9 indoor places in Okayama for rainy and winter days with children
- Okayama Castle and Hayashibara Museum of Art are free up to junior high school; Okayama Prefectural Museum's special exhibitions are free up to high school.
- At Kurashiki Science Center, the science exhibition room is ¥100 and the planetarium is ¥250 for elementary and junior high school students.
- Okayama Castle is open on Mondays, while most art museums, museums, and science centers are closed.
This page compares 9 indoor places in Okayama for a rainy or cold day with children, using the admission prices for elementary and junior high school students. Okayama Castle (junior high school age and under) and Hayashibara Museum of Art (junior high school age and under) are free, special exhibitions at the Okayama Prefectural Museum are free for high school students and younger, and the exhibition of Okayama art at the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art are free for elementary, junior high and high school students. The science exhibition room at Kurashiki Science Center is ¥100 for elementary and junior high school students and free for small children.
In short
- Lowest cost for children: Okayama Castle and Hayashibara Museum of Art (free up to junior high school), the Prefectural Museum (special exhibitions free up to high school) and the Prefectural Museum of Art (free for school students).
- Hands-on play: Kurashiki Science Center (science exhibits and planetarium) and Tsuyama Manabi Railway Museum (¥100 for elementary and junior high school students).
- Character exhibition: the Tom and Jerry exhibition at Okayama City Museum (until January 31, 2027).
- A free place to rest: the kids’ room at Yakage-juku (a ball pool and picture books on the 2nd floor).
Checked with official pages on November 3, 2026 (Japan time). Prices and hours may change.
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1. How to choose an indoor place in Okayama on a rainy or winter day (children’s prices, activities, days off)
- To keep children’s prices low: Okayama Castle and Hayashibara Museum of Art (free up to junior high school), the Okayama Prefectural Museum (special exhibitions free up to high school), the Prefectural Museum of Art (free for elementary, junior high and high school students).
- To play and try things: Kurashiki Science Center (science exhibition room and planetarium), Tsuyama Manabi Railway Museum (¥100 for elementary and junior high school students).
- For a character exhibition: the Tom and Jerry exhibition at Okayama City Museum (until January 31, 2027).
- For a rest spot with no admission fee: the kids’ room at Yakage-juku (a ball pool and picture books on the 2nd floor).
- If you go on a Monday: Okayama Castle (closed only December 29 to 31), the Tom and Jerry exhibition (closed December 28 to January 4 and on January 12, 18 and 25) and Yakage-juku (irregular days off). The other places are closed on Mondays.
2. Children’s prices and days off at the 9 places in Okayama for a rainy or winter day
Click a name to jump to its section. Children’s prices are split into elementary school and junior high school, as stated by each facility on November 3, 2026.
| Place | Children’s price | Hours | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kurashiki Science Center | Exhibits ¥100 | 9:00–17:15 | Monday |
| Manabi Railway Museum | ¥100 | 9:00–16:00 | Monday; Dec 29–31 |
| Okayama City Museum | Elementary school ¥800 | 10:00–18:00 | Dec 28 – Jan 4; Jan 12, 18, 25 |
| Okayama Castle | Free | 9:00–17:30 | Dec 29–31 |
| Prefectural Museum | Free (special exhibition) | 9:30–17:00 | Monday |
| Hayashibara Museum of Art | Free | 10:00–17:00 | Monday |
| Prefectural Museum of Art | Free | 9:00–17:00 | Monday |
| Orient Museum | ¥100 | 9:00–17:00 | Monday; Dec 28 – Jan 4 |
| Yakage-juku | — | 9:00–17:00 | Irregular |
Sources: each facility’s official site, such as the Kurashiki Science Center information page (Japanese), and Okayama Kanko Web (checked November 3, 2026). A “—” in the table means Okayama Kanko Web gives no fee for the kids’ room.
3. What to know about spending a rainy day with children in Okayama
Many of the indoor places in Okayama are closed on Mondays. The ones open on Mondays are Okayama Castle and the Tom and Jerry exhibition during its run (except on its days off).
- Okayama Castle, Hayashibara Museum of Art, the Prefectural Museum, the Prefectural Museum of Art and the Orient Museum in central Okayama City are all free or ¥100 or less for junior high school students and younger, and are close enough to walk between. A combined ticket for Korakuen, Okayama Castle and Hayashibara Museum of Art is ¥1,280 for adults.
- Kurashiki Science Center has free parking for 430 cars. Elementary and junior high school students living in Kurashiki City get in free on weekends and holidays by showing an Ikiiki Passport or a student ID, and also on weekdays in July and August.
- Tsuyama Manabi Railway Museum has a small parking lot of about 35 regular cars. The Orient Museum has no parking for visitors.
4. Kurashiki Science Center (Kurashiki)
The science exhibition room is ¥410 for adults and ¥100 each for high school students and elementary and junior high school students; the planetarium is ¥500 for adults, ¥350 for high school students and ¥250 for elementary and junior high school students. Small children (under elementary school age) are free when accompanied by an adult, and people aged 65 and over are free (Kurashiki Science Center information page, Japanese).
It is open from 9:00 to 17:15 (last entry 16:45). It is a 20-minute walk from the “Life Park Kurashiki Nishi Iriguchi” stop, 25 minutes by Shimoden bus from JR Kurashiki Station, and the free parking lot (430 cars) is handy if you drive (Kurashiki Science Center access page, Japanese).
| Name | Kurashiki Science Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 940 Koshinden, Fukuda-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama |
| Hours / Closed | 9:00–17:15 (last entry 16:45) (Closed Mondays, or the next day if a holiday; New Year holidays) |
| Phone | 086-454-0300 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
5. Tsuyama Manabi Railway Museum (Tsuyama)
Admission is ¥310 for adults and ¥100 for elementary and junior high school students, and free for small children and people with disabilities. It is open from 9:00 to 16:00 (last entry 15:30), and on some days in some seasons it closes later (Tsuyama Manabi Railway Museum page on Okayama Kanko Web, Japanese).
Photo sources: Tsuyama Manabi Railway Museum: notice of October events (press release of West Japan Railway Company, September 24, 2025; Japanese) and Tsuyama Manabi Railway Museum NEWS RELEASE (press release of West Japan Railway Company, October 31, 2025; Japanese)
It is closed on Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday) and from December 29 to 31. Parking is about 35 regular cars.
| Name | Tsuyama Manabi Railway Museum |
|---|---|
| Address | Otani, Tsuyama City, Okayama |
| Hours / Closed | 9:00–16:00 (last entry 15:30) (Closed Mondays, or the next day if a holiday; December 29–31) |
| Phone | 0868-35-3343 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
6. Okayama City Museum: Tom and Jerry exhibition (Kita Ward, Okayama)
This special exhibition runs from December 18, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Same-day tickets are ¥1,600 for adults, ¥1,000 for junior high and high school students and ¥800 for elementary school students. It is a hands-on exhibition where you can enjoy the relationship between the two and their friends together with unique objects and photo spots (Tom and Jerry exhibition page of Okayama City Museum, Japanese).
Advance tickets for adults (¥1,400) can be bought until December 17. It is closed from December 28 to January 4 and on January 12, 18 and 25.
| Name | Okayama City Museum (Tom and Jerry exhibition) |
|---|---|
| Address | 15-1 Ekimotomachi, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama |
| Hours / Closed | December 18, 2026–January 31, 2027: 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30) (Closed December 28–January 4 and January 12, 18, and 25) |
| Phone | 086-898-3000 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
7. Okayama Castle keep (Kita Ward, Okayama)
Junior high school students and younger get in free, and adults (age 15 and over) pay ¥500. The keep is an exhibition space, and a visit is said to take 50 to 60 minutes on average. You climb the stairs to the top (6th) floor (Okayama Castle visitor information page, Japanese).
Photo sources: Okayama Prefecture press release, October 27, 2025 (Japanese), Okayama Prefecture press release, August 3, 2026 (Japanese) and Okayama City press release, October 8, 2025 (Japanese)
There is no parking lot of its own; from the nearest, Ujo Park parking lot, it is about a 15-minute walk. By streetcar, it is about a 10-minute walk from the “Shiroshita” stop.
| Name | Okayama Castle keep |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-3-1 Marunouchi, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama |
| Hours / Closed | 9:00–17:30 (last entry 17:00) (Closed December 29–31) |
| Phone | 086-225-2096 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
8. Okayama Prefectural Museum (Kita Ward, Okayama)
The special exhibition “Ukita Naoie and Hideie” runs until November 23 and is free for high school students and younger, and ¥460 for adults. Letters, swords and armor of warlords of the Sengoku period are on display (special exhibition page of the Okayama Prefectural Museum, Japanese).
After that, the themed exhibition “Longing for Miyako (Kyoto)” runs from November 28 to January 3.
| Name | Okayama Prefectural Museum |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-5 Korakuen, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama |
| Hours / Closed | 9:30–17:00 (mainly closed Mondays) |
| Phone | 086-272-1149 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
9. Hayashibara Museum of Art (Kita Ward, Okayama)
Junior high school students and younger are free, and the adult price for an exhibition is ¥600. There is no permanent display, only planned exhibitions and special exhibitions. Groups of 20 or more apply in advance through an application form (Hayashibara Museum of Art visitor information page, Japanese).
It is closed while the displays are being changed, so check the dates on the official site’s calendar.
| Name | Hayashibara Museum of Art |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-7-15 Marunouchi, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama |
| Hours / Closed | 10:00–17:00 (admission reception until 16:30) (Closed Mondays; also closed during exhibition change periods and New Year holidays) |
| Phone | 086-223-1733 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
10. Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art (Kita Ward, Okayama)
The exhibition of Okayama art is free for elementary, junior high and high school students and ¥360 for adults. There is underground parking for 44 cars. It is a 15-minute walk from the Korakuen exit (east exit) of JR Okayama Station (access, prices and hours page of the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art, Japanese).
Photo source: Okayama Prefecture press release, October 6, 2025 (Japanese)
Special exhibitions are charged separately, so check the price of the exhibition you are visiting on the official site.
| Name | Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art |
|---|---|
| Address | 8-48 Tenjin-cho, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama |
| Hours / Closed | 9:00–17:00 (last entry 30 minutes before closing) (Closed Mondays, or the next day if a holiday; New Year holidays) |
| Phone | 086-225-4800 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
11. Okayama City Orient Museum (Kita Ward, Okayama)
For the collection exhibition and small special exhibitions, the price is ¥100 for elementary and junior high school students, ¥210 for high school and university students and ¥310 for adults. Showing a passport from Okayama City’s “Kodomo Passport” program makes admission free, and showing a “Momokko Card” (a child-rearing support passport) gives a discount (Orient Museum visitor information page of Okayama City, Japanese).
Photo source: Okayama Prefecture press release, October 6, 2025 (Japanese)
There is no parking for visitors. It is a 15-minute walk from the east exit of JR Okayama Station.
| Name | Okayama City Orient Museum |
|---|---|
| Address | 9-31 Tenjin-cho, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama |
| Hours / Closed | 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30) (Closed Mondays; also closed December 28–January 4 for New Year holidays) |
| Phone | 086-232-3636 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
12. Michi-no-Eki Sanyodo Yakage-juku kids’ room (Yakage Town)
On the 2nd floor there is a kids’ room with a ball pool and picture books. The toilets and rest corner can be used 24 hours a day, and there is a wide deck around the building. This is a roadside station whose building design was supervised by Eiji Mitooka (Yakage-juku page on Okayama Kanko Web, Japanese).
Parking is 39 spaces (27 regular cars, 10 large vehicles, 1 for people with disabilities and 1 for EVs).
| Name | Michi-no-Eki Sanyodo Yakage-juku |
|---|---|
| Address | 1988-10 Yakage, Yakage Town, Oda District, Okayama |
| Hours / Closed | 9:00–17:00 (toilets and rest corner open 24 hours; irregular holidays) |
| Phone | 0866-63-4300 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Sources
11 pages we checked
- Kurashiki Science Center: visitor information
- Kurashiki Science Center: access
- Tsuyama Manabi Railway Museum: Okayama Kanko Web
- Okayama City Museum: Tom and Jerry exhibition
- Okayama Castle: visitor information
- Okayama Prefectural Museum: special exhibition ‘Ukita Naoie and Hideie’
- Hayashibara Museum of Art: visitor information
- Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art: access, prices and hours
- Okayama City Orient Museum: visitor information
- Michi-no-Eki Sanyodo Yakage-juku: Okayama Kanko Web
- Japanese version of this page (日本語版)
Checked with official pages on November 3, 2026 (Japan time).
