Budapest’s House of Terror Museum has reopened after a week-long closure, offering free admission to all visitors during its first week back. The reopening follows the dismissal of the museum’s long-serving director, Mária Schmidt, and a demonstration outside the institution. Here is everything you need to know before visiting.

The museum reopened on Tuesday, 22 September, at 10 am. According to Hungarian news agency MTI, considerable public interest greeted the reopening, with a long queue forming outside the building.

Culture Minister Zoltán Tarr announced that admission would be free for everyone during the museum’s first week after reopening, while a professional review of its exhibition continues. The existing exhibition remains accessible to visitors throughout the review.

“During the first week after reopening, admission to the museum will be free for everyone, so that anyone who wishes to see the exhibition, which has sparked heated debate among experts, can do so. We are working to ensure that the House presents the complexity of the past and different perspectives in a credible way, providing a genuine space for confronting history,” Zoltán Tarr wrote on social media.

What can visitors see at the museum?

Opened in 2002, the House of Terror documents Hungary’s experiences under the Nazi and communist dictatorships of the 20th century. Its permanent exhibition explores the Arrow Cross regime, the Soviet occupation and communist rule, including political persecution and the activities of the secret police.

The building itself is also historically significant: Located at 60 Andrássy Avenue, it served as the headquarters of the Arrow Cross Party before being taken over by the communist political police. Today, its exhibitions commemorate the victims of both dictatorships.

For international visitors, the museum offers English-language guided tours for groups of 10 to 30 people, subject to advance booking. English-language audio guides are also available for individual visitors.

According to the museum’s official website, regular admission prices are:

  • Full-price ticket: HUF 4,000
  • Reduced-price ticket: HUF 2,000
  • English-language audio guide: HUF 2,000
  • English-language guided tour: HUF 20,000 per group (10–30 people).

However, admission is free for everyone during the museum’s first week after reopening, giving visitors the opportunity to explore the exhibition without paying the usual entrance fee. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm, meaning visitors can take advantage of the offer during the remaining days of this week, through Sunday, 27 September.

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Demonstration held after House of Terror museum director’s dismissal

The reopening follows a political dispute over the museum’s future. On 15 September, the government terminated the appointment of long-serving director Mária Schmidt, temporarily closed the institution and announced a review of its operations and exhibition.

The decision prompted a demonstration outside the museum on Sunday, 20 September, organised mainly by Orban supporters and right-wing public figures. Several hundred people gathered on Andrássy Avenue to protest the decision, with opposition Fidesz politician Tamás Menczer and singer Feró Nagy also taking part.

Schmidt addressed the crowd, defending the House of Terror museum’s work and criticising the government’s decision. She argued that the institution’s presentation of Hungary’s 20th-century history should not be changed, while other speakers expressed concerns about the planned review.

Although the government had already announced that the museum would reopen, the organisers proceeded with the demonstration. The professional review remains ongoing, but the existing exhibition will stay open to visitors in the meantime.

Read more: Protesters rally outside Budapest’s House of Terror Museum after director’s dismissal