# Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum

> A dinosaur museum next to one of Japan's most productive fossil beds, with over 50 mounted skeletons under a silver dome.

- Prefecture: Fukui
- Type: Museum
- Address: Katsuyama, Fukui, Japan
- Official site: https://www.dinosaur.pref.fukui.jp/en/

The Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum is one of the largest dinosaur museums in the world, in the class of Drumheller and Zigong. The dome houses over 50 complete dinosaur skeletons, including species discovered in Fukui Prefecture itself such as Fukuiraptor and Fukuisaurus. The museum underwent a major expansion in 2023, adding a new wing with interactive exhibits, a rooftop terrace, and enhanced fossil preparation viewing areas. Visitors can watch paleontologists at work in the preparation lab and participate in hands-on fossil digging experiences at the outdoor field station nearby. The museum is a favorite for families and dinosaur enthusiasts, with English audio guides available. Open 9:00 to 17:00, closed on the second and fourth Wednesdays.

## FAQ

### Do I really need to reserve tickets in advance? When are the worst crowds?

**Yes, on weekends, public holidays, and most of school-vacation summer (mid-Jul to Aug), reservation is effectively mandatory.** After the major 2023 reopening (a new wing added July 14 2023, ahead of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension to Fukui in March 2024), the museum introduced a **timed-entry advance reservation system** via the English booking page at `dinosaur.pref.fukui.jp/en/`. Pick a 30-minute entry slot up to **one month ahead**; peak summer/Golden Week slots sell out 2 to 3 weeks in advance. Slots are limited to ~500 entries per half-hour. **Walk-ins** are accepted only when slots aren't full. On quiet winter weekdays you can show up, but never gamble on this from late July through August. **Worst crowds**: Golden Week (late Apr to early May), summer school holidays (~20 Jul to 31 Aug), Obon week (mid-Aug), and any weekend Nov to early Dec for autumn family trips. **Quietest times**: **weekday mornings (9:00 to 10:00 slot)** Oct to Feb; second/fourth Tuesdays (when other Tuesdays might be crowded, these are the day after closure days so often quiet). **Closure days**: **second and fourth Wednesdays** (or following Thursday if Wed is a holiday), plus **Dec 29 to Jan 2**. **Summer hours extend** (typically Jul 14 to Aug 31) to **8:30 to 18:00** (last entry 17:30), versus the standard 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30). **Admission**: ¥1,000 adult (university+), ¥800 high school, ¥500 elementary/junior high, free under 6, +¥1,200 for the seasonal Field Station experience.

### How do I get to the museum from Tokyo, Kanazawa, or Osaka?

**Big change since March 2024**: the Hokuriku Shinkansen now reaches **JR Fukui Station directly**, cutting the trip from Tokyo sharply. **From Tokyo**: Kagayaki/Hakutaka Shinkansen direct to Fukui (~3h10min, ¥15,810, JR Pass covered). **From Kanazawa**: same Shinkansen line, about ~50 min, ¥4,950. **From Osaka/Kyoto**: Limited Express Thunderbird to Tsuruga (~75 min from Osaka, ¥6,140), transfer to Shinkansen for one stop to Fukui (~20 min, ¥2,090). Thunderbird no longer goes through to Kanazawa since the Shinkansen took over; budget ~2h total from Osaka. **From Nagoya**: Limited Express Shirasagi to Tsuruga (~2h, ¥6,470), then Shinkansen to Fukui. **From JR Fukui Station to the museum** (the final leg, ~50 km east into the mountains): (1) **Echizen Railway Katsuyama-Eiheiji Line** (private line, NOT JR Pass covered, pay separately ~¥770) to **Katsuyama Station** ~55 min, departs every 30 to 60 min from the dedicated Echitetsu platform next to JR Fukui Station, then connect to the **'Dinobus' direct shuttle bus** to the museum (~15 min, ¥300, timed to train arrivals on weekends/holidays/summer; weekday service is the Katsuyama City Community Bus instead, ~20 min, ¥300). (2) **Rental car** from JR Fukui Station, ~50 min on Route 158, the most flexible option if you want to add Eiheiji or Echizen Daibutsu. (3) **Sightseeing taxi** from Katsuyama Station ~¥1,500 to ¥2,000 one way. Allow **~2 hours door-to-museum** from JR Fukui Station via train + Dinobus.

### What's actually inside, what should I prioritize, and what can I combine it with?

Plan **2.5 to 3.5 hours inside** for the main museum, or a **full day** if you add the Field Station. The signature **silver dome 'Dinosaur World' hall** is the highlight at the entrance, with over 50 mounted skeletons including Fukuiraptor and Fukuisaurus, plus a moving T. rex replica. Work through three floors: (1) the dome and main exhibit floor (45 min) for skeletons, dioramas, geological time, Earth's life history; (2) the **2023 new wing 'Dino Lab'** (45 to 60 min) with interactive exhibits, VR experiences, a recreated dig site you can dig in, and the **glass-walled fossil preparation lab** where you can watch paleontologists working on actual fossils (best on weekdays when staff are present); (3) the rooftop terrace for views of the surrounding mountains. **Don't miss**: the **dinosaur tower theatre** (3D film, included in admission, runs every 30 min), the **animatronic moving dinosaurs**, and the museum shop (good dinosaur merch, with Fukuiraptor plush ¥2,500, t-shirts, fossil replicas). **Field Station experience (野外恐竜博物館)** at the actual dig site 3 km away runs **mid-April to early November only**, **reserve separately ¥1,200**, ~3 hours including shuttle bus, and includes a guided fossil hunt where you can keep small fossils you find (kids love this). Closes on rainy days. **Pair with**: **Eiheiji Temple** (Soto Zen training temple, 45 min drive south, a completely different atmosphere, half-day each makes a full day); **Echizen Daibutsu** (giant Buddha, 10 min drive in Katsuyama, often empty); **Maruoka Castle** (one of the 12 original castles, 30 min west); **Heisenji Hakusan Shrine** (15 min, with a moss garden). Most travelers do **dinosaurs in morning plus Eiheiji in afternoon** as a Fukui day trip from Kanazawa or Tokyo.

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Source: Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum — Japan Voyage