Nintendo Museum Ultimate Guide: Facts You Should Know Before Visiting

Today, I will cover all the essential Nintendo Museum facts you should know about before visiting.

Overall, the Nintendo Museum is a definite place all Nintendo and gaming fans should really visit.

And I am excited to help you learn more before you visit by answering the Nintendo Museum’s most frequently asked questions in this guide.

Keep reading to find answers regarding the quickest way to get to the museum, what is on the menu, accessibility features, free amenities, ticket prices, and so much more.

Fun times ahead!

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10 Nintendo Museum Facts You Should Know About (Popular Questions Answered)

For your convenience, I curated the most important information about the Nintendo Museum directly from Nintendo, its awesome Nintendo Museum Direct video presentation, and the official Nintendo Museum website^[1] in this guide.

I also answer the most popular Nintendo Museum frequently asked questions you really should know about.

Here is a table of contents for the questions and answers you will find in this guide.

Click the links below to navigate to a specific section:

1. What Is The Nintendo Museum?
2. When Does The Nintendo Museum Open?
3. What Are Nintendo Museum’s Operating Hours?
4. Where Is The Nintendo Museum Located
5. How Much Does It Cost To Get Into The Nintendo Museum?
6. What Forms Of Payment Are Accepted In The Museum?
7. What Can You Expect To See At The Nintendo Museum?
8. Does The Nintendo Museum Include A Place To Eat?
9. Are There Free Amenities While Visiting The Museum?
10. Is There A Nintendo Store Inside The Museum?

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1) What Is The Nintendo Museum?

The building functions to display and preserve historical Nintendo items of artistic and cultural importance for public appreciation.

As a long time Nintendo fan of over three decades, I am truly excited Nintendo has finally created a place for fans to appreciate the company’s long history and rarely seen products from days long past.

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2) When Does The Museum Open?

Nintendo Museum Opening Date

Opening Day	October 2
Opening Year	2024
Location	Kyoto, Japan

No matter the day, I envision the museum being packed every day for months due to built-up anticipation for a Nintendo themed celebration center like this.

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3) What Are The Museum’s Operating Hours?

Nintendo Museum Operating Hours

Days Open	Wednesday – Monday
Hours	10a.m. – 6p.m.
Closed	Tuesday; New Year’s holiday

Specifically, the Nintendo Museum is closed throughout the New Year’s holiday season from December 30 to January 3rd.

The museum may also be closed because of unforeseen matters, which include hazardous weather and natural disasters among other unforeseen incidents.

I suspect Nintendo’s museum to keep to its store hours and operating days starting Fall 2024 onward besides closing due to unaccounted for disasters.

So there should be little worry concerning booking a visit only to find that the museum closed for the day.

But if a museum closure occurred, Nintendo would contact ticket holders by email and post closure information on its official website.

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4) Where Is The Museum Located?

Getting to the Nintendo Museum is rather easy as it is in walking distance from two close rail lines: Kintetsu Railway Kyoto Line and JR Nara Line.

How To Get To The Nintendo Museum

Ogura Station – East Exit (Kintetsu Railway Kyoto Line)	5-minute walk
JR Ogura Station – North Exit (JR Nara Line)	8-minute walk
Uji Station – North Exit (JR Nara Line)	22-minute walk

Taking an airplane and then using the Kintetsu Railway Kyoto Line is the quickest method to getting to the museum.

First, start by using your airline of choice to get to the first rail station.

Osaka International Airport, Kansai International Airport, or Kobe Airport will get you there:

• Osaka Airport takes about 50 minutes from the airport to station
• Kansai Airport takes about 80 minutes from the airport to station
• Kobe Airport takes 80 total minutes from the airport to station

Land at Kyoto Station and then take the Kintetsu Railway Kyoto Line.

Get off at Ogura Station and walk the short route to the Nintendo Museum.

Methods Of Transportation To Get To The Museum

Nintendo recommends getting to the museum by taking public transportation such as a train or bus.

The museum prohibits transportation by any other means, including by car and motorcycle, other motor vehicles, taxi, and bicycle.

And the museum does not offer parking spaces for these forms of transportation.

Additionally, people cannot drop or or pick up visitors from the museum by vehicle as it would be an inconvenience to the residents of the neighborhood.

The Quickest Route To The Museum

Personally, I suggest taking the Kintetsu Railway Kyoto Line and then get off at the Ogura Station to get to the Nintendo Museum the quickest.

Taking the station’s East Exit by foot will get you to the museum in approximately 5 minutes.

The Best Accessibility Route To The Museum

Getting off at the Ogura Station also provides an accessibility route for those in wheelchairs or who have strollers.

Simply take the West Exit for an accessible-friendly extended walk to the museum that will take approximately 20-25 minutes.

This route snakes around the rail station, towards the Bank of Kyoto, and to the Nintendo Museum.

Overall, I am super happy to know that there are multiple different methods to get to the museum to assist people in different situations.

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5) How Much Does It Cost To Get Into The Museum?

These are the prices you can expect to pay for a single admission ticket for the museum in Fall 2024 and onward.

Nintendo Museum Ticket Prices

Ticket	USD	YEN	GBP
Adult (18+)	22.70	3300	17.40
Youth (12-17)	15	2200	11.60
Child (6-11)	7.57	1100	5.80
Preschool (0-5)	0	0	0

The Nintendo Museum categorizes Adults as age 18+, Youth as ages 12-17, Child as ages 6-11, and Preschoolers as ages 5 and under.

Additionally, each visitor who purchases an admission ticket also receives an entry pass play ticket preloaded with 10 Coins (the currency used within the Nintendo Museum to play games).

Prices are reasonable in my opinion and affordable for a couple or a small family.

If you want even more details about the museum’s ticket system and pricing, read my Nintendo Museum ticket system and pricing in-depth guide that goes over the museum’s raffle based ticket system, pricing, and current currency conversion rates.

Children Must Be Accompanied By An Adult

Keep in mind an adult must accompany anyone aged 11 and younger. The museum prohibits children 11 and under from entering alone without an adult.

Adults with children, therefore, will need to buy a ticket for themselves as well as for any children present age 11 or under.

Reduced Prices For Accessibility Tickets

Adult and children with accessibility needs receive a reduced priced admission identical to the price of a Child’s ticket.

Additionally, one companion may purchase a ticket at the Child ticket rate.

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6) What Forms Of Payment Are Accepted In The Museum?

Nintendo, specifically, accepts a selection of well known credit card brands at their museum:

• VISA
• Master Card
• American Express
• Diners Club International
• Union Pay International

The gaming company also accepts a variety of prepaid transit cards at their museum:

• Kitaca
• Suica
• Pasmo
• TOICA (Tokai IC Card)
• Manaca
• ICOCA
• Sugoca
• Nimoca
• Mayakaken

Lastly, the Nintendo Museum accepts QR Code payment methods:

• dBarai
• Pay Pay
• R Pay

Do not worry if you never heard of the payment options on this list. They are mostly available and used only in Japan.

Suggested Payment Methods For International Travelers

For foreign travelers, consider using a credit card or cash.

You may also consider using the prepaid payment methods listed above by purchasing prepaid cards at retailers online or while in Japan if you prefer.

It feels really nice knowing there are countless ways to purchase admission tickets, food, and goodies at the museum.

One less thing to worry about is always a good thing.

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7) What Can You Expect To See At The Museum?

The company’s origin is also celebrated in the museum with a designated area to make and play Hanafuda cards (Nintendo began over 100 years ago as a Hanafuda card manufacturer).

Nintendo encourages visitors to have fun exploring both floors of the museum regardless of their gaming knowledge.

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First Floor Interactive Experiences

The Nintendo Museum’s first floor is home to eight interactive experiences: a floor screen card game, shooting gallery, batting cage, ball grabber, love tester, shadow play, Nintendo classic game center, and giant controller gaming.

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All 8 Nintendo Museum Interactive Experiences

	Exhibit	Players
1	Shigureden SP Explore poems via smart devices and a large floor screen	1
2	Zapper & Scope SP A shooting gallery in the world of Mario	1
3	Ultra Machine SP A batting-cage inside a Japanese inspired room	1
4	Ultra Hand SP Grab balls rolling down lanes and place them in pipes	1
5	Love Tester SP Hold hands and perform tests that measure “Love Level”	2
6	Game & Watch SP Use your own shadow to play a game of Game & Watch	1
7	Nintendo Classics Play over 80 classic Nintendo (NES), Super Nintendo (SNES), and Nintendo 64 (N64) games	1-2
8	Big Controller Play classic Nintendo games with a partner by using oversized controllers	2

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Shigureden SP

Zapper & Scope SP Shooting Range

Ultra Machine SP Batting Cage

Ultra Hand SP

Love Tester SP Couples Gaming

Game & Watch SP Shadow Gaming

Nintendo Classics Gaming

Big Controller Classic Gaming

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Each interactive experience requires a certain amount of digital Coins to play and each visitor receives 10 Coins upon admission.

These 10 “free” Coins, however, will not be enough to play all eight experiences.

Visitors cannot purchase additional Coins so multiple visits will be required to play all exhibits.

I suggest you keep in mind how many Coins each interactive experience requires before playing to make the most out of your 10 Coins.

Nintendo Museum Digital Play Coins: What You Need To Know

• Each visitor gets 10 free Coins
• A visitor’s entry pass play ticket comes preloaded with Coins
• Coins cannot be purchased separately
• Interactive experiences require Coins to play
• Each experience requires a different amount of Coins
• A visitor spends Coins upon playing an experience
• You may play an interactive experience once or multiple times
• Coins cannot be used to purchase merchandise or food

All in all, the Nintendo Museum Coin system encourages multiple visits but hopefully expands to allow visitors to purchase additional Coins in the future.

Because I really want to play every experience in one day especially the Mario shooting gallery, love tester with my spouse, and the big controller game.

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Second Floor Display Showcases

The Nintendo Museum’s second floor displays Nintendo’s vast history of products from their days before gaming to their playing cards, toys, first gaming consoles, and even a computer printer and baby stroller.

Of course, display items include Nintendo video games and systems from before the Nintendo Entertainment System to the Nintendo Switch.

Regional variations of games and systems are also on display to showcase differences between releases around the world.

Furthermore, display items on the second floor have limited explanation on purpose to inspire observers to come up with their own unique thoughts.

Nintendo hopes visitors will share their thoughts with others to create a fun and unique experience.

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Create And Play Hanafuda Cards

Nintendo started as a Hanafuda playing card manufacturer and the Nintendo Museum celebrates this by including a designated area to create and play Hanafuda cards.

Craft Room: Make Hanafuda Cards (1 Person)

Duration	60 minutes (approximately)
Fee (Tax Included)	$13.76/¥2000/£10.55

Visitors can craft their own Hanafuda playing cards by using a specialized kit provided by the museum.

Card creation begins by selecting a pattern based on one of the 12 months, painting the pattern, and then folding the paper into 4 cards.

When finished, visitors can take their very own handmade Hanafuda cards home with them.

Play Room: Play Hanafuda Cards (2 People)

Duration	30 minutes (approximately)
Fee Per Person (Tax Included)	$3.44/¥500/£2.64

Visitors can play a game of Hanafuda with a partner in a 2 person match.

First, the game’s rules are explained. Then, image recognition and projection technology is used to make playing the game easier for new players.

If you are like me and have always wanted to experience Nintendo’s humble beginnings, I suggest creating and playing Hanafuda at the Nintendo Museum during your visit.

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8) Does The Museum Include A Place To Eat?

The cafe lives inside the Nintendo Museum, operated by the consulting and production company Smiles Co., Ltd. which was founded in February 2000^[3].

Nintendo Museum Cafe Operating Hours

Operating Hours

10a.m. – 6p.m.

The Cafe’s operating hours are the same as the Nintendo Museum: 10a.m. to 6p.m. Cafe staff only accepts orders until 5:30p.m., thirty minutes before closing.

The Cafe Is Only Accessible To Museum Visitors

Additionally, the Cafe is only accessible to museum ticket holders. Non-ticket holders cannot enter the Cafe and must purchase an admissions ticket.

Amenities Provided To Cafe Guest Upon Request

As far as amenities are concerned, the Cafe provides visitors with wheelchair accessible seating and high chairs upon request.

The Menu Is Child Safe With Options

The menu is children-friendly and includes lacto-ovo vegetarian options (foods that contain eggs and dairy products).

The Cafe, however, does not offer vegan and halal options.

Honestly, my interest is beyond piqued based on the Cafe having over 270,000 hamburger combinations.

That is a lot of combinations! Now I really want to try their hamburgers.

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9) Are There Free Amenities While Visiting The Museum?

Lockers rest in front of a security gate next to a change machine and are used to store small items you might not want to carry with you.

Think of smaller items such as extra clothes, bottles, or snacks for children or handbags and accessories.

Visitors can use the large luggage area to leave large luggage and items that do not fit in the lockers.

It seems like Nintendo has thought of nearly everything by providing free wireless internet to patrons and allocating space for storage.

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10) Is There A Store Inside The Museum?

Keep in mind that the Shop is inside the Museum and is only accessible to visitors that purchased a museum ticket.

All payment methods accepted inside the Nintendo Museum are also accepted at the Shop. That includes cash, credit cards, prepaid cards, and QR Codes.

But keep in mind you cannot use your entry pass play ticket Coins to purchase merchandise from the Shop.

Similar to the Cafe, the Shop is operated by a third party company instead of Nintendo. NOMURA medias Co., Ltd. operates the Nintendo Museum’s store^[4].

I am really excited about seeing what exclusive Nintendo merchandise and products the Nintendo Museum’s store stocks when it opens.

For Nintendo fans like myself, the exclusive merchandise and products might just be reason enough to take a trip to Japan and visit Nintendo’s museum.

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Additional Nintendo Museum Questions

Enjoy answers to additional Nintendo Museum related questions you might want to know about before visiting.

How Long Can You Stay Inside The Museum? Is There A Time Limit?

Visitors can stay inside the Nintendo Museum for as long as they like as there are no time restrictions. The length of one’s visit is only limited by the museum’s operating hours (you can stay from opening to closing, if you prefer).

On crowded days with a lot of patrons, however, the museum may enforce restrictions on how long a visitor can stay to prevent overcrowding.

How Long Does It Take to See Everything At The Museum?

Exploring everything at the Nintendo Museum will take approximately 3 hours to complete.

Of course, more or less time will be needed depending on how much time one spends on each interactive experience, the display area on the second floor, eating at the Cafe, and shopping at the store among other things.

I suggest taking your time and just have fun as you and/or your family make a day out of enjoying Nintendo’s history.

Does The Museum Allow You To Re-Enter After Leaving?

Visitors cannot re-enter the Nintendo Museum after leaving as re-entry is prohibited. This means visitors will have to buy new admission tickets to re-enter after leaving the museum grounds.

Keep this in mind before visiting and come prepared.

Make good use of the museum’s lockers and large luggage areas by storing important (and emergency) supplies.

Doing so may help you from needing to leave earlier than preferred.

Does The Museum Have A Smoking Area?

The Nintendo Museum has a smoking section in the court yard outside the exhibition buildings. Specifically, the smoking area is located in close proximity to the Cafe and Exhibition Building 3.

View the museum’s map to see exactly where the smoking area is located for your convenience. It is relatively easy to find once you are outside.

Are Pets Allowed Inside The Museum?

Pets are not allowed inside the Nintendo Museum. The museum only allows seeing eye dogs and other service dogs for those with accessibility needs.

This means visitors cannot bring pets with them on their visit including (but not limited to) dogs, cats, hamsters, snakes, raccoons, foxes, chipmunks, rodents, and so forth.

Can You Take Pictures, Videos, Or Live Stream Inside The Museum?

Certain parts of the Nintendo Museum allows pictures, videos, and live streams to be taken as long as doing so does not inconvenience other museum guests.

Recording media of any kind for commercial purposes or in areas in which recording media is prohibited is not allowed at the museum.

In general, it is important to ask museum staff for what areas of the museum are off-limits to media creation and which parts are okay before taking a picture, video, or live stream.

Keep in mind that tripods, selfie sticks, monopods, and any other camera attachments are not allowed inside the museum as they may disturb or inconvenience other museum visitors.

Is The Nintendo Museum Wheelchair Accessible?

The Nintendo Museum is wheelchair accessible and allows wheelchairs to be used inside the museum by those who are handicapped or have accessibility needs.

Visitors with accessibility needs are encouraged to ask staff if they need support exploring the museum.

Furthermore, wheelchair and accessible parking is located near the entrance gate near Exhibition Building 1. Accessible parking is limited but can be reserved by using the URL link in the confirmation email once tickets are purchased.

Four wheelchair accessible bathrooms are also available to visitors, located on the first floor near the entrance’s Ticket Office, the Shop, and the Cafe as well as on the second floor.

Lastly, visitors are encouraged to bring their own wheelchairs as the museum only has a limited amount of wheelchairs to lend to visitors.

Wheelchairs can be borrowed by visiting one of two information counters.

Information counters are located outside the Shop on the first floor and on the second floor above the Cafe in Exhibition Building 3.

Are Nursing Rooms Or Diaper Changing Rooms Available?

The Nintendo Museum includes two nursing rooms in which parents can use for nursing purposes or to change their children’s diapers: one nursing room is located in Exhibition Building 3 near the Cafe while the second nursing room is located in Exhibition Building 2 near the shop.

Additionally, the museum’s four accessible bathrooms can also be used for nursing or diaper changing.

View the museum’s first floor map and second floor map to see each nursing room’s location.

Is There Anything Else I Should Know About The Nintendo Museum?

The Nintendo Museum has elevators near the entrance and towards the center of Exhibition Building 1 as well as near the Cafe in Exhibition Building 2.

An escalator and staircase can also be found in the museum’s primary building which connects the first floor to the second floor.

Stroller storage areas are located by the stairwell near the center of Exhibition Building 1 and outside next to the Cafe.

An umbrella storage area is also located next to the stroller storage area next to the Cafe.

Most importantly, have fun exploring the Nintendo Museum and enjoy yourself.

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Watch The Nintendo Museum Direct

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=JApUMBscKOc

I hope I helped you learn a lot about the Nintendo Museum with my comprehensive frequently asked questions guide.

Learn more about the Nintendo Museum by watching Nintendo’s official video above.

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