June

The Night of Museums Budapest

Unique Exhibitions and Exciting Programs in Museums

Date: The Eve of June 22/23, 2024

Location: Museums In Budapest

The Night of Museums is a city-wide cultural event where museums in Budapest and Hungary extend their hours, offer special programs and exhibitions on the shortest night of the year.

The whole-night event has a special festive atmosphere to celebrate art, history, and culture.

It’s a great opportunity to explore Budapest’s museums in a new light, with something for everyone :

  • Families,
  • Art enthusiasts, and
  • Anyone curious to discover the city’s hidden gems.
people sitting and walking up and down the stairs of a colonnaded museum at night (possibly on the Night of Museums)
Night of Museums in Budapest (MĂșzeumok ÉjszakĂĄja)

Tickets To The Night of Museums (2024)

  • Adult: 3 000 HUF,
  • Children (aged 6 – 18): 1 500 HUF,
  • Free for kids under 6 years of age.

The ticket is an armband that you wear on your arm and show at the museum’s entrance.

You can participate in the programs on the night of June 22/23 as well as view the permanent and temporary exhibitions of the museums.

Note: Due to the limited space of some museums, exhibition halls, some programs require prior registration. Please check before the event!

a young dark-haired man wearing glasses and in a white shirt looking at a red train model displayed in a glass cabinet

TIP: You can also travel for free on any of the 7 color-coded museum bus lines to get from one place to another. The dedicated buslines will have a “MU” sign on the body of vehicle. Note: The Hungarian Railway Museum and Park will not be accessible via the bus service

Where to Buy Tickets?

  • At the ticket office or on the website of the participating museums or
  • Online at the jegymeser.hu website
  • the ticket offices of the Budapest Public Transportation Company/BKK – main ticket offices can be found at the metro stations.
a blue bus line on the Night of Museums traveling somewhere near the basilica at night
Dedicated Bus Lines

Museum Programs on June 22/23 2024

More than 50 museums, exhibition halls offer close to 100 programs in Budapest on the night of 22 – 23. June:

One thing I like very much about the Night of Museums that it offers a wide range of children programs so the whole family can have an awesome time on the longest day of the year.

Around to 50 museums, exhibition halls and other venues welcome visitors with

  • art,
  • literary,
  • folk and
  • gastronomy programs on Midsummer Night.
children doing something interactive and digital on the Night of Museums in

Many programs start at in the afternoon (14.00-16.00) so you can have a really good cultural half-day on Saturday.

Gastronomy programs are my other favourites and there’ll be a couple of them on this year’s festival too.

Bus Services to Help You Get Around – 18.00 – 02.30 am

7 Colour-Coded Night of Museum Bus Line  will circulate the city to help visitors to get from one museum to another.

Your ticket entitles you to use the special transportation for FREE for the event :

  • 1 North Pest Line (Észak-Pest) Boarding: Nyugati Railway Station (trams 4, 6, M3  line), Frequency: 5 – 10 minutes between: 18.00 – 2.30 am
  • 2 Buda Line Boarding: DeĂĄk Ferenc Square (M1, M2, M3 metro),  Frequency: 8 – 15 minutes between: 18.00 – 2.30 am
  • 3 South Pest Line (DĂ©l-Pest) Boarding: NĂ©pliget Metro Station (M3  line), Frequency: 5-10 minutes between: 18.00 – 2.30 am
  • 4 Törley Line Boarding: BudatĂ©tĂ©ny Ralway Station, Frequency: 7-10 minutes between: 18.00 – 2.30 am
  • 5 Óbuda Line Boarding: Nyugati Railway Station (trams 4, 6, M3  metro line), Frequency: 30 minutes, between: 18.00 – 2.30 am
  • 6. Buda Castle Line Boarding: SzĂ©ll KĂĄlmĂĄn tĂ©r (M2 red metro line, tram 6) and DĂ­szt tĂ©r, Frequency: 5 – 10 minutes between: 19.15 – 2.35 am
  • 7. VĂĄrkert BazĂĄr Line Boarding: DeĂĄk Ferenc Square (M1, M2, M3 metro) Frequency: 3 – 10 minutes, between: 18.00 – 2.20 am

Spectacular exhibitions and programs make this event a very nice summer night entertainment.

Here are some of the programs and participating museums in Hungary’s capital:

TIPs for an Enjoyable Night of Museums Experience:

  • Plan Your Itinerary: Choose a few museums you’d like to visit in advance and check their special programs and timings to plan your route efficiently.
  • Try Not to Go Overboard with the number of programs you select – limit it to max 3-5 to avoid getting exhausted and overwhelmed!
  • Be Prepared for Crowds: Expect larger crowds than usual, so allow ample time for travel and queuing.
  • Comfort is Key: Wear comfortable shoes and bring water to stay hydrated throughout the night.
  • Avoid carrying bulky bags or backpacks that might hinder your movement.
  • Bring snacks & water: If you plan to stay out late, bring along some snacks and water to keep your energy levels up.
  • Download the Night of Museum App: the event has a dedicated app that provides detailed information, maps, and even virtual tours to help you plan the night. Here’s the link to the app: MUZEJ EVENT@HAND
people wandering around the Museum of Ethnography on the Night of Museums
Museum of Ethnography

Program TIPS

Here some museums and programs we think you may find interesting to visit and participate in on the night of June 22/June 23 2024:

Budapest History Museum, Buda Castle, Royal Palace

Address: Szent György tér 2., Buda Royal Palace, distr. I.

Take the Buda Castle Bus line to get there.

  • 19.30 – 20.45: Ups and Downs  – Lights in the Night  – Guided tour IN ENGLISH introducing the history of Budapest. Meeting: on the 1st floor, at the entrance to the exhibition
  • 20.30 – 21.45: Knights in the Night Kings in the Light – English-labguage guided tour of the Medieval palace. Meeting place: at the Maria Theresa painting on the ground floor 

National Gallery

  • Address: Szent György tĂ©r 2., Buda Royal Palace, distr. I.
  • Take the Buda Castle Bus line (brown color) to get there

Some of the Programs:

  • Program timing: 16.00 – 22.00
  • You can visit all the permanent and temporary exhibitions: Art in the 19th Century, Gothic Art in the Hungarian Kingdom, 1300–1500, Late Gothic Winged Altarpieces,Modern Times – Hungarian Art Between 1896 and World War II, Nude Sculptures from the Turn of the Century, Shifts – Updated! (The history of Hungarian art after 1945), My Story. Early Memory of the Holocaust in the Works of Eyewitness Artists, Sean Scully. UNINSIDEOUT, When Dolls Speak Retrospective Exhibition of Margit Anna (1913–1991)
  • Recommended: Nighttime Panorama between June 22, 16.00 pm – June 23 12.15 am : Unrestricted Dome Visit with the City’s Most Stunning View: You can go up to the gallery’s dome and enjoy the night view.
  • DJ sets by Klpflrtpr: 20.30 – 23.00

Törley Collection & Visitor Center

Getting there: tram 47 from Deåk tér (M1, M3, M3 metros), or with the dedicated Törley Bus line (blue coloured)

Program starts: at 15.00 pm on June 22./Saturday and lasts till 01.00 am on June 23,

champagnes stored in the cellar of Törley champagne factory

The Törley Visitor Center (Budapest, Anna utca 5-7., district XXII.) welcomes visitors with

  • Guided tours a in the antique cellar of the sparkling wine manufacture.

You can also take a walk in the lovely Törley Castle and park.

More information at the visitor center’s website.

Labyrinth in the Castle – Meet Dracula!

The Labyrinth of Buda Castle will have a spooky night tour with movie screenings and exhibitions. The former dungeon under the rock ceiling inside castle Hill hides a dark secret.

Dracula himself will appear on the shortest night of the year but you may encounter other spooky characters in the cave meandering at 12 kms under the ground.

Shaman drum music between 18.00 – 23.00 to chase away demons and ghosts! Ghost-buster spice gift at the end of the program!

Aeropark RepĂŒlƑmĂșzeum (Aeropark Aviation Museum)

Address: BUD Nemzetközi RepĂŒlƑtĂ©r/Liszt Ferenc national Airport, Budapest 1185 (On Map)

Note: The Night of Museums bus service doesn’t include the Aeropark, take Bus 100E/200E

Timing: 16.00 pm – 02.00 am

Program Highlights:

Hungarian Money Museum & Visitor Center

  • Address: Krisztina krt. 6, Bp 1122, Buda side (On Map)
  • Bus line: MU2, Buda side (green color)

Timing: 16.00 – 24.00

Program Highlights:

  • You can view the permanent and temporary exhibits
  • Interactive programs,
  • Learn the basics of coding – robotics demonstration
  • Everything you need to know about banknotes – Banknote Lab: Continuous program between 16:00 – 22:00). learn about thhe hidden secrets of banknotes with the help of the experts of the Central Bank of Hungary!
  • Myra Monoka DJ will be playing between 17.00 – 20.00 on June 22

Programs For Children On the Night of Museums

Csopa Science Center

our son and his friend in the Csopa
Our son and his friend in the Center of Scientific Wonders

Take the Törley bus line to get there.

The center is a favourite of every Hungarian kid where they can try their hands on numerous scientific games and activities on more than 1 300 sqm.

On the Night of Museums the centre welcomes the young and not so young ones alike with a varied and exciting program from 18.00 to 24.00:

  • math puzzles and mysteries,
  • spectacular chemistry
  • physics experiments and more.

Olden Days Toys – Retro toys Exhibition Space and Shop

Address: Teréz krt. 54., district VI.

Revisit your

  • Glass balls – temporary exhibit
  • 17.30 – 20.30 – glass ballrolling competition
  • favourite toys from your childhood,
  • buy replicas, take part in a toy repair contest.
The Story Museum in Döbrentei utca, Buda
The Story Museum in Döbrentei utca, Buda

Fairytales and Story in the Story Museum (MesemĂșzeum)

Address: Döbrentei utca 15., Buda, district I.

  •  7 Trials of Story Heroes – permanent exhibition
  • 16.30 – 17.30: Boribon is playing music – family concert
  • 17.00 – 20.00: Fine Art Workshop
  • 19.00 – 20.00: Family Circle –  Theater performance by Play-back
  • 20.00 – 21.00: Interactive family concert
  • Concerts, magician show, theatre programs and creative activities await kids in this lovely museums.

More information: website of the museum

Other Museums that Offer Children Programs on the Night of Museums

  • National Gallery
  • Art Hall (Kunsthalle)
  • National Archives
  • Capital Circus of Budapest (City Park, Állatkerti krt. 12/a, district XIV.): Artists’ School student performance, music programs, trying out artist equipment
  • Hungarian Museum of Trade and Tourism (Korona tĂ©r 1., district III, Óbuda): exhibits, craetive activities, theatre performances, gastronomy programs
  • Hungarian Sport Museum (IstvĂĄnmezei Ășt 3-5, district XIV.)
  • Pesti Barnabas Technical School of Food Industry (AndrĂĄssy Ășt 63-65., district VI.): making Sekler cake (KĂŒrtöskalĂĄcs)
  • Postal Museum (BenczĂșr u. 27., district VI.)
  • Police Museum (Mosonyi utca 5. district VIII.)
  • Military History Institute and Museum (KapisztrĂĄn tĂ©r 2-4., district I., Buda Castle)
  • Stamp Museum (HĂĄrsfa u. 47., district VII.

See also more things to do recommendations in Budapest for children!

Related:

More Budapest Events, Activities in June – May Day of Museums-2-Day Festival – Hungarian Natural History Museum – Budapest Summer Festival

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About The Author

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ZoliBP

Zoli is a product development engineer who has been living in Budapest for more than 20 years. He loves baking - grows his own sourdough starter - and has a keen interest in urban photography.