The Little Prince Museum in Hakone is the world’s first museum dedicated to the classic novel The Little Prince. It was opened in 1999 to commemorate the 100th birthday of the novel’s author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Being able to visit this museum in a serene town is just very fulfilling since it suits the town’s overall vibes. The museum has exhibition halls, a mini theatre, a chapel, a restaurant, and lots of open spaces and gardens – you’ll have plenty of places to explore.

Upon entry to the museum’s gate, you’ll see the Little Prince’s statue and fountain…

…as well as a map of the whole area. They also have lockers and strollers available which is very convenient.

The Little Prince Museum tour, starts now!

The exterior of the exhibit hall is a resemblance of France’s streets and architecture which is aesthetically pleasing for being realistic.

Taking photos and videos inside the exhibit hall is not allowed but to walk you through it – there are photographs and letters from the author’s early life as well as replicas of his room when he was a kid as well as his former office stations.

There’s also a mini theatre where the film about the making of The Little Prince and the life story of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is being played – his youth, the time he spent as a pilot, and of course his life as a writer.

Aside from the exhibit hall, it’s also a must to spend time in the gardens. The elephant inside the snake will be our guide! 🤪

The gardens feature seasonal colorful flowers, and during our visit, the hydrangeas are in full bloom! You can also spot some roses and cherry blossoms during Spring.

Before wrapping up our tour, we decided to dine at the Restaurant Le Petit Prince to complete the experience.

There’s a lot to choose from in the menu since they also serve rice meals, but we opted to just have dessert since we’re not that hungry.

We ordered a Little Prince themed fluffy pancake with fresh fruits on the side and some fruit juice and soda for refreshments.

We also visited the souvenir shop before leaving, and there you can find an extensive array of Le Petit Prince items.

The whole museum was a fantastic place to visit and touring it was a very memorable. I’ve known The Little Prince since I was fairly young but knowing more about the author makes the connection a little bit deeper and meaningful.