Top 10 exhibitions in Budapest

The 19th century section includes the art of romanticism and symbolism with works by the greatest representatives of the French Impressionist era: Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro and Claude Monet can be admired alongside Austrian, German, Belgian and Scandinavians artists such as Franz von Lenbach, Wilhelm Leibl, Constantin Meunier, Akseli Gallen-Kallela.

The 20th century and contemporary sections are organized around the most important movements of modern international art: kinetic art, op art, geometric abstraction and are represented by works of major artists such as Günther Uecker, Victor Vasarely, Josef Albers, Peter Halley, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Erwin Wurm, Antoni Tàpies, Eduardo Chillida, Vera Molnar and Simon Hantaï.

In particular, you will be able to discover the works of the most famous Hungarian painters such as Károly Lotz, Mihály Munkácsy, Pál Szinei Merse, Csontváry, Rippl Rónai and János Vaszary among others.

Discover the National Gallery of Budapest in video:

Address: National Hungarian Gallery, Szent György tér 2., 1st district, Buda – map – website. Open hours: from 10:00 to 18:00 from Tuesday to Sunday.

The renewed Egyptian exhibition of the Museum of Fine Arts awaits visitors with numerous new artefacts and themes with a larger exhibition space. The ancient Egyptian world is presented in three thematic units: Temples – Gods; The Nile Valley – People; Tombs – The Dead. A new addition is the “Egyptian chamber of secrets”, where visitors can make numerous great discoveries and can learn exciting new facts.

Discover great permanent exhibitions:
European Art 1250–1600 – Rafaelo, Dürer, El Greco, Bruegel,…
European Sculptures 1350-1800 (Messerschimdt, Sansovino,..).
Art in Hungary 1600–1800 (Bogdány Jakab, Mányoki Ádam, Stranover Tóbiás,…).
Egyptian Art and Antiquities.

Museum of Fine Arts video:

Address: Museum of Fine Arts, Dózsa György út 41, XIVth district, Pest – website.
Open hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Mondays.
Temporary exhibitions: from 10:00 to 17:30.

Until March 30, the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts will be hosting a major exhibition on the work of Mihály Munkácsy (1844-1900), one of Hungary’s most famous painters. More than 100 works of art, archive photographs, documents and cultural objects are on display. Mihály Munkácsy lived in Paris and gained an international reputation with his large-scale genre and biblical paintings.

Address: Museum of Fine Arts, Dózsa György út 41, XIVth district, Pest – website.
Open hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Mondays.

On the majestic Heroes’ Square, the Műcsarnok (‘Hall of Arts’) is hosting an exhibition on the iconic German photographer Peter Lindbergh (1944-2019). Having become one of the biggest names in fashion photography, he propelled the careers of top models such as Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista thanks to his alternately cinematic and naturalistic portraits in black and white, his preference.
Among the fifty or so photographs in the exhibition are a number of famous shots, including Lindbergh’s favourite, Angel Story, inspired by Wim Wenders’ film Berlin Above the Sky, and the 1994 portrait of Kate Moss from the series A Star is Born. As well as iconic models from the 90s, special portraits of actors are also on display, including Monica Bellucci, Nicole Kidman and Adrian Brody.

Address: Műcsarnok, Dózsa György út 37, 14th district, Budapest – map – website. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm (Thursdays until 8pm).

Discover the immersive staging of the world-famous works of the legendary Mexican artist and icon Frida Kahlo. A truly sensual experience, an explosion of colour and pure vitality! The experience uniquely transports the visitor into the universe of Frida Kahlo, with more than 70 works of art, complemented by photographs and an information space, revealing exciting and little-known details about the works. This immersive exhibition reveals the tragic fate of the painter, which led to a unique artistic expression – the like of which has never been created by anyone else in the world.
With screens over 5 metres high, this experience blends 360-degree projection technology with a state-of-the-art sound system to immerse you in art, and make you feel as if you’ve stepped inside a painting. These powerful projectors and deep sound effects help visitors to gain an even deeper understanding of the work of the artist and experience the joys and sufferings of his work.

Address: Lumiere Hall, Piarista köz 1, 5th district, Budapest – map – website.
Open hours: Monday-Sunday: 10:00 to 22:00.

Robert Capa the Correspondent, the world’s first permanent exhibition of the work of Robert Capa, opened on 13 June 2023 in the new exhibition space of the Robert Capa Center in Pest. This unique exhibition presents some 140 photographs, many of which have become emblematic, and explores the major stages in the photographer’s life.
Born in Budapest in 1913, Robert Capa, a war correspondent who saw five battlefields, photographed the war, the fighting, the soldiers in the trenches and everyday life in the hinterland as a participant observer, with boundless compassion. He was there with the soldiers, at the heart of the action. It was this closeness, this participation, that recreated the genre of war photography. Robert Capa had a major impact on the profession of photojournalist and on war photography, as evidenced by his famous and often-quoted phrase: “If your photos aren’t good enough, it’s because you weren’t close enough”.

Address: Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center, Nagymező utca 8, 6th district, 1065 Budapest – map – website. Open Tuesday to Friday, 2pm to 7pm. Weekends from 11am to 7pm. Closed on Mondays.

Victor Vasarely (1906-1997), a Hungarian plastician and naturalized French in 1961, is recognized as the father of the optical school of Op Art. He developed his own style of geometric abstract art and also worked for many French companies including Renault on its logo:
The Vasarely Museum in Budapest was renovated in 2017 and features more than 150 works.

Address: Vasarely Museum, Szentlelek tér 6, IIIrd district, Buda – plan – website.
Open hours: 10:00 to 18:00 from Tuesday to Sunday.

The Ludwig Museum offers contemporary and modern works of art including American Pop Art (Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, etc.) and also Central European artists with a focus on Hungarian art of the sixties to the present day. Temporary exhibitions are scheduled (find programming on the museum website).
Pictures gallery:

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Address: Ludwig Museum, Komor Marcell u. 1, IXth arrondissement, Pest – map – website. Open hours: 10:00 to 18:00 from Tuesday to Sunday.

The House of Terror museum, opened in 2002, traces the history of the Fascist and Communist regimes in Hungary in the 20th century through a reconstruction of events, places and the projection of documents. It was one of the most controversial museums in Budapest when it was inaugurated.

House of Terror museum video:

Address: House of Terror museum, Andrássy út 60, Sixth District, Pest – map – website. Open hours: 10:00 to 18:00 from Tuesday to Sunday.

Located 10km south of Budapest, Memento Park is an open-air museum of some 40 communist-era statues in Budapest, which were brought together in this park in 1991.

Address: Memento park, Balatoni út – Szabadkai utca sarok, XXII District, Pest – map – website – Opening hours: from 10:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Sunday.

The Cinema Mystica exhibition is an immersive digital exhibition space covering 1,200 m2, with around ten rooms that take you on a journey of all your senses into a new digital world. These visual and audio experiences are also interactive, with some of the artistic installations reacting to our movements, buttons or even our questions thanks to artificial intelligence. One of the main attractions of the current exhibition is the space called “The Garden“, where you can walk on the interactive floor and discover life pulsating in the impressive Tree of Life in the centre of the room.
The Hungarian creators of Cinema Mystica have succeeded in pushing back the boundaries between technology and art with this unique sensory experience.
You can also watch a video of the Cinema Mystica exhibition on this link.

Book your ticket in advance and avoid the queues:
Mystica Exhibition information and tickets – click here

Address: Cinema Mystica, Ferenciek tere 10, 5th district, Pest – map – website.
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm Monday to Sunday.

Let’s get out of the classic exhibition scene in Budapest with a different kind of museum. Are you nostalgic for pinball machines? The Pinball Museum in Budapest is the largest permanent pinball exhibition where you can try 140 machines!
Admission for 13 € (9 € for those under 27 and over 62) offers you unlimited games on the pinball machines of your choice!

Open hours: closed Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday-Friday: 16: 00-24: 00, Saturday: 14: 00-24: 00, Sunday: 10:00-22:00.
Address: Pinball Museum, Radnóti Miklós u. 18, XIIIth district. website – map.

This article on the exhibitions in Budapest is regularly updated, but do not hesitate to check the open hours on the websites of the exhibitors to avoid any unforeseen surprises (public holidays, private events…).

Also discover our section ‘calendar’ on this link  for festivals, concerts, exhibitions in Budapest by month and our article on the best museums of Budapest on this link.