10 things to do in Budapest if the weather is bad

The rainy days have arrived, but there is still a lot to do in Budapest :)

There is a great variety of activities in Budapest, so if the weather is unsavory, there is still a lot to do indoors. These are 10 of the best things to do in Budapest on rainy days.

Budapest Pinball Museum

Here: Radnóti Miklós utca 18., 1137, Budapest
Webpage: http://www.flippermuzeum.hu/en/

An interactive pinball exhibition is great fun for both the small ones and adults. Although pinball machines have become a rare appearance in pubs and elsewhere, you can still admire them and even try some of them out at this museum. The pre-pinball machines from the 19^th century living next to each other with the latest editions at this interactive exhibition. There are altogether 130 slot machines.
The museum is just a couple blocks away from Nyugati railway station and has been operating since 2013. This is Europe’s biggest slot machine museum.

photo: flippermuzeum.hu

The Hospital in the Rock

Here: Budapest, Lovas út 4/c District I
Web page: http://www.sziklakorhaz.eu/en

We’ve written about the Hospital in the Rock some time ago, highlighting it as an excellent stop in your museum tour. Visiting this collection under the Castle of Buda is an unforgettable experience, so it had to be mentioned in this list as well. Here you will find Hungary’s biggest wax figure collection, presenting the history of the hospital.
There is a 2300 square metres big establishment under the Castle of Buda, which was used during the Second World War and the 1956 Revolution. During the Cold War, it was regarded as a strictly secret place, used as an air-force hospital. It was opened to visits in 2008, and it has become one of the favourite sights of inland and foreign tourists since.
Visiting the museum is only possible as part of guided tours, and children under the age of 6 are not allowed to enter, while it is not advised to bring in children under age 12.

photo: https://www.facebook.com/Sziklakorhaz.Hospital.in.the.Rock/

3D Gallery Budapest

Here: Budapest, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 17.
Webpage: http://3dgallerybudapest.hu/en/home/

Hungary’s first interactive 3D exhibition is a great leisure time programme since if you bring your camera or smartphone with yourself, you can get some pretty cool shots. You can amaze your friends with photos spiked up with 3D effects, optical illusions and space bending games. You can not only touch the images here, but you can even become part of them. The pictures are always changed, so you will gain new experience during your next trip to the museum. It is next to Saint Stephen Basilica, so why not shoot two birds with one stone?

photo: http://3dgallerybudapest.hu

Miniversum

Here: Budapest, Andrássy út 12.
Webpage: https://www.miniversum.hu/en/

Miniversum is the home to Hungary’s biggest plotting table, where the 100 times micrified works of artists will guide you through Hungarian, German and Austrian landscapes. After 9 months of hard work, the exhibition was opened in 2014. Not only scale-model enthusiasts will find something to fall in love with, but almost anyone else: you can participate actively with the help of different devices in the operation of the tables. There are 5000 mini figures, 1300 railways, 14 locations, 600 buildings and 100 trains on display at the gallery on Andrássy street.

photo: miniversum.hu

The New York Palace

Here: 1073 Budapest, Erzsébet krt. 9-11.
Webpage: http://www.newyorkcafe.hu/main-page.html?lang=en

The New York Palace is an ideal place to grab lunch or coffee when you’re on a museum visiting spree. This elegant and pleasant café is worldwide famous. The building where the café was opened in 1894 is one of the most beautiful constructions of the Nagykörút. The building was renovated both on the inside and the outside and it became gorgeous. There are but a few things better than a warm drink or a tasty meal at the New York Palace while admiring the décor of the café.

photo: www.newyorkcafe.hu

Hungarian National Gallery

Here: 1014 Budapest, Szent György tér 2.
Webpage: http://mng.hu/en

If you’re spending a couple of days in a foreign country, it is always exciting to visit the country’s biggest national gallery. The Hungarian National Gallery gives you an overview of Hungarian history and fine arts. You can spend hours here wandering between the artwork of Hungarian and foreign artists. Even the location is special, as the biggest Hungarian public art collection is found in the Castle of Buda.

The National Gallery inside Buda Castle

House of Terror Museum

Here: 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 60.
Webpage: http://www.terrorhaza.hu/en

This might be one of the most exceptional programmes in Budapest. The House of Terror Museum presents the period of Hungarian history for which one cannot be prepared. The technical and other elements will give a very concise and true presentation of the communist era. You should be prepared psychologically in advance, because it is a quite shaking experience to visit the used-to-be headquarter of the Nazi secret police and the communist ÁVH. The forlorn screams of the thousands of tortured souls can still be heard and felt in the Andrássy street 60. Still, even though it is overwhelming, you should not skip this museum, as you will forever remember the facts learned here and the experience gained here.

photo: facebook.com/terrorhazamuzeum

Great Market Hall

Here: Budapest, Vámház krt. 1-3, 1093
Webpage: http://www.piaconline.hu/new/index.php?pageLang=angol

As we’ve reported previously, the Great Market Hall was chosen among the most beautiful markets in the world. The classical market elements are combined here with quality souvenirs and traditional Hungarian meals, which you can taste. The building itself is so special, that you can spend a lot of time only with observing the small details both on the inside of the market and the outside. After you’re done examining the building, you can enjoy the culinary treats at Budapest’s number-one market. You can check out our photo gallery featuring the market.

Hungarian National Museum

Here: Budapest, Múzeum krt. 14-16, 1088
Webpage: https://mnm.hu/en/

We’ve suggested visiting the Hungarian National Gallery, and now we’re recommending the Hungarian National Museum as well. You can learn all about the history of Hungarians and the country itself with the help of the items on display. This is a traditional museum, not an interactive one, but it is still worth spending a couple of hours here, as the first national museum of Hungary has been collecting and preserving the intellectual heritage of the Pannonian Basin since 1802.

photo: www.facebook.com/NemzetiMúzeum

Tropicarium

Here: 1222 Budapest, Nagytétényi út 37-43.
Webpage: http://tropicarium.hu/en/

At last, but not least, a fun programme for animal lovers. The Tropicarium is in the southern corner of Buda, and the advantage of this ‘zoo’ is that it is roofed, not like the Budapest Zoo. This is an excellent activity even if the weather is gloomy. You can see sharks, stingrays and hundreds of other fish here, along with insects, reptiles and mammals.