International Museum Day has been celebrated every year since 18 May 1978 to highlight the importance of museums. And since then, nearly 30,000 museums in over a hundred countries have joined in – some offering free or discounted entry, others putting on special events.
Visit for free
This year, on 18 May, admission is free to all branches of the Budapest History Museum. That means you can check out the exhibitions at the Kiscelli Museum, the Aquincum Museum, the Castle Museum, the Municipal Gallery, and the Budapest Gallery without paying an entrance fee. At the Kiscelli Museum, don't miss 'Real and Artificial Identities', an exhibition exploring the possibilities and crossover between photography and AI in portraiture. It’s also well worth heading to District III, where 'Aquincum 130' dives into the 130-year history of the museum and the story of its archaeological excavations.
You can also pop into the Rózsi Walter Villa for free on the day – a perfect chance to explore one of Budapest’s most stunning modernist villas. Inside the former opera singer’s home, you'll find temporary exhibitions like as 'The Siege of Budapest' and 'Kaesz Homes 1925–1960.'
Visit with discounts
The Museum of Ethnography is putting on a themed experience day for museum lovers. You can visit both the permanent and temporary exhibitions – plus all the special activities – for a discounted ticket price of 2,500 HUF. One of the highlights is 'Hungary in Colour – Hidden Photographs from 1862', a unique cultural time-travel experience built around a set oflong-lost photographs documenting Hungarian dress at the 1862 London World’s Fair. The exhibition offers a glimpse into how museum collections and research shape our everyday understanding of the past. There'll also be special curator-led tours for a deeper dive into 19th-century Hungary. Also, expect interactive educational games, workshops, and family-friendly fun – including traditional citera music and a puppet show by the Barboncás Troupe. (These will be in Hungarian.)
The Hungarian National Gallery is offering a pair discount –two people can get in for the price of one full ticket to view the permanent collection and the exhibition 'Habitat: Nature and Landscape Constructs'. The gallery is also hosting a themed tour led in English, taking you in a journey through a rich timeline of Hungarian and international fine art. Highlights include artists like Mihály Munkácsy, Pál Szinyei Merse, Dóra Maurer, Simon Hantai, Judit Reigl, and more. The one-hour tour covers everything from Gothic winged altarpieces to striking 20th-century masterpieces.
(Cover photo: Gábor Szabó - We Love Budapest)
