10 unique museums and exhibitions in Hungary

The primary role of museums and exhibitions is to educate, engage and inspire people. They provide an excellent opportunity to gain new experiences and broaden our perspective.

Magyarországom has gathered ten unique and interesting Hungarian museums you should definitely visit.

1. City under the city in Eger

The history of this multi-storey underground exhibition is connected to the construction of the archbishop’s palace, which was built from rhyolite tuff. The cellar system under the city was excavated during the mining operations. The entrance to the cellar system is located on Eszterházy Square in front of the Basilica. The temperature in the cellar is always 12°C, so warm clothes and sweaters are recommended.

Visitors can take part in a guided 45-minute tour in the cellar system or explore the other parts of the underground world, such as the “time tunnel” or the knights’ hall. In 2007, the City under the city was voted as one of the 7 most impressive architectural monuments in Hungary.

2. Invisible Exhibition in Budapest

Have you ever wondered what life is like without vision? The Invisible Exhibition is a unique interactive journey to an invisible world, where we can only rely on our sense of touch, hearing and smell. Blind or partially sighted people lead the tours, which are available in English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Russian. The exhibition aims to give an insight into the world of blind people and show how they orientate and live their everyday lives.

The Invisible Exhibition takes place in special rooms and in the invisible section sighted people can try different tools used by blind people. Beside guided tour, visitors can choose between several additional programmes, such as the Invisible Indian dinner, Invisible Italian dinner, Invisible wine tasting or Invisible team-building. The exhibition first opened in 2007, and it has been one of Budapest’s most visited programmes. Online ticket reservations and purchases are not available until August 31st.

3. Pinball Gallery in Budapest

Europe’s most significant ongoing interactive pinball exhibition offers an insight into the history of pinball from the first machines from the 19th century to the latest pinball tables. The Pinball Gallery, located in Radnóti Miklós Street, opened in 2014 and it has 130 playable machines. The museum has not re-opened yet.

4. Chocolate Museum in Budapest

Although the Chocolate Palace itself is not made of chocolate, it will not disappoint any sweet-toothed guest. The tours – available in English and Hungarian − offer visitors the opportunity to get a glimpse into the history of chocolate making through hundred-year-old chocolate maker tools, old movies and exciting presentations. Guests can also create their own chocolate, taste special teas and visit an authentic copy of the Stühmer chocolate shop.

Elemér Farkas founded the Chocolate Museum in 2008. The museum building in Bekercs Street was originally built as a mansion for the Count Wágner family. After World War II, it was used as a school, a police station and a cinema.