Busan Citizens Park, located in the heart of Busan like New York’s Central Park or London’s Hyde Park, offers urban residents a space to relax and enjoy leisure in the city. For visitors to Busan, it’s a hidden gem.
The park covers an area of 471,518 square meters (about 116 acres), with the Hialeah Grass Plaza occupying approximately 40,000 square meters (10 acres, six times the size of a soccer field) at its center. There are 1,108,077 trees throughout the park, along with various streams, fountains, and children’s playgrounds.
On This Post
- General Information
- When to Visit Busan Citizens Park
- 10 Things to Do at Busan Citizens Park
- Map of Busan Citizens Park
- History of The Park
- Tips for Visiting Busan Citizens Park
- Busan Citizens Park in K-Dramas
Information about Busan Citizens Park
Address and Map of Busan Citizens Park
73, Simingongwon-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan
How to Get to Busan Citizens Park
- Take Subway Line 1 (Orange Line) and get off at Bujeon Station (부전/120). Exit at No. 7 and walk approximately 800 meters (1/2 mile) to reach Busan Citizens Park.
- Ride buses and choose to get off at any of these three bus stations (there are more but for your convenience, I picked these three stations)
- South Side: Busan Citizens Park Nammun (South Gate) station – No. 506 and 168
- South Side: Busan Jin Middle School station – No. 168, 506, and 1009-1
- North Side: Busan Citizens Park station – No. 33, 44, 63, 179, and 506
- Paid parking is available.
Park Hours
Busan Citizens Park opens every day from 05:00 to 24:00. Some facilities and locations have their own operation season or hours. I will indicate the open hours or season for the relevant part below.
Entrance Fee and Tickets
Free. However, some facilities and parking are available for a fee.
Visitors Guidelines
- No smoking and no drinking
- No littering
- Cooked food only (No cooking)
- Pets on leashes allowed
- No bicycle riding, no skateboarding, no rollerblading, and no scooter riding
What is the Korean name of Busan Citizens Park?
부산시민공원 /Busan si-min-gong-won/ is its Korean name. The name literally means Busan Citizens Park. 시민 /si-min/ means citizens and 공원 /gong-won/ is a park in Korean.
Contact
- Phone: +82-51-850-6000 (05:00-24:00)
- Busan Citizens Park Website (Korean Only)
When to Visit Busan Citizens Park
Busan Citizens Park is a great place to visit year-round. Generally, spring and autumn seasons would be the best to visit when the weather is mild and the park’s natural beauty is at its peak. In spring, visitors can enjoy cherry blossoms in bloom, while autumn offers stunning foliage colors.
However, the park is also enjoyable during other seasons, offering different experiences. During summertime, the park hosts summer festivals and the water plaza pleases children. As for winter, the annual light festival is a must-see event at Busan Citizens Park.
10 Things to Do at Busan Citizens Park
1. Stroll and relax along the trails and in the forest.
There are more than enough trails and forests to enjoy the green (or colorful depending on when you visit) at the center of the bustling city.
Busan Citizens Park was built based on five themes. In accordance with the park’s primary themes of memory (ginkgo trees), culture (zelkova trees), joy (tulips, king cherry blossoms), nature (pine trees), and participation (maple trees), there are five forest paths and a 300m Metasequoia lane, offering the most picturesque views of the park.
On the west side of the park, there is a stunning walking trail bordered by the serene waters of the Bujeoncheon Stream, where abundant life flourishes alongside the majestic king cherry blossoms.
2. Get lost in the maze garden
Enjoy a delightful challenge and unleash your creativity as you navigate your way through this entertaining maze garden, where camellias surround the routes in a traditional Korean pattern.
Spanning approximately 800 meters (half a mile) with a height of 1.5 meters, this maze is not as daunting as a Room Escape game, but you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by the few attempts it takes to find your way out.
3. Enjoy yourself at the urban beach
Sandy beaches are an iconic attraction of Busan, drawing visitors to the city. The urban beach at Busan Citizens’ Park is meticulously crafted to emulate the ambiance of Busan’s coastal havens.
It provides a leisure-oriented recreational area where visitors can indulge in the clear waters of Jeonpocheon and revel in the delightful entertainment of the music fountain. The sand, sourced from Hapcheon’s Hwanggang River, adds to its allure.
Music Fountain Hours (running for 25 minutes)
- Weekend (Apr. – Oct.): 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, and 21:00
- Weekday (May – Oct.): 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, and 21:00
4. Picnic at your favorite spot
A visit to the Citizens Park is incomplete without a picnic. It’s perfect for enjoying the refreshing breeze, indulging in delicious treats, and even taking a nap under the sun.
There are several spots within the park where you can spread out your blanket, including Hialeah Glass Plaza. Hialeah Grass Plaza sits in the center of the park, covering an area of 40,000 square meters, which is six times the size of a soccer field. Thanks to the five wooden lighting towers surrounding the plaza, you can picnic at night.
Hialeah Glass Plaza Hours
- May – January: Open except for Monday
- February and March: Closed
- April: Open on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays
5. Appreciate the history of Busan Citizens Park
Busan Citizens Park is a historical place. It was formerly used as a racetrack and military training camp during the Japanese Occupation. After Korea’s liberation in 1945, it became Camp Hialeah, the headquarters for the U.S. military base in Busan.
This location encapsulates a century of history and has finally returned to the embrace of the citizens of Busan. Explore the places within the park that preserve traces of its past.
(1) Pillars of Memory
The remaining wooden utility poles inside Camp Hialeah were recycled to install solar-powered lighting, reinterpreting the space as a place to revisit the traces and memories of the base.
(2) Wave of History
The sculpture, Wave of History, is located on the Path of History, which records the history of Busan, harmonizing with the Memory Forest Trail.
(3) Dolchul Village Well
During the development of Busan Citizens Park, the Dolchul Village Well was discovered and restored. Estimated to have served as the village’s water source for over 120 years, the well has a diameter of 1.5 meters (5 feet) and a depth of 20 meters (65 feet).
In addition to these places, there are more facilities to remember history such as the Park History Museum. The Park History Museum, remodeled from the former officers’ club of Camp Hialeah, is a place where you can easily understand the history of the park.
The museum vividly records the history of the site, from the peaceful agricultural land of the late Joseon Dynasty to the racetrack and military training camp during the Japanese Occupation, the U.S. military base Camp Hialeah, and the process of returning the land and developing the park.
6. Have fun with your kids
Busan Citizens Park is child-friendly, offering various options for kids ranging from a small waterpark to a children’s library. Here are a few examples:
(1) Pororo Library
This library was originally the Quonset huts, which served as barracks for soldiers during the Camp Hialeah era. It is now a children’s library equipped with Pororo character sculptures, educational books for toddlers, and audiovisual facilities.
By the way, Pororo is a highly popular character among Korean children. He is often referred to as the “President of Children.”
- Library Hours: 10:00 – 18:00
- Closed on Mondays
- Access is limited to children and their guardians
- Visitors are only permitted to use materials on-site and cannot check them out.
- Call: +82-51-850-6954
(2) Dome Play
This is a large hemisphere-shaped play structure designed with a combination of jungle gym and netting, ensuring the safety of the play equipment and stimulating the curiosity of children.
- Hours
- Mar. – Apr. & Sep. – Oct.: 09:00 – 18:00
- May – Aug.: 09:00 – 19:00
- Nov. – Feb.: 09:00 – 17:00
- Closed on Mondays
- Only for children aged 5 to 10
(3) Seasonal Swimming Pool & Water Play Yard
Before COVID-19, Busan Citizens Park used to open a temporary swimming pool for children during the summer months, located at the urban beach. I anticipate that the pool could return very soon.
Next to the urban beach, there is Water Play Yard. This is a space for children to play in the water, with 25 meters (27 yards) in width and 29 meters (32 yards) in length, consisting of 238 nozzles and 238 lights.
Water Play Yard (running for 25 minutes)
- Weekend (May – Sep.): 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30, 16:30, 17:30, 18:30, and 19:30
- Weekday (Jul. – Aug.): 10:30, 11:30*,12:30, 13:30*, 14:30, 15:30*, 16:30, 18:30, and 19:30 (* Additional time slots during summer break)
In addition, there are more facilities including Circle Tower, Barrier-Free Playground, Air Bouncer, and Children’s Movie Theater.
7. Enjoy the seasonal events at the park.
Busan Citizens Park hosts numerous events and exhibitions throughout the year, ranging from annual light festivals to painting exhibitions by local artists, delighting visitors with a diverse array of offerings.
Even better, in 2025, the Busan Concert Hall will open at the site. The concert hall will accommodate 2,000 seats for classical music fans.
Among the numerous events at the park, the annual light festival stands out as the signature event. The theme changes every year, and the illuminations are worth visiting to celebrate the year-end and the coming new year.
8. Experience for yourself at the cultural art village
Busan Citizens Park offers the Cultural Art Village for culture and hands-on experiences. The Cultural Arts Village, remodeled from the officers’ quarters of Camp Hialeah, features five workshops for pottery, printmaking, textiles, metalwork, and resin.
Visitors can experience handicrafts firsthand through online reservations (Korean only).
9. Find more interesting spots at the park
Throughout the park, there are many interesting spots, including the Citizens Pavilion, Mirror Pond, and more. Exploring them and finding your favorite spots would be enjoyable.
10. Find and take a picture at BTS’ V spot.
If you are ARMY or an avid fan of K-pop, it’s fun to find the photo spot where BTS’ V took pictures. V took a walk by entering through the park’s northern Gate 3, crossing Jeonpocheon, and heading towards the southern gate.
Map of Busan Citizens Park
Busan Citizens Park is a vast area with numerous attractions. It’s beneficial to familiarize yourself with its layout using the map.
History of Busan Citizens Park
Today, Busan Citizens Park stands as a beautiful urban park at the center of Busan. However, the park’s site has a poignant history intertwined with Korea’s past.
Originally, this area was fertile farmland. However, during the Japanese Occupation period, the Japanese government forcibly confiscated the land. In the 1920s, Busanjin and Seomyeon were designated as industrial zones, resulting in the haphazard construction of factories without proper planning and management.
In 1930, Busan Seomyeon Racecourse was established on this land, and when the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937, the Japanese military used the Seomyeon Racecourse as a military base. Furthermore, during World War II, it was utilized as a prisoner-of-war camp.
After Korea’s liberation, the US military, which landed in Busan to accept the surrender of the Japanese army, took over the base for their use. Inspired by a famous racetrack in Hialeah, Florida, where a naval officer who landed in Busan hailed from, it was named Camp Hialeah.
From 1946, it served as the US Consulate General in Busan and various UN organizations. The Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, and the US military took control of the camp again and used it as the headquarters of the US Forces in Busan for over 40 years.
Since 1995, citizens’ groups in the Busan area have been leading the campaign for the return of the Hialeah base, and on January 27, 2010, the City of Busan officially reclaimed the Camp Hialeah site. Finally, Busan Citizens Park opened on May 1, 2014.
Tips for Visiting Busan Citizens Park
(1) There are a convenience store and a food court in the park
(2) Please prepare to take your own trash back with you.
Trash cans are scarce within the park, so please remember to bring your own trash bags for disposing of your waste.
(3) Use information center
To enhance your park visit, stop by the information center for maps, facility hours, and additional assistance.
(4) Ample Parking Lot
If you drive to the park, you can utilize its parking lots. The park offers two parking areas with a total of 900 parking spaces, including an underground lot and a surface lot. The parking fee is calculated at 200 won per 10 minutes on weekdays and 300 won on weekends. Please note that the parking lots tend to get very crowded on weekends.
Busan Citizens Park in K-dramas
Some parts of Korean dramas such as The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract (열녀박씨 계약결혼뎐) and Mad for Each Other (이 구역의 미친 X) were filmed at Busan Citizens Park.
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Things To Do Nearby
Samgwangsa Temple
Visit one of Busan’s largest temples. If you visit Busan around Buddha’s Birthday, Samgwangsa Temple Lantern Festival is a must-visit place. Read a full post about Samgwangsa Temple.
Seongjigok Reservoir
This one of the locals’ favorites in Busan offers a serene escape, perfect for strolls amidst nature. Read my blog post about Seongjigok Reservoir.
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