Hakone Venetian Glass Museum Tickets

In the highland district of Sengokuhara, the Hakone Venetian Glass Museum, also known as the Glass Forest, pairs a serious collection of Venetian glassware with gardens where thousands of crystal glass pieces glitter among real trees. The effect on a bright day, or against autumn colour, is genuinely magical, and it has made the museum one of Hakone’s most loved rainy day and fine day destinations alike.

The collection and the gardens

Inside, galleries trace Venetian glassmaking from its Renaissance golden age to modern art glass, with pieces of astonishing delicacy displayed in a building styled after a European villa. Outside is where cameras come out: a corridor of glass that catches the light like frost, crystal reeds along the pond, and seasonal installations that change through the year. Live canzone performances by Italian musicians run several times daily in the garden cafe.

Making it part of a Hakone day

Sengokuhara sits on the northern side of the Hakone circuit, close to the Pola Museum of Art and the Little Prince Museum site, with the pampas grass fields a short bus ride away in autumn. The museum cafe does a proper Italian influenced lunch, and the gift shop is dangerous for anyone who likes glassware. Allow around two hours.

Getting there

From Hakone-Yumoto Station, take the Hakone Tozan bus toward Togendai via Sengokuhara and alight at the Hyoseki Kazan Glass no Mori stop outside the museum, about 25 minutes. From Gora, buses over the hill reach Sengokuhara in around 15 minutes. The Hakone Freepass covers these buses.

Frequently asked questions

Is it worth it in rain? Yes, the indoor galleries are substantial, though the gardens are the highlight in sunshine.

Can children enjoy it? Generally yes, with space to roam outside, but the galleries demand careful hands.

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