Four places with an entry fee for a weekend in Kumamoto City: Suizenji Jōjuen Garden, the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Kumamoto City Museum and Kumamoto Castle.
This guide lists four places in Kumamoto City that charge an entry fee: a historic garden, a zoo with a botanical garden, a city museum and Kumamoto Castle. Prices, opening hours and addresses are in the Key facts for each place.
1. How to choose
Outdoors or indoors. Suizenji Jōjuen Garden (水前寺成趣園) and the Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens (熊本市動植物園) are mostly outdoors. Kumamoto City Museum (熊本博物館) is indoors and has a planetarium.
With young children. The zoo has a hands-on animal area and small rides. The museum and the zoo have free entry for some children; check the conditions on each page.
Help in English. Suizenji Jōjuen Garden has an English website and offers guided tours in English if you book ahead. The museum has one English page. The zoo’s English pages are machine-translated.
2. How to plan your visit
Check the closing days. The zoo and the museum usually close on Mondays, and close on a later day instead when Monday is a public holiday. The zoo also opens on the fourth Monday of the month and closes the next day. Suizenji Jōjuen Garden says it is open every day of the year.
Check the notices on the official website. Some areas or services can be closed for building work or other reasons.
Plan to use the Kumamoto City Tram. Each of the first three places has a tram stop nearby. The garden and the museum have no visitor parking.
Bring cash as well as a card. Only the garden lists its payment methods, and none of the three says whether cards issued outside Japan are accepted.
Places and groups in this guide
Suizenji Jōjuen Garden
Key facts
What they do
A promenade-style Japanese garden built by Lord Hosokawa Tadatoshi in the early 17th century. It is set around a spring-fed pond, with Izumi Shrine and a Noh theatre on the grounds. The park takes about 30 to 40 minutes to walk around. Guided tours in Japanese or English can be requested in advance for an extra charge (contact: Yusuitei).
Cost
Adult (16 and over): ¥500 per person Child (6 to 15): ¥200 per person Group of 30+ paying visitors: adult (16 and over): ¥450 per person Group of 30+ paying visitors: child (6 to 15): ¥180 per person Certificate holders: adult (16 and over): ¥250 per person Certificate holders: child (6 to 15): ¥100 per person Prices in effect from April 1, 2026 (adult price revised from ¥400). 'Certificate holders' means holders of a disability, rehabilitation (ryoiku) or atomic bomb survivor's certificate plus one caregiver, and residents of certain welfare facilities with proof. Visitors who receive a prayer service at Izumi Shrine enter free. The website does not say whether prices include tax.
Opening hours
Open every day of the year. 8:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30). Hours may differ during events.
A zoo and botanical garden on the shore of Lake Ezu. The 24.5-hectare site has about 110 species of animals and about 700 species of plants, including a Japanese garden, a large greenhouse and an orchid house. There is a hands-on animal area for children (Touch Ai Land) and an amusement-park zone with rides priced from ¥10 to ¥200.
Cost
Adults and high school students: ¥500 per person Elementary and junior high school students: ¥100 per person Preschool children (free): ¥0 per person Group of 30+: adults and high school students: ¥400 per person Group of 30+: elementary and junior high school students: ¥80 per person Group prices apply to groups of 30 or more. Free admission: elementary and junior high school students living in Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City, Kagoshima City or Kumamoto City who show proof of residence (for example a name tag, student handbook or My Number card); residents of those four cities aged 65 or over with proof of age and address; holders of a disability certificate (physical, ryoiku or mental health) and their carer. Parking is free on weekdays and ¥200 per car on weekends and public holidays. The website does not say whether prices include tax.
Opening hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30). Closed on Mondays (if Monday is a public holiday, closed the next weekday instead). On the fourth Monday of the month the park is open and closes the next day instead (again moved to the next weekday if that is a holiday). Closed December 30 to January 1. Check the official closure and event calendar before you go.
A museum run by Kumamoto City that opened in 1952. Its exhibits introduce the Kumamoto region from both natural and cultural perspectives. It also has a planetarium, and runs workshops and classes. The audio guide works through the 'Pocket Curator' (ポケット学芸員) smartphone app: install it, then enter the number shown next to an exhibit. The museum's English page shows how to set the app to English.
Cost
Museum admission: general: ¥400 per person Museum admission: high school and university students: ¥300 per person Museum admission: elementary and junior high school students: ¥200 per person Museum admission, group of 30+: general: ¥320 per person Museum admission, group of 30+: high school and university students: ¥240 per person Museum admission, group of 30+: elementary and junior high school students: ¥160 per person Annual pass: general: ¥1,000 per year Annual pass: high school and university students: ¥750 per year Annual pass: elementary and junior high school students: ¥500 per year Planetarium (admission also needed): general: ¥200 per person Planetarium (admission also needed): high school and university students: ¥150 per person Planetarium (admission also needed): junior high school and younger: ¥100 per person Planetarium, group of 30+: general: ¥160 per person Planetarium, group of 30+: high school and university students: ¥120 per person Planetarium, group of 30+: junior high school and younger: ¥80 per person Admission covers the permanent galleries and free temporary exhibitions; special exhibitions cost extra. Free museum admission for preschool children, elementary and junior high school students at schools in Kumamoto City (with a name tag, student handbook or museum pass), people with a disability certificate, and Kumamoto City residents aged 65 or over with proof; under a four-city agreement, elementary and junior high students and people 65+ from Kagoshima, Fukuoka and Kitakyushu cities also enter free. Children aged 3 and under who do not need their own seat are free at the planetarium. The website does not say whether prices include tax.
Opening hours
9:00–17:00 (entry until 16:30). Closed on Mondays (if Monday is a public holiday, closed the next day instead), December 29 to January 3, and during maintenance periods.
A castle completed in 1607 by Kato Kiyomasa and badly damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. During the repairs, the Special Public Opening lets you see the damage and repair work and go up the main tower, with an official app guide in Japanese, English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean.
Languages at the counter
Not stated by the organizer. Ask them: 096-223-5011.
Cost
High school students and older: ¥800 per person Elementary and junior high school students: ¥300 per person High school students and older, groups of 30 or more: ¥640 per person Elementary and junior high school students, groups of 30 or more: ¥240 per person Annual pass (high school students and older): ¥1,600 per year Preschool children: free (the English page says children under 6). Free admission (ID needed; you still collect a free ticket at a ticket office) for elementary and junior high school students attending school in Kumamoto City, holders of a disability certificate such as a physical disability certificate, Kumamoto City residents aged 65 or over (the English page says residents over 65), and holders of a "Castle Lord" pass (城主手形). Combined tickets: Kumamoto Castle and Wakuwaku-za ¥850 (high school and older) / ¥300 (elementary and junior high); plus Kumamoto City Museum ¥1,100 / ¥400. As of 18 September 2026, Kumamoto Castle Museum Wakuwaku-za, which is part of both combined tickets, is temporarily closed because of the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake, and groups are asked to book Kumamoto Castle-only tickets for now. Tickets can also be bought online in advance.
Opening hours
September to June: 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00; last entry to the main tower 16:30). July and August: 9:00–19:00 (last entry 18:00; main tower 18:30). The Ninomaru ticket office sells tickets until 16:00 all year. Closed on 29 December; may also close in severe weather. On weekdays you can enter and leave only through the South Gate; on weekends and national holidays, through the North or South Gate, but the North Gate may be closed depending on the repair work.
This guide brings together published information. Opening hours, fees and eligibility can change; check with the organizer before travelling or applying.
