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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanSesilmaru: Free Rooftop View Over Deoksugung, Seoul (2026)
Checked Oct 6, 2026
Sesilmaru (세실마루) is a free rooftop garden on top of Cecil Theatre (세실극장) in Jeongdong, central Seoul. It's open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–21:00, closed Mondays, with no booking. From the roof you look straight down onto the Seoul Anglican Cathedral and into Deoksugung Palace, and it's about 5 minutes on foot from City Hall Station, Exit 3.
I haven't been up there yet. The name kept showing up in Korean searches lately, so I read Seoul City's own Korean pages on it. It turns out to be a good stop to pair with Jeongdong's two autumn festivals this month.
Jump to: What is it? · The view · Cecil Theatre · Getting there · vs Jeongdong Observatory · October events · FAQ
What is Sesilmaru?
It's a public roof garden that Seoul City and the Anglican Church of Korea (대한성공회) made together. It opened on April 1, 2021. Seoul City paid for the work, about 1.3 billion won, and the roof is 566 square meters.
The opening hours follow Deoksugung Palace next door. Seoul says they can change with the season or for events, so check before a late visit.
What can you see from the roof?
The closest building is the Seoul Anglican Cathedral (대한성공회 서울주교좌성당). It's a Romanesque church in red brick with a Korean tiled roof, and from Sesilmaru you're looking at it from just across the lane.
Further out you can pick out:
- Jeonggwanheon (정관헌) inside Deoksugung (덕수궁), and Jungmyeongjeon (중명전)
- Seoul City Hall (서울시청) and Sejong-daero (세종대로), the big avenue
- The Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture (서울도시건축전시관)
Signs on the roof name the buildings around you in Korean and English. There are shade canopies, benches and one tiered viewing deck.
Don't expect a skyline panorama. The theatre isn't a tall building. What you get instead is the cathedral roof and the palace grounds very close up.
Why is it on a theatre roof?
Cecil Theatre opened in 1976. The architect Kim Chung-up (김중업) designed it, and the Anglican Church built it. The Korea Theatre Festival (대한민국연극제) was held here from 1977 to 1980, and in the 1970s and 80s it was a center of Seoul's small-theatre scene. In 2013 it was named a Seoul Future Heritage (서울미래유산).
It closed for money reasons in January 2018 and reopened that April with Seoul City's support. Today the National Jeongdong Theater (국립정동극장) runs it as a 232-seat stage called 국립정동극장 세실.
How do you get to Sesilmaru?
- Take the subway to City Hall Station (시청역), Line 1 or Line 2.
- Leave by Exit 3.
- Walk toward the Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture (서울도시건축전시관) and take the lane on its left. It's about 5 minutes in all.
- An elevator goes from street level straight up to the roof.
Tap your T-money or contactless card at the gate. To ask the way or show a taxi driver, use 세실마루 or 세종대로19길 16.
Sesilmaru or Jeongdong Observatory?
There's a second free viewpoint nearby: Jeongdong Observatory (정동전망대), on the 13th floor of Building 1 of Seoul City Hall's Seosomun annex (서울시청 서소문청사). Being 13 floors up, it shows the whole of Deoksugung at once.
| Sesilmaru | Jeongdong Observatory | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Cecil Theatre roof | Seosomun annex, Building 1, 13F |
| View | Low, but cathedral and palace up close | High, all of Deoksugung |
| Weekdays | Tue–Fri 09:00–21:00 · closed Mon | 13:30–17:30 |
| Weekends | 09:00–21:00 | 09:00–17:30 |
| Late nights | Every open day until 21:00 | Trial since Sept 4: Fri 13:30–22:00, Sat 09:00–22:00 |
| Cost | Free | Free |
The late opening at Jeongdong Observatory is a trial. The 22:00 close runs through October. From November to February it closes at 21:00 on those nights.
Want the wide view? Go to Jeongdong Observatory. Want to be close to the cathedral and the palace roofs? Go to Sesilmaru. Both are free, so you can do both in one walk.
Which October events can you pair it with?
- Jeongdong Culture Festival (정동문화축제): Fri Oct 16 – Sat Oct 17, 2026, on Jeongdong-gil and the Deoksugung stone-wall road. Free. Performances 17:00–22:00.
- Jeongdong Night Walk (정동야행): a preview night (미리정동야행) on Thu Oct 29, then the main nights Fri Oct 30 and Sat Oct 31, along Deoksugung-gil and Jeongdong-gil. I covered it in Seoul palace events in October.
None of those dates is a Monday, so Sesilmaru is open until 21:00 on every one of them. Deoksugung itself is free from Oct 29 to Nov 15, so the Night Walk nights fall inside that period. Details are in Seoul palaces free entry.
FAQ
Is Sesilmaru free?
Yes. There's no ticket and no booking.
Is Sesilmaru open on Mondays?
No. It's open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–21:00.
Which subway station is closest?
City Hall Station, Lines 1 and 2, Exit 3. It's about a 5-minute walk.
Can I go up with a stroller or wheelchair?
Yes. An elevator runs from street level to the roof.
Is Jeongdong Observatory open at night?
On a trial basis, Fridays and Saturdays until 22:00 through October, then until 21:00 from November to February.
Whether the roof fills on festival nights
I really dislike crowds, so the thing I want to know is whether the festival nights fill the roof too. I'll watch how busy Sesilmaru gets during the Jeongdong events and add a note here.
More ways to explore Seoul
Sources
- Seoul City media hub: free viewpoints in Seoul, Aug 20, 2026 (Korean)
- Seoul City urban planning news: Sesilmaru opening, 2021 (Korean) · 2020 plan (Korean)
- Seoul City media hub: visiting Sesilmaru (Korean)
- Seoul City media hub: Jeongdong Observatory night opening, Sept 3, 2026 (Korean) · iNews24, Sept 2, 2026 (Korean)
- Seoul Future Heritage and Visit Seoul pages on Cecil Theatre; Korea Tourism Organization festival listing for the Jeongdong Culture Festival; Seoul festival site for Jeongdong Yahaeng
- Photos: Korea Tourism Organization photo gallery, Korea Open Government License Type 1
— SeoulAslan
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