Museums in Kyoto

Kyoto Prefecture offers 72 museums, from the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto to the Gunze Museum. Visitors can find museums covering a wide range of interests.

Not sure where to start? Read our guide to the 20 best

Fukuda Art Museum

Fukuda Art Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

See Japanese paintings from Edo to modern Kyoto in a unique museum by the Oi River.

Kyoto Prefectural Tango Regional Museum

Kyoto Prefectural Tango Regional Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore Tango's history and culture through 110,000 artifacts, including national treasures, at...

Umekōji Steam Locomotive Museum

Umekōji Steam Locomotive Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

See historic steam locomotives and railway heritage in a unique 1914 engine shed.

National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Kyoto's National Museum of Modern Art showcases Japanese and Western art, plus crafts.

Asahi Group Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art

Asahi Group Oyamazaki Villa Museum of Art

KYOTO · MUSEUM

See art by Monet and Mingei masters in a historic villa and modern annexes.

Gunze Museum

Gunze Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore Gunze's silk and textile history in a renovated warehouse, celebrating its local origins...

Gunze Memorial Hall

Gunze Memorial Hall

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore Gunze's corporate history and silk production in a preserved 1917 wooden building.

Diorama Kyoto Japan

Diorama Kyoto Japan

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Miniature railway model park in Kyoto, with cityscapes and interactive train operation.

Kyocera Gallery

Kyocera Gallery

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Kyocera Gallery: a free museum in Kyoto with Picasso etchings and diverse art, worth a visit.

Kyōtango City Local Museum

Kyōtango City Local Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Kyotango City Local Museum: explore local history and ancient artifacts in a former school.

Kyoto University Museum

Kyoto University Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore academic and educational materials at Kyoto University Museum, showcasing natural histor...

Kyoto Municipal Museum of School History

Kyoto Municipal Museum of School History

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore a former school building showcasing Kyoto's educational history, a short walk from major...

Kyoto City Heiankyo Sosei-Kan Museum

Kyoto City Heiankyo Sosei-Kan Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore ancient Kyoto's layout and artifacts through detailed models and excavated items.

Kyoto City Archaeological Museum

Kyoto City Archaeological Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

This museum displays excavated artifacts from Kyoto's history, from the Stone Age to the twentie...

Kyoto Prefectural Insho-Domoto Museum of Fine Arts

Kyoto Prefectural Insho-Domoto Museum of Fine Arts

KYOTO · MUSEUM

See the works of Insho Domoto, a master of Japanese painting, in a building he designed.

Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives

Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore Kyoto's history through documents and art at this combined library, archive, and museum.

Garden of Fine Arts Kyoto

Garden of Fine Arts Kyoto

KYOTO · MUSEUM

An outdoor museum in Kyoto displaying famous paintings on durable ceramic panels.

Museum of Kyoto

Museum of Kyoto

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore Kyoto's culture and history in a modern museum and historic bank building.

Kitamura Museum

Kitamura Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Kitamura Museum: a private collection of antique art and tea ceremony items, worth visiting for...

Ōe Washi Museum

Ōe Washi Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Learn about traditional Japanese paper making and try it yourself at this museum.

Shimadzu Foundation Memorial Museum

Shimadzu Foundation Memorial Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

A Kyoto museum commemorating Shimadzu Corporation's founder and history, housed in historic buil...

Byodo-in Museum Hoshokan

Byodo-in Museum Hoshokan

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Modern museum showcasing ancient Buddhist treasures from Byodo-in Temple, an architectural award...

Jōtenkaku Museum

Jōtenkaku Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Jōtenkaku Museum showcases art and treasures from historic Kyoto temples, worth visiting for its...

Japan Oni Exchange Museum

Japan Oni Exchange Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore Japan's rich oni (ogre) legends at this unique museum at the foot of Mt. Oe.

Gekkeikan Ōkura Sake Museum

Gekkeikan Ōkura Sake Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

This museum, in a 1909 brewery, shows sake production history and Gekkeikan's evolution since 16...

Somé Seiryukan

Somé Seiryukan

KYOTO · MUSEUM

World's first dyeing museum in Kyoto, showcasing Japanese dyeing art.

Navy Memorial Museum

Navy Memorial Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore naval history at this museum, housed in a historic building, with unique artifacts.

Hakusasonsō

Hakusasonsō

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore a painter's Kyoto estate, featuring a beautiful garden and historic buildings.

Masutomi Museum of Geoscience

Masutomi Museum of Geoscience

KYOTO · MUSEUM

A small museum in Kyoto dedicated to stones, offering unique geological exhibits.

Fukuchiyama City Sato Taisei Memorial Art Museum

Fukuchiyama City Sato Taisei Memorial Art Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

This art museum showcases painter Taisei Sato's works and studio, located conveniently near Fuku...

Fukuchiyama Railway Museum Poppoland

Fukuchiyama Railway Museum Poppoland

KYOTO · MUSEUM

See historic railway artifacts and a steam locomotive at this museum.

Vocational Museum

Vocational Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

The Vocational Museum was a large government-funded facility providing vocational experience for...

Suekawa Memorial Hall

Suekawa Memorial Hall

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Commemorating a university president, this hall offers a historic courtroom and cultural insight...

Hosomi Museum

Hosomi Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Hosomi Museum showcases ancient Japanese art, including Important Cultural Properties, in a mode...

Maizuru City Commemoration Hall

Maizuru City Commemoration Hall

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Historic warehouse, now a free cultural hall, showcasing Maizuru's past and a friendship medal.

Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum

Maizuru Repatriation Memorial Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

This museum commemorates Japanese repatriates from WWII labor camps, offering a unique look at t...

Hanazono University Historical Museum

Hanazono University Historical Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore Buddhist art and history at Japan's first Buddhist university museum, with free admissio...

Yūrinkan Museum

Yūrinkan Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Yūrinkan Museum is a private Kyoto museum of ancient Chinese art, worth visiting for its rare co...

Sumiya

Sumiya

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore a historic Kyoto ageya, now a museum, where geisha entertained and history unfolded.

Maizuru World Brick Museum

Maizuru World Brick Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Japan's only brick museum, housed in a historic naval warehouse, showcasing bricks from around t...

Nomura Art Museum

Nomura Art Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

See a Kyoto art museum with tea ceremony and Noh collections, including Important Cultural Prope...

Costume Museum

Costume Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

See Heian-period court life and The Tale of Genji through costumes and a palace model.

Utoro Peace Memorial Museum

Utoro Peace Memorial Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Learn about the history of Zainichi Koreans in Utoro and their fight for their community.

Nintendo Museum

Nintendo Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore Nintendo's history and games at this corporate museum in Uji City.

Gallery of Kyoto Traditional Arts & Crafts

Gallery of Kyoto Traditional Arts & Crafts

KYOTO · MUSEUM

A gallery founded by local craft and architecture colleges showcasing Kyoto's historic tradition...

Bukkyo University Museum of Religious Culture

Bukkyo University Museum of Religious Culture

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore Japan's first university history faculty and Buddhist culture at this Kyoto museum.

Fukuchiyama-city Tanba Seikatsui-kan

Fukuchiyama-city Tanba Seikatsui-kan

KYOTO · MUSEUM

This museum showcases a vast collection of everyday clothing and textiles from Japan's past.

Nishijin Textile Center

Nishijin Textile Center

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore Nishijin-ori silk textiles, their history, and see artisans at work in this cultural cen...

Misu Kōmon Museum

Misu Kōmon Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Misu Kōmon Museum: a historic lock gate showcasing Kyoto's industrial past and canal system.

Kyoto National Museum

Kyoto National Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

This museum, one of Japan's first, protects and exhibits traditional art from temples and shrine...

Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum

Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

This private museum showcases 10,000 Japanese craft items from the late Edo to Meiji periods.

Museum of Furuta Oribe

Museum of Furuta Oribe

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Modern museum in Kyoto dedicated to tea master Furuta Oribe and related arts.

Namikawa Cloisonné Museum of Kyoto

Namikawa Cloisonné Museum of Kyoto

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Explore the exquisite cloisonné art of Namikawa Yasuyuki in his historic Kyoto home and workshop...

Lake Biwa Canal Museum

Lake Biwa Canal Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Learn about Kyoto's historic Lake Biwa Canal and its engineering marvels.

Koryo Museum of Art

Koryo Museum of Art

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Japan's only museum dedicated to Korean art, a unique cultural experience.

Ōtani University Museum

Ōtani University Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

This university museum houses a large collection of cultural assets, including Important Cultura...

Kyoto HBS Museum

Kyoto HBS Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

A modern Buddhist art museum in Kyoto, offering unique design and flexible exhibits.

Kyoto Railway Museum

Kyoto Railway Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

Japan's largest railway museum, it showcases historic trains and railway technology.

Tanba Manganese Mining Museum

Tanba Manganese Mining Museum

KYOTO · MUSEUM

A small museum in Kyoto preserving the history of manganese mining and its human cost.

Kyoto Municipal Science Center for Youth

Kyoto Municipal Science Center for Youth

KYOTO · MUSEUM

A science center in Kyoto with a planetarium, offering engaging exhibits for all ages.

Museums elsewhere

See everything by prefecture and type