Sounji Temple15Tenzan bathhouse16Amidaji Temple
17Hatajuku18Amazake Chaya19Old Tokaido cedar avenue
20Shinjuku Station21Odawara Station
- 1Yumoto Station
The limited express from Shinjuku ends here after about 80 minutes; platform 3 is for the Tozan Railway up to Gora.2122
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Hakone Open-Air Museum
Sculpture park opened in 1969, a 2-minute walk from Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Tozan line.74
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Owakudani
A stop on the day tour this site sells, reached on the Hakone Ropeway.
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Sengokuhara
Highland area with silver grass plains in autumn; express buses run here from Shinjuku in about 2 hours.2324
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Hakone Checkpoint
Reconstructed Edo-period checkpoint, open to the public since April 2007, with a museum of 300 items.2526
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Tonosawa Station
First stop above Yumoto; a path of no more than 20 minutes leads up to Amidaji.27
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Ohiradai Station
One of the switchbacks where the train reverses to keep climbing.28
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Miyanoshita Station
Village of the Fujiya Hotel, developed as a summer retreat from Tokyo and Yokohama.29
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Kowakidani Station
Chisuji Falls is a 20-minute stroll from here.30
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Chisuji Falls
Water threads down a mossy volcanic wall 20 meters wide and 3 meters tall.31
In Google Maps ↗ - 11Gora Station
End of the Tozan line, where the cable car continues uphill.32
In Google Maps ↗ - 12Hakone Gora Park
Garden opened in 1914, a 5-minute walk from Gora Station.3334
In Google Maps ↗ - 13Sounzan Station
Top of the cable car, 209 meters above Gora, and the ropeway transfer.35
In Google Maps ↗ - 14Sounji Temple
Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1521 in honour of Hojo Soun.36
In Google Maps ↗ - 15Tenzan bathhouse
Day-use bathhouse with public baths only, no private bath, and cash payment.3738
In Google Maps ↗ - 16Amidaji Temple
Hydrangeas line its path from late June to mid July.39
In Google Maps ↗ - 17Hatajuku
Village of yosegi marquetry, with reconstructed milestone mounds that marked 23 ri from Edo.4041
In Google Maps ↗ - 18Amazake Chaya
Thatched teahouse run by 12 generations, open 7am to 5:30pm.4243
In Google Maps ↗ - 19Old Tokaido cedar avenue
Cedars more than 350 years old, some 30 to 40 meters tall, line the old road by the lake.44
In Google Maps ↗ - 20Shinjuku Station
Odakyu limited expresses leave here for Hakone-Yumoto, about 80 minutes away.21
In Google Maps ↗ - 21Odawara Station
Shinkansen stop; from here the Odakyu line reaches Hakone-Yumoto in 15 minutes.45
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
Before your museum visit
02
Bring
- Shoes for steep paths
- A small towel for the footbath
- Ask for a free wheelchair or stroller
Video
Discover the Hakone Open-Air Museum: nature, art and the Picasso hall
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Hakone Open-Air Museum tickets and opening hours
The museum is open year round, every day from 9:00 to 17:00, and last admission is 30 minutes before closing.1 Same-day tickets cost 2,000 yen for adults, 1,600 yen for university and high school students and 800 yen for middle and elementary school students, at the museum's listed prices.2
Buying online saves money: online tickets are 1,800 yen for adults, 1,400 yen for students and 600 yen for younger pupils, and preschool children enter free.319 Prices can change, so check the museum's own site the week you travel, and buy from the museum rather than a reseller.
Visitors with a disability certificate and their caregiver pay reduced rates, and groups have their own price, all set out on the museum's visitor page. Coin lockers at the entrance are free, and wheelchairs and strollers can be borrowed at no charge.4647
Getting there by train or bus
By rail the museum is simple to reach. Take the Odakyu Line from Odawara to Hakone-Yumoto, change to the Hakone Tozan Railway, and get off at Chokoku-no-Mori Station, a 2-minute walk from the entrance.4 From Gora Station, at the top of the line, the train back down to Chokoku-no-Mori takes about 3 minutes.14
Buses are the alternative. From Odawara or Hakone-Yumoto, an H, J or Z bus runs to the Ninotaira-iriguchi stop, then it is a 6-minute walk.48 The museum's address is Ninotaira 1121, Hakone-machi, which is useful to show a taxi driver.49
From Tokyo, the limited express from Shinjuku reaches Hakone-Yumoto in about 80 minutes, so the museum makes an easy day out on its own.21 Combine it with Gora's gardens uphill or a bath in Yumoto downhill, and you have a calm Hakone day without a single coach. Arriving soon after opening leaves the whole day for the lawns, the pavilion and a long rest at the footbath.
Visiting with children or limited mobility
Children have their own corner of the collection. Woods of Net, a giant hand-crocheted net artwork by Toshiko Horiuchi inside a wooden dome, is open to children aged 12 and under, shoes off, and can close in bad weather.20 It is the kind of art children are actually allowed to climb on, and they remember it.
The landscape that makes the museum beautiful also makes it hard work in places. The museum itself warns that its stairs and steep slopes may cause difficulty for people with physical disabilities, infants and toddlers.50 Wheelchairs and strollers can be borrowed free, which helps on the main paths.47
Plan your route before you start. Keep to the lower lawns if anyone tires easily, take the footbath as a planned rest, and leave the steeper outer paths for the fittest in your group. A slow loop of a couple of hours sees the essentials; art lovers will want most of a day.
Fitting the museum into a Hakone trip
The coach tour this site sells does not stop at the museum. Its listed route covers Hakone Shrine, the Togendai pier, the ropeway, Owakudani, Lake Yamanaka and Oshino Hakkai. If the museum matters to you, give it its own day or add it to a night in Hakone.
Some guided options do include it. A private customizable day from Tokyo lists the Hakone Open-Air Museum among its stops with an hour there. A small-group day from Tokyo with up to 9 people lists 2 hours at the museum alongside Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine.
On your own, the easiest plan is the train: Yumoto, up the Tozan line, the museum in the morning when it is quiet, then lunch in Gora and the park in the afternoon. The museum's gardens are at their best in the clear light of autumn, but any season works, and a misty day turns the sculptures into something closer to ghosts. Bring a light layer whatever the forecast; the museum stands well above Yumoto, and the breeze across the open lawns can feel cooler than the valley floor.
Your Hakone day
Shrine, steam and the Fuji lakes in a day.
Pick a date, meet in Tokyo, and cancel free up to 24 hours before.
You ask,we answer.
How much does the museum cost?
2,000 yen for adults on the day. Online tickets are 1,800 yen for adults; preschool children enter free.2319
When is it open?
Every day, 9:00 to 17:00. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing, so arrive by mid-afternoon at the latest.1
How do I get there?
Tozan train to Chokoku-no-Mori. The station is a 2-minute walk from the entrance; from Gora it is about 3 minutes by train.414
How many Picasso works are there?
Over 300 in the collection. The current pavilion exhibition has 135 works on display in 20 themes.1516
Can I take photos?
Outdoors, for personal use. Flash, video, tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed in the indoor exhibition area.18
Is it good for children?
Yes, with planning. Woods of Net is for children aged 12 and under, though steep slopes can be hard with toddlers.2050
Does the day tour stop here?
No. The coach day's listed stops are the shrine, the pier, the ropeway, Owakudani and the Fuji lakes.
Sources
The sources for this guide
- 1The Hakone Open-Air MuseumThe Hakone Open-Air Museum↩
- 2The Hakone Open-Air MuseumVisit Us↩
- 3The Hakone Open-Air MuseumVisit Us↩
- 4The Hakone Open-Air MuseumAccess↩
- 5The Hakone Open-Air MuseumPermanent Exhibits↩
- 6The Hakone Open-Air MuseumPermanent Exhibits↩
- 7The Hakone Open-Air MuseumAbout Us↩
- 8The Hakone Open-Air MuseumThe Hakone Open-Air Museum↩
- 9The Hakone Open-Air MuseumAbout Us↩
- 10The Hakone Open-Air MuseumAbout Us↩
- 11The Hakone Open-Air MuseumThe Hakone Open-Air Museum↩
- 12The Hakone Open-Air MuseumPicasso's Driving Force↩
- 13The Hakone Open-Air MuseumThe Hakone Open-Air Museum↩
- 14Odakyu Electric RailwayHakone day trip itinerary↩
- 15The Hakone Open-Air MuseumPermanent Exhibits↩
- 16The Hakone Open-Air MuseumPicasso's Driving Force↩
- 17Odakyu Electric RailwayHakone day trip itinerary↩
- 18The Hakone Open-Air MuseumRequests for Visitors↩
- 19The Hakone Open-Air MuseumVisit Us↩
- 20The Hakone Open-Air MuseumKids & Family↩
- 21Odakyu Electric RailwayLimited Express from Shinjuku to Hakone: ticket details↩
- 22Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Hakone-Yumoto Station↩
- 23Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Sengokuhara silver grass fields↩
- 24Hakone Tourist AssociationHow do I go to Hakone?↩
- 25Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Checkpoint↩
- 26Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Checkpoint↩
- 27Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Amidaji Temple↩
- 28Hakone Tourist AssociationThe Hakone Tozan Train↩
- 29Hakone Tourist AssociationAreas↩
- 30Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Chisuji Falls↩
- 31Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Chisuji Falls↩
- 32Hakone Tourist AssociationThe Hakone Tozan Train↩
- 33Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Gora Park↩
- 34Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Hakone Gora Park↩
- 35Odakyu Hakone (hakonenavi)Hakone Tozan Train / Hakone Tozan Cable Car↩
- 36Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Sounji Temple↩
- 37Tenzan Tohji-kyoEnglish↩
- 38Tenzan Tohji-kyoEnglish↩
- 39Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Amidaji Temple↩
- 40Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Yosegi, Hatajuku and Ichirizuka↩
- 41Hakone Tourist Association (text by the Japan Tourism Agency)Yosegi, Hatajuku and Ichirizuka↩
- 42Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Amazake Chaya Teahouse↩
- 43Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Amazake Chaya Teahouse↩
- 44Visit Kanagawa (Kanagawa Prefectural Government)Old Hakone Highway cedar-lined road↩
- 45Hakone Tourist AssociationJR Railpass and Hakone↩
- 46The Hakone Open-Air MuseumVisit Us↩
- 47The Hakone Open-Air MuseumVisit Us↩
- 48The Hakone Open-Air MuseumAccess↩
- 49The Hakone Open-Air MuseumVisit Us↩
- 50The Hakone Open-Air MuseumRequests for Visitors↩
