Dent, Bob: Budapest for Children - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1992)

8. Intor the Past - Museums

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INTO THE PAST

Open 10-18 (10-16 on weekdays during winter months). Closed Monday. Free entrance for children. Free entrance for all on Wednesdays. A lift is available for wheelchair access. Buffet.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings throughout the year there are special events for children—film shows, etc. In the summer extra events are organised for children’s activities. Information from the education department on 121-7298.

Air and Space Travel Museum

[Repüléstörténeti és Űrhajózási Kiállítás]

This belongs to the Transport Museum and is situated in a separate building nearby in the Petőfi Csarnok (Zichy Mihály út). Large exhibits on display. (Open only from April to October. 10-18 every day except Monday).

Hungarian National Museum

[Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum]

A large neo-classical building set in its own grounds at 14-16 Múzeum körút (“Kálvin tér” metro stop). The ground floor permanent exhibition covers ancient times up to the Magyar conquest at the end of the 10th century. The second floor is probably more interesting for children. It covers Hungary’s history up to 1848 and has quite a lot of visually striking items, including a large, furnished Turkish tent! Texts are in Hungarian but a booklet in English is available. An English-speaking guide can be booked (tel: 138-2122) and there may be prearranged English-language tours which can be joined on the spot.

A special attraction of the museum are the Hungarian crown jewels—the crown, coronation robe, sceptre, sword and orb. Usually there is not a long queue to view these. Notice how the gold cross on top of the crown leans to one side. It is believed to be the result of damage in the time of King (Saint) Stephen, Hungary’s first monarch, who ruled in the 11th century. The Hungarian coat of arms always shows this leaning cross. The third floor of the museum houses the Natural History Museum. Although small, there’s quite a lot to interest children here, notably some large reconstruc-