Gero City Museum

The Gero City Museum covers the region's history from the Paleolithic era to the modern day, starting with artifacts excavated right next door at the Mineichigo site, which was discovered in 1966. Inside, four exhibit areas move through the Paleolithic, medieval Muromachi period, Edo era, and Gero's modern history, with maps, temple and castle artifacts, and historical documents about local figures. Outside, reconstructed Jomon and Yayoi period houses give a sense of early settlement life. The museum is a solid starting point before exploring Gero's hot spring streets, and it's small enough to move through comfortably in an hour.