Top museums in Budapest

There are many reasons to visit Budapest and that includes spending sometime within its museums. Whether you’re looking to enhance your cultural knowledge or to find something to do on a rainy day, Budapest has several museums to choose from depending upon your preference. There are over 100 museums in the capital that contain a wide range of collections ranging from historical relics to contemporary art. Keep in mind that most museums are closed on Mondays. Some museums offer discounted rates for seniors and students with proper identification.

You can also find great Air Canada flights for this destination.

Hungarian National Museum 

Founded in 1802 by Count Ferenc Széchenyi, the Hungarian National Museum contains Hungary’s most important collection of historical relics. The main exhibitions on the upper floor trace Hungarian history from the conquest of the Carpathian Basin to the fall of Communism. A second permanent exhibit is Lapidarium Roman Stone Finds located in the basement. The museum is housed in a large classical building surrounding two courtyards.

Hungarian National Gallery 

Located in Buda Castle, the Hungarian National Gallery focuses on Hungarian art dating from the Middle Ages through today. The collections are spread over four levels.  The sculptures and panel paintings from the medieval and Renaissance periods are of particular interest, as are the 19th and 20th century paintings and sculptures by Károly Alexy, Maurice Ascalon, Miklós Borsos, Gyula Donáth, János Fadrusz, Béni Ferenczy, István Ferenczy and Miklós Izsó.

Museum of Fine Arts

The Museum of Fine Arts is the main repository of foreign art in Hungary and it houses one of central Europe’s major collections of such works. A significant part of the collection was acquired in 1871 from the Esterházy collection, a wealthy noble family who spent centuries amassing great art. There are eight sections in the museum: Egyptian art, antiquities, baroque sculpture, old masters, drawings and prints, 19th-century masters, 20th-century masters, and modern sculpture.

Museum of Applied Arts

Opened in 1896 as part of the Millennium Celebrations, the Museum of Applied Arts is a piece of art itself. The exterior of the building is lavishly decorated with Zsolnay porcelain tiles, works produced from the late 19 century from the southern Hungarian town of Pécs. The permanent exhibition features a rich collection of Hungarian arts and crafts including clothes, furniture, jewelry, and other items of practical use.

House of Terror Museum

The House of Terror Museum illustrates the cruelties committed during the Holocaust and those that followed under the Soviet occupation of Hungary. In 1944, it housed the headquarters of the Hungarian Nazis, and, from 1945 to 1956, the headquarters of the ÁVO and ÁVH, the Communist political police. Set over three floors, the most chilling part is the basement, with its reconstructed torture chamber and cells, where the music mercifully stops and the exhibits are allowed to speak for themselves.

Hungarian Jewish Museum

The Hungarian Jewish Museum contains an impressive overview of the long history of Jews in Hungary, with special emphasis placed on the tragic events of the Second World War. The Holocaust Memorial Room is also located inside. There is also a large collection of historical ceremonial items on display, collected from across Europe.

Ethnographic Museum

Situated across from the Hungarian Parliament, the Museum of Ethnography features an immense collection of traditional costumes, handicrafts and re-created lifestyles of Hungary during the 19th and 20th century. Viewing the inside of the building is interesting in itself as it formerly housed the Supreme Court until the Second World War.

Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum

Andrássy út No. 67 was the original location of the old Academy of Music and Franz Liszt’s last home until his death in 1886. The Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum contains a collection of his original instruments, furniture, books, and scores. Concerts are also performed here by young pianists every Sunday at 11 am.

Museum of Transport

The Museum of Transport contains a fine collection of historic modes of transport used in Budapest throughout the years including buses, trams, trains, bicycles, and horse-drawn carriages. Outside are pieces from the original Danube bridges that were retrieved after the bombings of the Second World War, and a cafe in an old MÁV coach.

Hungarian Agricultural Museum

Located in the Castle of Vajdahunyad, the Hungarian Agricultural Museum contains Europe’s largest collection of things agricultural including exhibits on cattle breeding, wine-making, hunting and fishing.

 

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Category: Hungary