Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum

福井県立恐竜博物館

Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum opened in July, 2000.  At the same year it was opened as the main venue for Dinosaur Expo Fukui 2000.

It is one of the largest dinosaur museums in Japan and its building was designed by the late Kisho Kurokawa. The exterior of the museum is a silvery egg shape, and the vast pillarless space inside contains more than 40 dinosaur skeletons (including replicas).

From the main entrance, visitors can take a 33-meter-long escalator down to the basement, where they can proceed in sequence to learn about the history of the ancient earth in three themed zones: “World of Dinosaurs,” “Science of the Earth,” and “History of Life.

 

The Dinosaur Museum is also Japan’s leading center for dinosaur fossil research, and visitors can observe the fossil cleaning process through the windows.

The Dinosaur Museum is considered one of the world’s three great dinosaur museums, along with the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Canada and the Drikung Dinosaur Museum in China.

福井県立恐竜博物館ティラノサウルス


How to Get to Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum

By Train and Bus:

1. After arriving at JR Fukui Station, transfer to the Echizen Railway Katsuyama Eiheiji Line.

2. Take the train to Katsuyama Station (the final stop). The ride takes about 1 hour.

3. From Katsuyama Station, use a bus or taxi to reach the museum:

The bus ride takes about 15 minutes.
A taxi takes about 10 minutes.

Direct Buses:

1. WOW RIDE Bus (Fukui to Dinosaur Museum):
A new type of XR bus, the WOW RIDE “Ikossa! Fukui-go”, departs daily from JR Fukui Station and goes directly to the museum.

2. Dinosaur Bus (Seasonal):
A direct bus from JR Fukui Station to the museum operates on weekends and public holidays during limited periods.


Direct Bus from Awara Area:

From Awara-Yunomachi Station (Echizen Railway) or JR Awaraonsen Station, the Awara Dinosaur-go Bus operates on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, providing direct access to the museum.


By Car:
From Katsuyama Interchange (Chubu Jukan Expressway): drive for approximately 10 minutes to reach the museum.