The Sand Museum Tottori at a glance
The Sand Museum Tottori, in Japanese Suna no Bijutsukan, stands next to the Tottori Sand Dunes. It is a museum for sculptures made of sand,. Searches for the Tottori sand museum, the sand museum in Tottori or the Tottori Sand Dunes museum lead to this one place. The figures are built for each themed exhibition and taken down again when it ends, so what you see depends on the year.
Most of the show is indoors, and some works are outside. The dunes themselves are free to enter, while the museum charges admission, so plan the two as separate stops, even though they are close together.
Our pick: fat bike plus the Sand Museum
The ride ends with a visit to the museum, and the museum admission is already covered.
Hand-picked tours, booked through Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Tottori Sand Dunes and Sand Museum tour
A guided fat bike ride around the dunes that includes admission to the Sand Museum and lunch, for people who want both in one day.
The Spain exhibition
The 17th exhibition of the museum.
The 17th exhibition, called Travel Around the World in Sand: Spain, runs from 24 April 2026 to 3 January 2027. During this time the museum has no regular closing day, including over the turn of the year. Sculptors build the figures for the theme of each exhibition, which is why the display changes completely from one year to the next. The exhibition is mostly indoors, with some works outside.
If you came for the dunes, the museum makes a good second stop, especially on a day when the weather is too hot, too windy or too wet to walk on the sand for long. Plan enough time to look at the sculptures closely.
Admission and exhibition pass
Prices include tax.
Adults pay 800 JPY. Elementary, junior high and high school pupils pay 400 JPY, and children who are not yet in school enter free. Groups of 20 or more pay 600 JPY for adults and 300 JPY for pupils. The pupil rate is not a general student discount for university students. With a recognized proof of disability, the person and one companion can enter free, but the museum does not promise that documents from other countries are accepted, so ask before you go.
There is also a pass for this exhibition, priced at 1,400 JPY for adults and 700 JPY for pupils. It is valid for this exhibition only and is not an open-ended annual pass that works across later exhibitions. Whether it pays off depends on whether you plan to return, for example for the evening projection in November.
Opening hours and the side gate
Which gate to use depends on how you pay.
The regular hours are 09:00 to 18:00, and the last entry is at 17:30. Special events can change these times, so check the current hours before you go. Since 24 April 2026 the side gate takes only cashless payment: cards, e-money and QR payment, as well as online tickets and vouchers. If you want to pay with cash, use the main gate. Entering the museum is a separate step from walking on the dunes.
Evening projection
A short show in late November and early December 2026.
From 21 November to 6 December 2026 the museum shows a projection called The Glory of SPAIN. It starts at 16:00 and runs every 30 minutes, and each show takes about 8 minutes. From Sunday to Thursday the last show starts at 19:00 and the museum closes at 19:30. On Fridays and Saturdays, and also on 22 November, the last show starts at 19:30 and the museum closes at 20:00.
In the same period, from 21 November to 6 December 2026, a free light event is announced around the dune car park from 18:00 to 21:00. The free entry there does not replace a museum ticket. Both are announced events, so check the details again closer to the date.
Closed between exhibitions
Do not assume it is open all winter.
Between two exhibitions the museum closes to take down the old figures, build the next ones and carry out maintenance. The closing periods vary from year to year. So do not take it for granted that the museum is open throughout the winter, and check the museum calendar before you book a trip for the months around the end of the exhibition on 3 January 2027.
Getting there
Bus 39 from Tottori Station stops at the museum.
Bus 39 leaves from bay 0 at Tottori Station and stops at Suna no Bijutsukan-mae, in front of the museum, as well as at the Sakyu Center and Sakyu Kaikan. The example run of the 1 April 2026 timetable takes 22 minutes to the last stop at the dunes, and the fare is 380 JPY. On Saturdays, Sundays and public days off the Kirin Jishi loop bus also serves the area. All routes, the airport connection and the car park are explained on the getting there page. For the dunes next door, see the Tottori Sand Dunes home page, and for what else to do on the sand, the activities page.
Sand Museum Tottori: frequently asked questions
How much does the Sand Museum cost?
Adults pay 800 JPY and pupils 400 JPY. Children who are not yet in school enter free. Groups of 20 or more pay 600 and 300 JPY. The pass for the current exhibition costs 1,400 JPY for adults.
What are the opening hours of the Sand Museum?
Regular hours are 09:00 to 18:00, with the last entry at 17:30. During the Spain exhibition from 24 April 2026 to 3 January 2027 there is no regular closing day. Check the current hours before you go.
Can I pay by cash at the side gate?
No. Since 24 April 2026 the side gate takes only cashless payment, online tickets and vouchers. Use the main gate if you pay by cash.
Is the Sand Museum open in winter?
The Spain exhibition runs until 3 January 2027. Between exhibitions the museum closes for a period that changes each year, so check the museum calendar before you plan a winter visit.
Is the free light event the same as the museum projection?
No. The light event at the dune car park is free. The projection takes place inside the museum, and you need a museum ticket for it.
Is tottori-sand-dunes.org the official website of the museum?
No. This is an independent travel guide and not the official website of the Sand Museum.