I have compiled a list of free museums which we can visit periodically in Budapest. Take the opportunity! Learn about the history of Hungary.
There is a Hungarian proverb that says “there is no free lunch.” If there is, you don’t want it, anyway. However, what’s cheap, or even free, does not necessarily have to be bad. This is especially true for free museums in Budapest.
If you are not into museums, you don’t have to give up to get into the culture in Budapest. If the timing of your trip is good, you will take advantage of the many available free options.
From time to time, some of the museums of the Hungarian capital offer access to their museums without an entry fee. And considering the richness of Hungarian history, art, and culture, it would be a great loss to miss the opportunity.
If you want to know the best museums in Budapest and the exhibitions that are there, I would recommend my article which is about this.
Periodically free museums in Budapest
Permanent exhibitions of the following museums are open at regular intervals without entry fee:
On the third Saturday of every month:
Hungarian National Gallery
The largest public collection documenting and presenting the process of the formation and development of fine arts in Hungary.
IMPORTANT: Free admission applies to those under the age of 26 and their two close relatives who are under the age of 18.
Permanent exhibitions:
- Medieval and Renaissance stone repository
- Gothic signboards and wood sculptures
- Late Gothic wing altars
- Late Renaissance and Baroque art
- 19th-century painting
- 19th-century sculpture
- Mihály Munkácsy and the Realism of the End of the Century
- 20th-Century Art After 1945
Hungarian National Gallery provides exciting things to see. Get to know them.
Hungarian National Museum
The first national Hungarian museum is the home to perhaps the most beautiful neoclassical building in Hungary.
Its aim is to collect, preserve, and present the memories of the landscapes and inhabitants of the Carpathian Basin, as well as the history of the Hungarian nation from prehistoric times through scientific methods.
IMPORTANT: Free admission here also applies to those under the age of 26 and their two close relatives who are under the age of 18.
Permanent exhibitions:
- Hungarian coronation robe
- History of Hungary Part I. From the establishment of the state to the expulsion of the Turks
- History of Hungary Part II. 1703-1990, New Age, latest age
- On the border of East and West – History of the peoples of the Hungarian land BC. 400,000 to BC 804
- Lapidarium – Roman stone arch
More info about permanent exhibitions.
Budapest Vasarely Museum
Győző Vásárhelyi, or Victor Vasarely is the most significant representative of optical painting or op-art.
The museum presents its life work through more than four hundred exhibited works. The Zichy Palace, which was built in the 17th century gives home to the collection and is a spectacular sight on its own.
IMPORTANT: Free admission here also applies to those under the age of 26 and their two close relatives who are under the age of 18.
On the last Saturday of every month:
Aquincum Museum
There are popular claims that in the museums we can take time travel, be lost in the past, etc. However, the Aquincum Museum and the Archeological Park are not a scam in this point of view.
Budapest is the only European capital to showcase its Roman heritage in a larger, connected area. The museum and the park (this is an important feature!) showcase the memories of the Aquincum settlement in what is now Óbuda, the Roman Empire.
We can see the relics of the age not only in an isolated building but also behind the showcases. Walking among the ruins really revitalizes the town, thanks to the park section. This will make the immersive experience perfect.
IMPORTANT: Free admission here also applies to those under the age of 26 and their two close relatives who are under the age of 18.
Permanent exhibitions:
- Roman Aquincum
- Tegularium (where and how Roman bricks and other ceramic building blocks were made and how they were used)
- Spectacle store (Allows you to view 1200 objects)
First Sunday of every month:
Hungarian Museum of Natural History
Europe’s third oldest museum and the largest in Hungary; it has the largest collection of natural history.
Its collections contain more than 10 million objects! Its mission is to spread the knowledge of nature as widely as possible, and thus encourage its preservation.
IMPORTANT: Free admission here also applies to those under the age of 26 and their two close relatives who are under the age of 18.
Permanent exhibitions:
- Time Path
- Wonderful wildlife of the coral reefs
- Furrowed whale skeleton
- Diverse LIVING – On an Exploring Road in Hungary’s landscapes
- Disappeared Worlds – The Age of Dinosaurs in Hungary
- Secrets Underground – Minerals, Rocks, Gems
Free museums on Hungarian national holidays
Who doesn’t like national holidays? Mainly because we don’t have to work those days. And when it’s time for some extra leisure time, why not spend a little more meaningful time than just brewing or partying?
As a tourist, national holidays in the destination country are specially suited to gaining a deeper insight into the culture.
Hungary is contributing to this by providing free admission to loads of museums on March 15, August 20, and October 23.
Museum of Fine Arts
Over one hundred thousand works of art. Exotic works by barely known artists such as Raffaello, Leonardo, Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya, or Monet.
It is perhaps not just subjectively one of the most significant collections in Europe.
Its permanent exhibitions showcase the memory of universal and Hungarian art from antiquity to the end of the 18th century, and its temporary exhibitions attract thousands of art lovers from abroad also.
During the Hungarian national holidays, both permanent and current exhibitions can be enjoyed without admission.
Hungarian Railway History Park
I’ll tell you in advance, I can’t be unbiased with the place. It has a family dimension. For my part, I love it.
Whoever has been hit by the smoke of a locomotive doesn’t need to tell what is so special about Central Europe’s largest interactive railway memorial park.
Whoever hasn’t been yet, is guaranteed to leave the 70,000m2 park amused, where over 100 different rail vehicles can be admired.
These include, for example, a 150-year-old working steam locomotive. Whether you’re striving to be a kid again or just amazed by the machines, here’s your place! It’s worth it for the fool, too.
Where is it worth to go with kids in Budapest, that they will truly enjoy?
Ludwig Museum
This is the Mecca of Hungarian and international contemporary art. The works of art can be viewed on four levels of the Palace of Arts on the Danube.
The museum has permanent exhibitions, free of charge on our national holidays.
Military History Institute and Museum
Located on the northwestern corner of the Buda Castle, which is frequented by foreign and local tourists.
Its weapons collection contains more than 50,000 museum items from small arms to machine guns and other military equipment. Its military uniform collection contains more than 30,000 items of clothing.
There is also a collection of 5,000 pieces of flags and a collection of 28,000 pieces of medals. At our national holidays, both permanent and temporary exhibitions are free of charge.
House of Terror
A museum dedicated to the victims of 20th-century dictatorships in Budapest.
Its building has symbolic importance: the three-story house at 60 Andrássy Avenue served the various oppressive regimes, from the Arrow Cross to the Communists. It’s not the funniest exhibition, it really touches the visitor.
In addition, of course, the museums in the first section are free to visit during Hungarian national holidays.
Conclusion
Not everything you don’t have to pay for is worthless. The idea is to promote as widely as possible the Hungarian culture, history, and art so from time to time the museums are open to visitors without a ticket.
In these places, many things that are truly Hungarian come to life, and we can almost always run into something universally fascinating. So grab the opportunity!
