Plan at a glance
One pagoda, two types of visit
The North Pagoda Museum has above-ground and underground galleries. Its price list also sells a separate “North Pagoda” visit. Youshun Temple, South Pagoda, and Murong Street are outside the museum and require separate entry and time.
The current price list sells separate tickets for the Museum and the North Pagoda, as well as a joint ticket. The museum's underground galleries should not be assumed to be the same space as the separately ticketed North Pagoda visit. An earlier notice called the ticket item “North Pagoda Underground Palace”; the current website calls it “North Pagoda.” Before buying an add-on ticket, ask which areas are open, where to enter, and whether visitors may go inside the pagoda.
Who it suits and how long to allow
This is a useful stop in the old town for visitors interested in Liao Dynasty pagodas, Buddhist art, and excavated artifacts. Allow about 1.5–2 hours for the museum; add time if you also visit the North Pagoda. This is a trip-planning estimate.
The museum visit focuses on display cases, explanatory text, and archaeological remains. If traveling with children or older adults, allow time for registration and breaks. Children and visitors with limited mobility should have an accompanying adult as required by the museum.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
Choose your visit
Start with the museum displays
You can begin in the above-ground galleries with the introductory hall, “History and Origins” (《历史源流》), and “The Pagoda Shines over Chaoyang” (《塔耀朝阳》) to learn about the pagoda and local history. Then go downstairs to the exhibit “Five Historical Eras in One Pagoda” (《五世同体》), which explains how the North Pagoda preserves architectural layers from the Three Yan, Northern Wei, Sui, Tang, and Liao periods. Continue to “Treasures of the North Pagoda” (《北塔瑰宝》), “The Rediscovery of Buddhist Relics” (《舍利重光》), and the excavated artifacts.
Choose an order based on your interests. Gallery names follow the museum's descriptions; temporary exhibits and open floors may change, so check on site.
Consider the separate North Pagoda ticket
Before buying the add-on ticket, ask which areas are open that day, where the entrance is, which floors visitors can reach, and whether entry inside the pagoda is allowed.
Highlights featured by the museum include a Pagoda of Seven Treasures, a Persian glass bottle, a gold-and-silver sutra pagoda, a silver bodhi tree, and an image of Nezha carved on a stone reliquary casket. Displays may change; check the exhibit labels for the objects currently on view and whether they are originals or replicas.
Build your day
Half-day museum route
Visit in the morning. Read the displays in the above-ground galleries first, then go to the underground galleries for “Five Historical Eras in One Pagoda” and the excavated artifacts. Displays rotate, so follow the current labels when you arrive.
If you also plan to visit the North Pagoda, confirm the ticket and route inside the pagoda first, then schedule it after the museum galleries. Ticket sales stop at 16:00, so a late arrival may not leave enough time for both visits.
Connect to an old-town walk
If you have another half-day, walk along Murong Street and then choose Youshun Temple or South Pagoda as your next stop. Check the opening hours, entrances, and separate ticket requirements for each place before setting out.
Murong Street is outside the museum. Restaurants, shops, and evening activities keep their own schedules; check what is open that day before visiting at night.
Get there
Address and bus
The museum is at No. 2-1 Murong Street, Shuangta District, Chaoyang. Call 0421-2813498. A 2025 bus notice listed Route 16 at the “North Pagoda” stop; the route may have changed, so check the stop and last bus on the day of travel.
A tourist loop bus from Liaoning Chaoyang High-Speed Railway Station passes the North Pagoda Museum. Rides were free from October 1–7, 2026; regular fares resumed on October 8. Call 0421-2624777 to confirm current stops and schedules.
Driving and parking
Navigate to the museum address or North Pagoda Square and follow local signs near Murong Street. Confirm parking fees and available spaces before driving; during events, allow time to walk from the parking area.
Know before you go
Opening hours and prices
The museum website lists entry from 08:30, last ticket sales and entry at 16:00, and closing at 16:30. It is closed on Mondays except public holidays. A notice issued in late August 2026 said regular hours would resume on September 4; hours may still change for holidays, temporary events, or weather. An earlier government Q&A listed a midday break, so call ahead if you plan to arrive around noon and confirm that ticket sales and galleries remain open.
The listed prices are CNY 40 for the Museum, CNY 20 for the North Pagoda, and CNY 50 for a joint ticket. A guided visit costs CNY 100 per session. No separate “underground palace” ticket is listed. The 2026 travel pass includes the museum but not the North Pagoda; pass holders should confirm the separate North Pagoda ticket.
Identification, concessions, and museum rules
Advance reservations are no longer required; visitors can enter by scanning an ID card. Children and overseas visitors with passports can use a dedicated entry lane; visitors without a valid Chinese ID card can register by scanning a QR code on site. Call ahead to confirm passport ticketing and concession rules.
The website lists concessions for minors, students, adults aged 60–69, visitors with disabilities, and active-duty military personnel. Some discounts apply only to the joint ticket or require valid documents; check which ticket applies to you. Visitors must pass a security check. Do not touch exhibits, and follow the museum's rules on flash photography. Older adults, visitors with limited mobility, and children in the specified age groups must have an accompanying adult as required by the museum.