Kaleidoscopes do not pop to mind when one says Kyoto, but the Kaleidoscope Museum (京都万華鏡ミュージアム姉小路館) is a great place to visit for an hour if your kids are “templed out” or if the weather calls for an indoor activity.  The one room museum has 20-30 kaleidoscopes that are from all over the world. All of the kaleidoscopes have English cards next to them explaining how to use properly. The staff does not speak much English, but they are incredibly passionate about showing you each one and how to use it. My four-year-old had a great time. Great value for a few hundred yen.

Kaleidoscope Museum, Kyoto

Make sure you stay for the light show which takes place about every 30 mins. The lights are turned off, and the kaleidoscopes are projected on the wall. Very cool. I would advise one adult with one child since many of the kaleidoscopes are very fragile and could break easily if dropped.

After enjoying touching and viewing all the beautiful Kaleidoscopes, you can have an inexpensive but healthy lunch in the small cafe and/or make your own kaleidoscope to take home. There are two types of kaleidoscopes which can be made -oil or a simple mirror type. We chose the mirror type for a little more than 500 JPY. It takes about 30 mins to construct the kaleidoscope, and you will have a very helpful staff member make sure you don’t make a mistake. We love the kaleidoscope we made with beautiful washi paper on the outside – a unique item to remember our trip.

Hours: Open Everyday 10:00 – 17:30

Fee: 300 JPY for adults, 200 JPY for junior high and elementary students, free for younger

Access: 2 min walk from Karasuma Oike Station on the Karasuma and Tōzai Lines

Note: There is a ramp for strollers and wheelchairs, but inside is quite narrow

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Kaleidoscope Museum, Kyoto

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