Before You Go to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome

Short answer: the museum costs ¥200 and you don't need to book for most of the day, but the first hour (7:30–8:30) and the last entry hour in the evening are web-ticket only. The Atomic Bomb Dome is a free outdoor viewing spot beside a tram stop, and you can't go inside the fence.

Tickets and prices (museum, official)

• Adults (college students and up): ¥200. High school students: ¥100. Junior high school and younger: free. 65 and older: ¥100 with a passport.
• Buying at the door: counters and ticket machines are open during normal hours only. The museum warns that same-day tickets can take time to buy and recommends a web ticket.
• Web tickets: sold from midnight 90 days before your visit date. The museum's Japanese ticket page says domestic buyers use Asoview and overseas buyers use Klook; the link is on the museum's own site. The museum's 2024 notice says the service works in 15 languages, English included. Show the QR code that arrives by email. As an individual, use the advance-purchaser lane at the west entrance.
• Free exhibitions: if you only want a special exhibition, a legacy-successor talk or a Peace Volunteer guided tour, you can enter without joining the ticket line.

Hours (official; Sep–Nov now, Dec–Feb from December)

• Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.
• Web-only slots are capped at 300 people each (museum's ticket page) and can sell out. A normal-hours web ticket does not get you in during the web-only hours.
• Closed: December 30–31 and mid-February (hours page). The top page lists a closure for changing exhibits on February 15–20, 2027.

When it is busiest

• The museum's English flyer marks 11:00–15:00 as the most crowded hours and recommends the limited web-ticket slots, which it says are less crowded.
• Even with a web ticket you can be asked to wait, or may not get in at the exact time printed on it, when the museum is crowded. It may also limit entry for safety.
• The museum's top page suggests about 30 minutes for its "Visitor Guide for the Main Building" route.

Rules inside the museum (official)

• Large bags are not allowed. Coin lockers are on the 1st floor of the East Building.
• Photos and video without flash are allowed for personal use. Tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed. Flash, or photos for publication, need an application in advance.
• Keep quiet, don't touch the exhibits or display cases (except the hands-on exhibits), and don't talk on the phone in the exhibition rooms.
• Eating and drinking only in designated areas, such as the Visitor's Lounge on the 1st floor of the East Building. Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the park or museum.

The Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome)

• Hiroshima City says visitors can view it from outside its perimeter fence; access beyond the fence is not permitted.
• Getting there: streetcar line 2 (for Miyajima or Nishi-Hiroshima Station) or line 6 (for Eba) to Genbaku-dome Mae. The city gives about 20 minutes from Hiroshima Station.
• UNESCO lists it as a World Heritage site (inscribed 1996). The Peace Memorial Park around it is the buffer zone.

Getting to the museum (official)

• Streetcar from Hiroshima Station (about 25 minutes, per the museum): line 2 or 6 to Genbaku Domu Mae, or the line 1 car for Hiroshima Port to Fukuro-machi. The Peace Culture Foundation says it is about a 10-minute walk from either stop. JNTO gives the tram ride itself as 15 minutes, so the 25 minutes seems to include the walk.
• Loop bus "Meipuru-pu": from the Shinkansen exit of Hiroshima Station to "Heiwa kinen koen" (about 17 minutes). Both the orange and green lines stop there.
• Bus no. 24 (for Yoshijima) from the station's south exit to "Heiwa kinen koen" (about 20 minutes).
• From Hiroshima Airport: limousine bus to Hiroshima Bus Center (about 70 minutes), then about a 10-minute walk.
• By car: there is no public parking in the Peace Memorial Park. Use a nearby paid lot; the museum recommends public transport.

Left out (not confirmed on an official page): tram and bus fares, how long a typical visit takes, the current queue at the door, and what to see in the east building. The live-camera view of the entrance mentioned in the museum's 2024 notice was not checked.

Quick answers

Do I need to book the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in advance?

Not for most of the day. From September to November you can buy a ticket at the door between 8:30 and 17:30. The first hour (7:30 to 8:30) and the last entry hour (17:30 to 18:30) are web-ticket only, and the museum says no tickets are sold at the door then. The museum still recommends a web ticket because same-day tickets can take a while to buy.

How much is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum?

Adults (college students and up) pay ¥200, high school students ¥100, and junior high school students and younger are free. Visitors 65 and older pay ¥100 with a passport.

Can I go inside the Atomic Bomb Dome?

No. Hiroshima City says you can see it from outside its perimeter fence; going past the fence is not permitted. Viewing it from outside is free.

Is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum closed on any days?

The museum's hours page lists December 30 and 31 and mid-February. The museum's top page lists a closure for changing exhibits from February 15 to 20, 2027.

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