A feast of knowledge and photo ops—your summer exhibition guide

Text / Compiled and reported by MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

This scorching summer, fun, fascinating, and photogenic exhibitions are popping up across Taiwan during the school break. From Godzilla, Peppa Pig, and Satsuki Yoshino to others, you can cool off in air-conditioned venues, snap photos to your heart’s content, and check in on social media. The Tamagotchi Planet Exhibition and Starbucks Coffee Journey Exhibition even offer limited-edition sweets, drinks, and coffee exclusive to the venues—perfect for refueling after all that gallery-hopping.

2018 Starbucks Coffee Journey Exhibition

The 2018 Starbucks Coffee Journey Exhibition will kick off at Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei on Wednesday, July 11. Now in its fifth year, the Starbucks Coffee Journey Exhibition has attracted nearly 250,000 visitors since its inception in 2014. This year, with the theme “Coffee Inspires Your Life,” the exhibition takes a human-centered perspective on coffee. The redesign of an old warehouse features lattice structures, and the entrance is adorned with ferns and plants commonly found in Taiwan’s mountainous regions, evoking the vibrant jungle atmosphere of the island.

The exhibition is divided into four major themes: Coffee Journey, Flavor Voyage, Home Moments, and Outdoor Adventures. The Starbucks coffee bar area debuts latte art and brewing competitions to the public for the first time, set across dual bar counters—a major draw for Starbucks fans. The coffee bar counter is designed with the concept of wooden pallets, where each plank represents a path in the journey, encouraging visitors to keep moving forward. The wood also gives off a rustic and warm vibe. Additionally, Starbucks Taiwan invited local lifestyle artisans and black-aproned coffee masters to discuss the coffee lifestyle from various perspectives. Over 33 consecutive days across the four exhibition zones, the event offers a comprehensive exploration of coffee quality, flavors, and the coffee way of life.

Venue: No. 1, Section 1, Bade Road (Huashan 1914 Creative Park, Zone 4A)
Duration: July 11 (Wed) – August 12 (Sun), 2018, for 33 days
Hours: Daily from 12:00 to 20:00
*No tickets required; free entry. (During peak hours and holidays, crowd control and timed entry may be implemented.)

Natural History Museum Exhibition: Treasures of the Natural World

Whether you’re a history buff, a nature and animal lover, or a science geek fascinated by geology and biology, you can’t miss this overseas touring exhibition from the United Kingdom—“Natural History Museum Exhibition” now in Taipei.

Selected from over 80 million scientifically valuable specimens at London’s Natural History Museum, 227 rare treasures are making their Taiwan debut. These include the mind-boggling Egyptian “cat mummy,” the extinct “dodo” often mentioned in natural science textbooks, “Saber-toothed Tiger Diego,” a friend of Sid the sloth and Manny the mammoth, as well as “Kryptonite,” familiar to superhero movie fans, and cursed amethyst stones believed to bring misfortune and death to their owners... Among other precious global collections of animals, plants, geology, paleontology, and minerals. Taipei’s exhibition also includes endangered butterflies from Taiwan’s National Museum of Natural Science and a Formosan clouded leopard specimen from the National Taiwan Museum. This summer, explore the wonders of nature and ignite your passion for protecting the Earth.

Exhibition dates: July 4, 2018 – September 19, 2018
Opening hours: 10:00–18:00 (last admission and ticket sales at 17:30)
Venue: Exhibition Halls 2 & 3, National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (No. 21, Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng District, Taipei) Organizers: United Digital Culture Co., Ltd., Natural History Museum (UK), National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Godzilla Special Exhibition: King of the Monsters

Remember the original monster king, “Godzilla”? The Japanese Godzilla film series premiered in 1954, and with 54 movies to date, the franchise has spanned over 60 years. This summer, Godzilla is finally landing in Taiwan.

The “Godzilla Special Exhibition” is curated by Japan’s Toho Studios and marks the first large-scale Godzilla exhibition ever held overseas—larger than those in Japan. It showcases classic models from past films, 1:1 reconstructions of movie sets and production studios, as well as character drafts and design sketches, offering a complete look at Godzilla’s creation and evolution through the decades. To highlight the significance of this Taiwan exhibition, a special Taiwan-exclusive scene has been created, allowing you to step into the movie world and experience Godzilla’s destructive power firsthand. In addition to merchandise, there will also be Taiwan-exclusive Godzilla figurines—don’t miss out if you’re a monster fan.

Exhibition dates: June 30, 2018 – September 16, 2018
Opening hours: 10:00–18:00 (last admission and ticket sales at 17:30)
Venue: Warehouse 1, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park (No. 133, Guangfu S. Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei)
Organizer: United Digital Culture Co., Ltd.

Mr. Potato Head Pop-Up Store: A Limited-Time Treat

The beloved character from the Toy Story movies, “Mr. Potato Head,” is making a limited-time pop-up store appearance in Taiwan. It’s the only Mr. Potato Head-themed store in Asia—don’t miss this exclusive event.

This pop-up store features exclusive merchandise and a curated selection of classic items from around the world, such as the "Eggman All-Weather Automatic Umbrella," "Eggman Plush Keychain," and "Eggman x Star Wars Collab Figurine"—all best-selling fan favorites. There’s also an exclusive creative line of ‘Potato Snacks’: Eggman ice cream cones, ice cream-filled macarons, and character-shaped milkshakes—adorably cute and super Instagrammable summer treats in the shape of Eggman. At the age of 66, Eggman joins the Eggman family to bring everyone a fun, delicious, and delightful healing summer experience!

Exhibition Dates: June 15, 2018 – September 9, 2018
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11:00–19:00 | Free Admission
Exhibition Venue: Hall 7A, Huashan 1914 Creative Park (No. 1, Section 1, Bade Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City)
Organizer: Avex Inc.