Guinea pig carrot feeding at Artis Theme Park, a Dongtan indoor zoo

From feeding animals to touching them — the Dongtan aquarium.

On a day out just with my youngest son, I was wondering where to go and ended up at Artis Theme Park, an indoor animal park in Dongtan. I'd heard you could get close to the animals and feed them directly, so I made a reservation ahead of time. There turned out to be more variety than I expected, and my little one had fun the whole time.

Where is Artis Theme Park, and what about parking and hours?

Artis Theme Park is on the 9th floor of Sinyu Medi Plaza, 10 Dongtan-daero 19-gil, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It's open 13:00–19:00 on weekdays and 12:00–19:00 (last entry 18:00) on weekends and holidays, with no closed days year-round.

Artis Theme Park is on the 9th floor of Sinyu Medi Plaza in Dongtan 2. Parking is available on basement floors 1–3, with 3 hours free, which made it convenient to visit with my kid.

How much is admission and the feeding experience at Artis Theme Park?

Here's the pricing I was given at the time.

• Adult admission: ₩16,900
• Child admission: ₩18,900
• 7-species feeding experience full set: ₩6,900

We booked admission and the feeding experience together. It included an adult drink, and we got a discounted price through Naver reservations. If you're planning a visit, I'd recommend booking ahead.

We visited around lunchtime on a weekend. The wait was about 6 minutes, and when it was our turn, we got a KakaoTalk notification along with a name call.

That meant we could wait comfortably without constantly checking our place in line.

Inside Artis Theme Park: five oceans and six continents zones

Artis Theme Park is an ecological education theme park designed around the five oceans and six continents. It's divided into an aquarium zone and an animal zone, with spaces themed around jungle, desert, and rainforest environments among others. There's also a kids' café, which was great for the kids to play in after seeing the animals.

Filling up feed cups at the Snack Lab

First we stopped by the Snack Lab to pack feed for the animals.🥕 There were staff to help and instructions shown on a screen, so it wasn't hard to prepare.

Though the mealworms were... a bit tough haha 🪱

From guinea pig carrot feeding to the stingray tank

Once the feed was ready and we went in, there were more kinds of animals and creatures than I expected.

From familiar animals like rabbits, guinea pigs, and hamsters to pelicans, stingrays, and snakes, the variety was wide. My little one showed real interest in seeing creatures up close that we don't usually get to. The fun here wasn't just watching — it was being able to feed and touch them too.

At the guinea pig zone, we tried carrot feeding. You slip the carrot through a small hole, so it's safe, but my son was still cautious at first, worried he might get bitten.

When the guinea pigs started competing for food, my son told them not to fight🤣 It was so cute how he had a word for every animal — I ended up watching him for a while too.

We looked at the starfish up close and got to touch them too.

For the doctor fish experience, we dipped our hands in the water, and he was amazed at how the little fish gathered around them.

Thanks to good timing, we also got to try stingray feeding. Feeding a stingray moving through the water directly, my son couldn't take his eyes off it🐟

In the aquarium zone, we also met seals and otters. Getting to observe and interact directly with animals we don't usually see up close made for a special time for my son. He showed even more interest after feeding and touching them than he would have just watching. If you visit Artis Theme Park, I'd recommend doing the feeding experience too!

Does this Dongtan indoor zoo smell of animals?

Going into an indoor animal park, the animal smell is always my first worry. But once inside, we barely noticed any smell at all. The space was well kept, and it was nice to look around slowly with my kid.

After the feeding experience, there were handwashing spots throughout the space, which made things feel hygienic.

Collecting stamps for a badge, then the kids' café

Meeting the animals at Artis Theme Park, it was fun collecting stamps one by one.

After finishing the experience, we completed the whole stamp sheet and got a badge. There was fun in solving each little mission, and my son enjoyed it too.

After meeting all the animals, we moved to the kids' café. While I rested with the drink included in the adult admission, my little one played happily.

Wrapping up a one-on-one day out with my youngest son

Artis Theme Park was our one-on-one date, just me and my youngest son. It was a great spot for spending time with a kid, meeting a variety of animals indoors and enjoying both feeding and touching experiences. Best of all, it wasn't affected by weather, and with 3 hours of free parking, we could look around at ease. If you're in Dongtan looking for indoor things to do with a kid or an animal experience, give Artis Theme Park a visit. This date with my little one turned out to be a fun time for me too🍀