Designing Ulsan Fortresses by Hand... A Historical Experience at the Museum

Fortress Design Experience Using Straw Blocks

Two Special Sessions for Elementary Students in August and September

The ancient fortresses of Ulsan are being reimagined and recreated through the imagination and hands-on efforts of children. Ulsan Museum is offering a special opportunity for children to understand their local cultural heritage through a program that combines historical education with creative experiential learning.

On August 8 and September 12, Ulsan Museum will hold the '105th Children's One-Day Museum School – Story of Ulsan Fortress Built with Straw Blocks' twice at the museum's second-floor experience room.

'Children’s One-Day Museum School' is Ulsan Museum’s flagship educational program, held on the second Saturday of every month for elementary school students. The program is designed to enable children not only to learn about Ulsan’s history and traditional culture but also to experience and understand them firsthand. The educational themes are renewed every two months.

This program starts by introducing the shapes and characteristics of the fortresses that remain throughout Ulsan. Afterwards, children use straw blocks to design and build their own unique fortress, naturally learning about the structure and spatial meaning contained in ancient architecture.

In particular, the program is structured so that children can understand, through hands-on activities, that a fortress is not merely a stone wall but a historical space that protected the region and supported the lives of its people. It is expected that through assembling the blocks, children will also develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

The program on August 8 runs from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The session on September 12 will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Each session will accommodate 25 elementary school students.

Applications for participation in the August session will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis through the Ulsan Moa Integrated Reservation System starting July 29 at 10:00 a.m. Registration for the September session will open on September 2.

An Ulsan Museum representative said, “We hope this will be a time for children to deepen their understanding of local history and spaces by recreating historical buildings themselves and to develop creative problem-solving abilities.”

As local museum education shifts from simple viewing to active participation and hands-on experiences, this program is expected to help children engage with Ulsan’s historical resources in a familiar way and discover their own meanings through the educational process.

Ulsan Museum 'The 105th Children's One-Day Museum School - The Story of Ulsan Fortress Built with Straw Blocks' Guide.

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