The best way to understand the character and way of being of the inhabitants of a country is to know its history. It hides the very essence of a people and in this way we can get to know its culture better.

Besides that, knowing the past history will help us to understand the raison d’être of many of its monuments, as we will understand the socio-cultural context of the country or city.

For this reason, we have compiled a list of the most important history museums in Budapest, where you can see everything from the first human settlements to the communist era. Are you ready for a journey through Hungarian history?

Best Historical & History Museums

House of Terror Museum

Andrássy út 60, 1062

We begin our route of the best museums of Hungarian history in one of the most emblematic avenues; Andrássy. Here, in addition to the most exclusive shops in the country and the opera, there is a corner for remembrance and the darkest and most painful history of the city.

In this building, during the communist and fascist era, interrogations were carried out that resulted in murder, torture and other practices typical of totalitarian governments that sought to reduce the population through repression and fear. In it, the crude reality of those years is exposed, exposing the whole truth.

The intention of the institution is to give a voice to those who lacked one during those complicated years and, at the same time, to try to teach the world a lesson to prevent such mistakes from being repeated in the future.

Budapest History Museum & Castle Museum

Szent György tér 2, 1014

For all those who come to the Buda area eager to explore and discover if there is an incredible castle, we have news for you: there is no such castle. At least, not as we all imagine, medieval style castles with turrets.

There were, and that’s why it’s called that, but there are some of the most beautiful buildings and constructions in the whole city, as well as a spectacular view of the city and a museum that tells the whole story of the Hungarian capital.

On your walk through history, you will start with a journey along the Danube in its prehistoric days, through the wars and revolutions that shook and battered Budapest and into the communist era. Gothic statues, medieval rooms, relics and much more await you within its walls.

Hungarian Agricultural Museum (Magyar Mezogazdasagi Muzeum)

Vajdahunyad stny., 1146

Even if, at first glance, you think that agriculture is not a subject you might find interesting, here’s a challenge: don’t go inside this museum.

Go to the northern part of Budapest’s city centre, to the Vajdahunyad Castle. Walk through Heroes’ Square, a few metres from Europe’s largest spa; Széchenyi, walk through the gates of the Vajdahunyad Castle, admire the impressive facade of the Hungarian Agricultural Museum, and stay outside. Without passing. It’s impossible.

The inside is as interesting as the outside is beautiful. Learn about how they hunted, gathered and farmed in the past, from their techniques to their tools. The whole area is great for strolling around and discovering charming corners of Budapest. When night falls, it is even more beautiful and mysterious.

Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum

Lovas út 4/c, 1012 

If we are talking about charming locations, this Hospital in the Rock is certainly a must. We return to the surroundings of Buda Castle to go down to a real bunker.

Its functions have varied throughout its history, from war bunker to hospital. Today it houses a complete museum that tells the story, through real material and mannequins, of how it was used as a hospital during the Second World War and the 1956 revolution.

Holocaust Memorial Center

Páva u. 39, 1094

A beautiful 1920s synagogue houses this Holocaust memorial centre. The objects it contains tell a variety of stories of the horror of the days of the German occupation.

Although painful, this part of history is essential to the city’s recent history, as it left an indelible mark on its future. And this museum approaches it with all the humanity and realism you can imagine. A visit is a must.

Memento Park

Balatoni út – Szabadkai utca sarok, 1222

We move away from the four walls to visit a permanent open-air exhibition. The exhibition takes a look at the highlights and the most recognisable faces of the communist era in Hungary.

This walk through history will take you through numerous sculptures that will transport you back to one of the most complicated moments in Budapest’s already difficult history. In addition to the sculptures, you will see photographs and other audiovisual resources.

Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archives

Dohány u. 2, 1077

One of the largest and most important synagogues in Europe, the Great Synagogue on Dohány Street, houses a museum with a large number of documentary objects that contain valuable information about the past of many individual Jews and the Jewish community itself.

So a visit to the synagogue is not mandatory for the building itself and its monuments, such as the Tree of Life, but for its museum and its importance in the history of Budapest.

Kiscelli Museum

Kiscelli u. 108, 1037 

In the northwest of Budapest, about half an hour by public transport from Margaret Island, you will find the Kiscelli Museum, a museum that tells the story of everyday life in Hungary from the 18th to the 20th century.

Beyond the great events of society, wars and revolutions, it focuses on the everyday life of its citizens, although these great events are always in the background, in this institution they are not the main subject of study.