Hakone Open-Air Museum Tickets (2026): ¥2,000 at the Door, ¥1,800 Online, and How to Fit It Into a Hakone Day
You're putting the Hakone Open-Air Museum into a Hakone day and wondering whether you need to book. You don't: it's open every day and there are no time slots. But the official web ticket is ¥200 cheaper than the ticket window (¥1,800 instead of ¥2,000 for adults), and it lets you skip the queue at the counter.
So the honest advice is simple: buy the official web ticket on your phone before you arrive. An agency ticket only makes sense if it's cheaper on your date or you want everything in one app.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. For adults, the museum's own web ticket (¥1,800) is the price to beat.
Do you need to book Hakone Open-Air Museum tickets in advance?
No. There are no timed entries, so you can turn up and buy at the window. The museum itself says buying online in advance is "the most economical way to enter", and web ticket holders don't queue at the sales counter.
How to buy the official web ticket
- Open the museum's site and go to Online Tickets. It's in the top menu of the English site.
- Choose the number of tickets for each age group and pay. Follow the on-screen steps to pay. Your card is charged in yen, so the final amount depends on your card's exchange rate.
- Show your web ticket at the entrance. Follow the instructions in your purchase confirmation for how to present it, and keep it where you can open it quickly.A Japan eSIM keeps your ticket, maps and train times on hand while you move around Hakone.Compare Japan eSIMs on Klook ↗
Does the Hakone Freepass include the museum?
No, entry isn't included. The Freepass covers transport: 8 kinds, including the Odakyu train from Shinjuku, the Hakone Tozan Train, cable car, ropeway, sightseeing boat and buses. It also gives discounts at about 70 partner spots, and the Freepass page on Hakone Navi (Odakyu group) lists the Open-Air Museum among them. Show the pass at the ticket window and check the discounted price there; the web ticket is a separate price.
The museum is on the Tozan Train line, so if you're doing the classic loop, it's an easy stop between Hakone-Yumoto and Gora. Is the Hakone Freepass worth it? →
What the official pages said on Nov 7, 2026
The museum's Visit Us page listed hours of 9:00–17:00, 365 days a year, last admission 30 minutes before closing, and the window and web prices above.
The Online Tickets page said web ticket holders can enter without queuing at the sales counter.
The homepage had a closure notice for Nov 30 – Dec 4 (2026). It applies to the Woods of Net play structure, not the whole museum.
The access page gave a 2-minute walk from Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway.
What's there?
It's a sculpture park on a hillside, with large works outdoors and indoor galleries including the Picasso Pavilion. There's a footbath fed by spring water, and a play structure for children, the Woods of Net (closed in bad weather).
- Indoors: no flash, no video, no tripods or selfie sticks
- Don't touch the works or walk on roped-off lawns
- Eat and drink only in the designated spots
- Coin lockers at the entrance (your ¥100 coin is returned); paid lockers at Chokoku-no-Mori Station
- Free wheelchair and stroller rental at the information desks
Getting there
Is it worth ¥1,800?
If you like art or just want a relaxed outdoor walk with mountain views, yes. Much of it is outdoors, with indoor galleries such as the Picasso Pavilion as well. If your day is short and you're mainly after Owakudani, the ropeway and Lake Ashi, you may not have time for both.
Make a day of it in Hakone
Hakone Freepass
Trains, cable car, ropeway and boat for the classic loop. Buy it from Odakyu directly or through an agency.
Affiliate linksHakone and Mt. Fuji day tour
If you'd rather not plan the connections yourself.
Affiliate linkMuseum ticket on Klook
Worth it only if it's under ¥1,800 on your date.
Affiliate linkBefore you go
Buy the web ticket on the morning of your visit, aim to arrive by early afternoon so you're not rushed before the 16:30 last entry, and check the homepage for any area closures that day.
Planning the rest of Hakone? Hakone area guide →