This guide summarizes official announcements and is not a firsthand visit review. Character illustrations are GPT-generated.
- Dates
- Thu, Sep 24, 2026 ~ Sat, Oct 31
- Hours
- 09:00–18:00, open all year (county press release)
- Venue
- Waterfall plaza & entrance path, Hwagae Garden (화개정원 폭포 앞 광장·진입로 일원)6-58 Gyodongdong-ro 471beon-gil, Gyodong-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon (인천 강화군 교동면 교동동로471번길 6-58)
- Fee
- Hwagae Garden admission: adults 5,000 won · children & teens 3,000 won (free for ages 6 and under)
- Organizer
- Hwagae Garden Office, Ganghwa-gun
- Official
- Official notice (Korean) ↗
- Updated
- when we last re-checked the official notice
📅 Schedule at a glance
September 20261/2
October 20262/2
Event daysTodayKorean public holidays
Korea Meteorological Administration · 10/15, 8 AM issued · forecasts can change · later days are added as forecasts come out
📌 What's on each day
🔁 Daily · Cat & heart mum sculptures · mum maze · autumn flower path
2026 Hwagae Garden Chrysanthemum Exhibition Dates, Admission, Directions – What to Know Before Visiting Gyodong Island with Kids
In the garden at the foot of Hwagaesan on Gyodong Island,
the chrysanthemums are in full bloom 🌼
The Hwagae Garden Chrysanthemum Sculpture & Maze Special Exhibition (화개정원 국화 특별전시)
runs from September 24 (Thu) until the end of October
at the waterfall plaza and entrance path
of Hwagae Garden on Gyodong Island, Ganghwa.
There are cat and heart chrysanthemum sculptures
and a chrysanthemum maze you can walk into.
I’ve summarized Ganghwa-gun’s press releases (September 23 and October 8)
and the Hwagae Garden website,
rechecked on October 14.
🔴 Happening Now
On October 8, Ganghwa-gun said
the chrysanthemums are in full bloom, and over the Chuseok holiday
people lined up to take photos
in front of the sculptures.
The exhibition continues ‘until the end of this month’.
A recheck on October 14 still showed
no separate last day,
so the calendar is shaded through October 31.
| Weekends Left | Dates |
|---|---|
| Third weekend of October | 10/17 (Sat)·18 (Sun) |
| Fourth weekend of October | 10/24 (Sat)·25 (Sun) |
| Last Saturday of October | 10/31 (Sat) · call to check before going |
🎪 What’s on Display?
Hwagae Garden — Panoramic view of Hwagae Garden and the monorail in the forest (Aug 2024) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Gallery · 정규진 · KOGL Type 1)
Hwagae Garden — Walking trail with flower gardens and sculptures (Aug 2024) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Gallery · 정규진 · KOGL Type 1)
| Highlight | Details |
|---|---|
| 2 chrysanthemum sculptures | A cat walking a flower path, and a heart (photo spots) |
| Chrysanthemum maze | Garden mums, silver grass and Goldcrest cypress along a reed-screen path |
| Autumn flower path | Small chrysanthemums, periwinkles and coleus from the garden entrance to the plaza |
Hwagae Garden is a garden
of 110,000㎡ across Hwagaesan.
It has five theme gardens:
water, history & culture, memories, peace and healing.
Halfway up the garden there is an artificial waterfall,
and the place of exile
where Prince Yeonsan (연산군) lived.
💰 Admission and Opening Hours
Hwagae Garden — Yellow monorail ascending through the forest (Aug 2024) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Gallery · 정규진 · KOGL Type 1)
Hwagae Garden — Monorail running between pine trees (Aug 2024) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Gallery · 정규진 · KOGL Type 1)
A separate fee for the chrysanthemum exhibition
is not mentioned in the press releases.
Hwagae Garden admission (including the observatory)
is listed on the website as follows.
| Category | Admission |
|---|---|
| Adults (19–64) | 5,000 won |
| Children & teens (7–18) | 3,000 won |
| Seniors (65+) | 3,000 won |
| Ages 6 and under · Ganghwa residents | Free |
| Groups (20+ people) | 4,000 won |
Opening hours differ by source.
All of them say it is open all year round.
| Source | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| County press releases (9/23·10/8) | 09:00–18:00 |
| Website, weekdays | 08:00–19:00 (entry until 18:00) |
| Website, weekends & holidays | 08:00–20:00 (entry until 19:00) |
The monorail is privately run,
so you buy a separate ticket after entering the garden.
Ride the monorail up Hwagaesan
and, from the skywalk-style observatory,
you can look out over the West Sea.
| Monorail Round Trip | Fare |
|---|---|
| General | 14,000 won |
| Ganghwa residents · People with disabilities | 12,000 won (ID · welfare card) |
| Children (24 months to 7 years) | 12,000 won |
There are no senior or veteran discounts,
and it may stop running in rain or sea fog.
🚗 Getting There & Parking
The address is
6-58 Gyodongdong-ro 471beon-gil, Gyodong-myeon, Ganghwa-gun.
| Transport | Details |
|---|---|
| Bus | From Ganghwa Bus Terminal take No. 18 → get off at Hwagae Garden |
| Car (via Ganghwa Bridge) | National Route 48 past Gimpo into Ganghwa → Gyodong Bridge |
| Car (via Choji Bridge) | Gimpo Yanggok → Choji Bridge → toward Ganghwa Bridge → Gyodong Bridge |
| Parking | Public parking lot, free |
At the Gyodong Bridge entrance checkpoint,
contactless checks are being trialed
until November 27.
| Gyodong Bridge Checkpoint | Details |
|---|---|
| 04:00–20:00 | Contactless · drive slowly at 40km/h or less and pass without stopping |
| After 20:00 | In-person check |
👨👩👧 If You’re Visiting with Kids
Admission is free for ages 6 and under.
Pets are not allowed inside
(guide dogs for people with disabilities are allowed).
Cooking, drinking and smoking are not allowed in the garden.
The restaurant on the 3rd floor of the monorail station building
is open daily 09:00–18:00, with last orders at 17:30.
After the garden, you can also try the
Gyodong Peace Mission Tour with the ‘Local Universe’ app.
Complete 5 or more of the 15 missions
and they will mail you local products such as Ganghwa Island rice
(first 300 people).
fare table says free ride,
but the safety rules say no riding
Call 032-933-3300 first
⏳ Not Yet Announced
□ The exhibition’s last day (officially ‘until the end of October’)
□ Rainy-day operation
□ Which opening hours are correct, the press release or the website
These are not yet in the official information.
For questions, call the Hwagae Garden Office
listed in the press release at 032-930-4556.
👍 Recommended for These Families
✔ Families wanting photos with the cat and heart chrysanthemum sculptures
✔ Families wanting to walk the chrysanthemum maze with their kids
✔ Families looking for a Gyodong Island day out with the monorail and observatory
With chrysanthemum sculptures, a maze and a garden walk,
this is an autumn exhibition on Gyodong Island running until the end of October.
This article is based on official information, organized before visiting in person. Photos marked ‘Photo Gallery’ are from the Korea Tourism Organization under KOGL Type 1 (shooting dates noted). The character illustrations are GPT-generated.
📷 The festival in photos 8
Swipe to see more
🔄 Updates
- Extra check
- First write-up
📎 Sources
- 한국관광공사 관광사진 갤러리 — 화개정원 사진(공공누리 제1유형) 한국관광공사 · 관공서
- 강화 화개정원, 가을맞이 '국화 조형물 및 미로 특별 전시' 선보여 (보도자료) 인천 강화군(화개정원사업소) · 2026.9.23 · 관공서
- 강화군, 가을 화개정원·교동 평화 미션 투어로 교동도 가을 관광 활기 (보도자료, 미션 투어 포스터 포함) 인천 강화군(총무과) · 2026.10.8 · 관공서
- 화개정원 이용 및 관람안내 강화 화개정원(화개정원사업소) · 관공서
- 화개정원 오시는 길 강화 화개정원(화개정원사업소) · 관공서
- 화개산 모노레일 이용안내 (민간 운영) 강화 화개정원 누리집 · 관공서
- 민북지역 출입 비대면 검문 시범운영 (누리집 첫 화면 알림) 인천 강화군 · 관공서
This is a guide based on official announcements, not a visit review. Schedules, programs and fees can change, so please re-check the official notice before you go.
AI-assisted translation. Numbers and article structure were checked against the Korean original on 2026-10-10. Updated on 2026-10-14 after the Korean original was rechecked against the official notices (no change in facts; past weekend removed). Original post (Korean)