Is the Budapest House of Terror worth it?
A complete guide in 2024
- attractionsthings to do
- January 25, 2024
The House of Terror Museum, established in 2002 at 60 Andrássy Avenue in Budapest, is a poignant testament to Hungary’s turbulent history. It serves as both a museum and a memorial, occupying a historic building where once the victims of the fascist Arrow Cross and the Communist Secret Police (ÁVH) were detained during and after World War II.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to visit the “Terror Háza Múzeum”.
Is the House of Terror worth it?
The House of Terror Museum in Budapest is a must-visit for 20th-century history enthusiasts. It explores dictatorships, including Nazi and Soviet occupations, the Arrow Cross Party’s rule, and communism. The museum provides an immersive experience, revealing the hardships Hungarians endured, offering insight into the country’s tumultuous past.
What is the history of the House of Terror in Budapest?
The House of Terror of Budapest occupies a building with a significant historical past. Originally, it served as the headquarters of the Arrow Cross Party and later became the base for the Soviet political police, the AVH, from 1945 to 1956. In December 2000, during Viktor Orbán’s government, the building was transformed into a museum.
That month, the “Public Foundation for Research on Central and Eastern European History And Society” acquired the building with the aim of establishing a museum to remember Hungarian history’s. On February 24th, 2002, the Terror Museum in Budapest was inaugurated as a unique memorial to those who suffered within its walls, vividly portraying the horrors endured while conveying the message that the sacrifices made for freedom were not in vain.
House of Terror Budapest tickets
Entrance fee
Getting inside the Budapest House of Terror Museum isn’t free; there’s an entrance fee that will depend on some aspects:
- Full-price ticket: HUF 4000
- EEA citizens – people aged between 6-25 and 62-70
-
EEA citizens – relatives and at least two members under 18: HUF 2000
Free Admission
- Children up to the age of 6
- EU citizens aged 70 and older
- Individuals with disabilities and one accompanying person
- Teachers and retired teachers
Holders of professional access cards issued by the Secretary of State - Beneficiaries of international treaties
- Members of national professional organizations with national public competence related to museums and public collectionsmbers of national professional organizations with national public competence related to museums and public collections, with a minimum of 400 members
- EEA teachers who can provide proof of their profession or an International Teacher Identity Card
*all discounted prices or
Other prices
- English-speaking guided tour: HUF 20000 per group
- Audio guide: HUF 2000 per person
Is it possible to buy tickets online?
You can purchase tickets exclusively at the museum, as online payment is not an option.
Do you have to book the House of Terror?
Individual visitors can’t book their visit to the Budapest Terror House, as they can enter at any time during the opening hours. Booking is only available for groups and guided tours, and even though it’s not mandatory, group visitors should be prepared for potentially lengthy wait times if they don’t book their visit. Booked groups get priority entry, but for that they should schedule their visit at least ten days in advance.
In case of booked visits, groups receive priority entry and have the option to add a guided tour to their visit
*to make a group booking, you should reach out via email to [email protected]. For inquiries about group bookings, dial: +36 (1) 374-2662
Budapest Terror House: tours and guides
Guided tours to the Terror Museum of Budapest are available as an optional service, costing HUF 20,000 per group. Please note that the maximum group size for entering the museum at the same time is 30 people; larger groups will be divided into two with approximately 10-15 minutes apart. Such guided tours shall be booked at least 10 days prior the visit.
There are guided tours in English, and for those who prefer audio guides (HUF 2000 per person), they are readily available on-site without the need for prior booking. These audio guides are offered in English, German, Spanish, Russian, French, and Italian for your convenience.
House of Terror in Budapest Opening Hours
The House of Terror is open every day, except on Mondays, between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
*the cash desk closes at 5:30 PM.
Opening Hours on Holidays:
1 January: Closed
2 January: Open
23–30 January: Closed
15 March: Open
20 August: Open
23 October: Open
1 November: Closed
24–26 December: Closed
27–30 December: Open
31 December (from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM): Open
House of Terror: what to expect inside
1. Second floor
The permanent exhibition opens with the Hall of Double Occupation, shedding light on Hungary’s challenging history during the Nazi and Soviet occupations, with a particular emphasis on the pivotal date of March 19th, 1944.
The museum features eight exhibition halls, each dedicated to various aspects of Hungary’s tumultuous past. These include the Gulag, the Soviet Forced-Labor Camps hall, and the Hungarian Nazis, providing a comprehensive look at the nation’s transition between dictatorships and the harrowing experiences endured by its people during these periods. Additionally, the Hall of the Fifties and the Hall of Soviet Advisors delve into the complexities of life under communist rule.
The museum concludes with an exploration of Hungarian resistance against communism in its final exhibition hall, offering valuable insights through the screening of contemporary propaganda films.
2. First floor
The first-floor exhibition delves into post-World War II collective persecution, beginning with resettlement and deportation. It highlights the suffering of over 200,000 Hungarians of German descent and the forced exodus of nearly 100,000 Hungarians by Czechoslovakia.
Visitors encounter the interrogation chamber, known as the “gym,” and proceed through the labyrinthine room of compulsory deliveries, showcasing the peasantry’s terror and loss at the hands of communist authorities. The exhibition continues to the ÁVO portrait gallery, revealing the oppressive regime’s inner workings.
Show trials, controlled by the party, are exposed through the Justice room, Imre Nagy trial scenes, and propaganda and everyday life exhibits. The “Hungarian silver” room leads to the Churches and Cardinal Mindszenty exhibit, symbolizing the conflict between materialism and religion, inhumanity and humanity.
3. Ground floor
The ground-floor area, staircase, and inner yard are integral to the House of Terror Museum’s concept, setting the tone for visitors. With memorial slabs, documentaries, and symbolic statues, they emphasize the building’s unique history and the tragicomedy of dictatorships.
4. Basement
The cellar of No. 60 Andrássy Road, infamous during the Arrow Cross regime, served as a brutal detention center. Visitors experience the chilling reality through reconstructed cells depicting various forms of torture and confinement. The basement showcases the horrors of the 1940s and 1950s, highlighting fear, darkness, and cruelty.
Half of the basement presents the original state, revealing wet cells and detention cells and showcasing the depths of human evil. The other half continues the exhibition chronologically, covering internment, 1956, retaliation, and emigration.
The journey concludes with the Hall of Tears, the Perpetrators’ Wall listing those involved in maintaining totalitarian regimes, and a memorial to the Soviet troops leaving Hungary, providing a historical perspective from foreign occupation to liberation.
How long do you need at the House of Terror Budapest?
With multiple levels to explore – the ground floor, first floor, second floor, and even an ex-Soviet torture chamber in the basement – plan on dedicating at least 90 minutes to 2 hours for this engaging activity.
House of Terror controversy
What are the criticisms of the House of Terror?
Critics argue that the museum’s purpose was to sully the reputation of the Socialist Party and its Communist history. Numerous members of the museum were once prominent figures within the party but shifted towards capitalist ideals following the fall of the Berlin Wall.
While the Museum delves into the history of both totalitarian movements in Hungary, only a smaller part of the House of Terror is dedicated to the crimes committed by the Arrow Cross Party. The predominant focus of the exhibition centers on the Soviet regime, and that’s why some specialists view the museum’s narrative as incomplete.
Terror House in Budapest: how to get there
You can conveniently reach the House of Terror Museum by taking the Millennium Metro (M1), the very same that connects Széchenyi Baths, Heroes Square, Budapest opera House, and Vörösmarty Square. But there’s also tram 4 / 6 – it’s just a brief stroll from either the Vörösmarty utca metro station or the Oktogon tram stop.
