Budapest is world-famous for it’s striking architecture, amazing nightlife, and beautiful landscape, among many things. Many may not know it’s also home to beautiful museums perfect for art, architecture, and history lovers. If you’re looking for museums to visit, here are 15 of the best museums in Budapest, Hungary.
Five cool and fun museums in Budapest
If you’re into light installations and digital art exhibitions such as the Lightdome, you’re probably going to love the following museums.
1. Light Art Museum Budapest
Address: 1054 Budapest, Hold utca 13.
Hours: Daily 10 am – 10 pm
What happens when the northern lights and parallel universes come together? You’re going to have to visit the Light Art Museum (LAM) to find out. This museum combines the work of several artists to create an awe-inspiring show in one of Budapest’s hidden gems.
2. Ikono
Address: Budapest, Vaci u 27
Hours: Sun – Thurs 10 am – 9 pm, Fri – Sat 10 am – 10 pm
The immersive IKONO museum, which is located in Barcelona and Roma, also has a home in Budapest. IKONO Budapest offers an immersive art experience where you interact with the art exhibitions. You can enjoy everything from the ballpoint to the differently-themed rooms.
3. Cinema Mystica
Address: Budapest, Ferenciek tere 10, 1052
Hours: Daily 10 am – 10 pm
Another museum in Budapest that you need to visit for an immersive light art experience is Cinema Mystica. Here, the borders of the mystic world and reality are blurred to make the observer a part of the art.
4. Museum of Sweets and Selfies
Address: Multiple venues
Hours: Daily 10 am – 7 pm
This cool and fun museum in Budapest offers exactly what it’s called: sweets and the opportunity for selfies! The Museum of Sweets and Selfies has two locations in Budapest; each venue offers something different. What makes this museum even more interesting is that it was founded by two individuals with a background in creative works, marketing, and escape rooms. All this combined brought forth Europe’s first sweet and selfie museum.
5. Szamos Chocolate
Address: 1055 Budapest, Kossuth tér 10.
Hours: Daily 10 am – 6 pm
Most people in Budapest are unaware of the chocolate museum, and because of this, it’s a hidden gem in the city.
Chocolate lovers can enjoy a tour of the Szamos Chocolate, which dates back to 1986 and even participate in a chocolate-making workshop. If you’d rather observe than create, you can still explore the museum and marvel at a chocolate replica of the parliament and the world’s largest marzipan work.
Best museums in Budapest for architecture lovers
Budapest is popular for its architecture, and the museums in the city don’t disappoint.
6. Ludwig
Address: Budapest, Komor Marcell u. 1, 1095
Hours: Tues – Sun 10 am – 8 pm
If you’re an architecture lover who’s also interested in contemporary arts, you may find the Ludwig Museum interesting. The Ludwig isn’t the only one of its kind, but the one in Budapest is unique in its way.
The symmetrical staircase and the striking facade are an eye-grabbing feature of the museum. Ludwig Museum Budapest was founded toward the end of the 1980s and has since displayed thousands of art pieces. There’s an average of 8-10 temporary exhibitions at the Ludwig each year.
7. Museum of Ethnography
Address: Budapest, Dózsa György út 35, 1146
Hours: Tues – Sun 10 am – 6 pm
The first-ever Budapest Museum of Ethnography was founded in 1872 and has been very successful since its birth. However, the modern structure, which is home to the museum today, was built in 2022. It’s now one of the world’s most modern Ethnography museums, and it’s architecture alone attracts plenty of visitors.
8. House of Music
Address: Budapest, Olof Palme stny. 3, 1146
Hours: Tues – Sun 10 am – 6 pm
Another fascinating museum for architecture lovers in Budapest is the House of Music. Star architect Sou Fujimoto designed the museum, and his design was picked from over 170 designs. In 2021, a year before its opening, the museum was one of the most anticipated buildings of the year, and it did not disappoint.
House of Music Hungary is home to a Sound Dome, a café, and permanent and temporary exhibitions. Its location in City Park also makes it a local-favorite destination.
9. Kunsthalle
Address: Budapest, Dózsa György út 37, 1146
Hours: Tues – Wed 10 am – 6 pm, Thurs 12 pm – 8 pm, Fri – Sun 10 am – 6 pm
A must-visit for contemporary art lovers in Budapest is Kuntsthalle, one of the city’s oldest art museums. Since the 19th century, the museum’s art focus has been on contemporary art, with the principle of aesthetic value, without any constraint of ideology or age.
Architecture lovers may appreciate the museum’s neoclassical architecture, a popular style for prominent buildings in Budapest. What makes it stand out is the touch of Greek Revival style.
10. Museum of Applied Arts
Address: 1091 Budapest, Üllői út 33-37
Hours: Temporarily closed. Villa is open Tues – Sun 10 am – 6 pm
Many people may not know that the Museum of Applied Arts is the third-oldest applied arts museum in the world. The Art Nouveau Museum was designed by Gyula Pártos and Ödön Lechner, who also designed the W Budapest Hotel.
György Ráth Villa is also an extension of the Applied Arts Museum and home to an impressive art collection.
When the museum’s main building is temporarily closed, you can still admire the structure’s facade and visit the villa.
5 best museums in Budapest for history & art lovers
If you’re interested in history, you may enjoy one of the following museums:
11. House of Terror
Address: Budapest, Andrássy út 60, 1062
Hours: Tues – Sun 10 am – 6 pm
House of Terror is one of Budapest’s most interesting and heartbreaking museums. It showcases exhibitions of fascist and communist regimes that occurred in 20th-century Hungary and also serves as a memorial site for the tragic events that occurred in this building.
12. Hungarian National Gallery
Address: Budapest, Szent György tér 2, 1014
Hours: Tues – Sun 10 am – 6 pm
While the Hungarian National Gallery isn’t the oldest museum in Budapest, it’s housed in the Buda Castle, which dates back to 1265. This museum, which is the country’s national art museum, has a collection of Hungarian art of all genres.
You can see works of Hungarian artists from the 19th and 20th centuries who worked in Paris and the West.
13. Hungarian National Museum
Address: Budapest, Múzeum krt. 14-16, 1088
Hours: Tues – Sun 10 am – 6 pm
The Hungarian National Museum is a wonderful museum to visit if you’re interested in history, art, and archaeology. You can see a lot of work by Hungarian and international artists in both the permanent and temporary exhibitions.
One of the best features of this neoclassical museum isn’t only it’s structure, but also it’s surroundings. The museum park is a popular place to hang out and is easily one of Budapest’s best free things to do.
14. Aquincum Museum
Address: Budapest, Szentendrei út 135, 1031
Hours: Tues – Sun 9 am – 6 pm
One of Budapest’s third district’s most interesting places to visit is the Aquincum Museum, which opened in 1894. This museum displays archaeological remains of Aquincum, giving visitors a better look at the Roman city.
The spacious museum has an indoor and outdoor section, a villa, and baths.
15. Fine Arts Museum
Address: Budapest, Dózsa György út 41, 1146
Hours: Tues – Sun 10 am – 6 pm
The Fine Arts is another museum in Budapest that you can visit near City Park. The eclectic-neoclassical museum showcases artworks with various collections featuring Egyptian, Antique, Old Sculpture, and Graphics.
The museum has several permanent and temporary exhibitions and also hosts various events such as the Budapest Fashion Week.
FAQs
1. Is the Museum of Fine Arts free in Budapest?
No, the Fine Arts Museum in Budapest isn’t free to visit. Most of the museums in Budapest require ticket purchases.
2. What museums are free in Budapest?
While most of the popular museums in Budapest aren’t free, a few museums and galleries are. Some of these include the Varfok Gallery, Koller Gallery, Galeria Centralis, Geological Museum, Hungarian Money Museum and Visitor Center, House of Royal Wines and Cellar Museum, Customs and Tax History Museum, and the Money Museum.
3. Are museums free in Budapest?
Some of them are. However, the most popular museums aren’t free to visit.
4. What day are museums closed in Budapest?
Monday. Most museums aren’t open on Mondays.
