Gems of City Park - House of Music Hungary, Museum of Ethnography, and the House of Millenium
- Gems of Budapest
- Jun 2
- 5 min read
The City Park (called Városliget or Liget in Hungarian) is Budapest’s most popular park, where visitors are not only attracted by the green areas but also by cultural institutions and entertainment facilities of a diversity unrivalled in Europe. As part of the rejuvenation of the park's infrastructure, the latest additions include the House of Music Hungary and the Museum of Ethnogprahy, both of which were mentioned among the World's Greatest Places by Time Magazine, in 2023.
House of Music Hungary
The building of the House of Music Hungary © www.gemsofbudapest.com 2025
There is perhaps no other cultural area where Hungarian art has made a bigger impact than in music. A number of Hungarian composers and musicians – among them Ferenc Liszt, Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, György Ligeti and Zoltán Kocsis – have made their mark on the universal language of music, yet there was no place to provide a comprehensive overview of the treasures of their legacy in the global context of music history.
The main mission of the new House of Music Hungary is to bring the world of music closer to as many visitors as possible. The building was designed by Japanese star architect Sou Fujimoto, who created an iconic contemporary architectural masterpiece with its organically undulating roof structure, pierced with holes and huge glass walls, offering an unmistakable view.
The House of Music offers music events, open-air state concerts, online concerts and matinees.
The 360-degree Sound dome is also a projection screen, with a 27.4-channel ambisonic sound system located behind it. Warning: risk of potential photosensitivity attacks: a small percentage of people may experience seizures due to certain visual images, including flashing lights and patterns that appear as part of the show.
The new exhibition of the House of Music, the Creative Sound Space, awaits visitors with eight large-scale, uniquely designed sound generating installations. In this free-play area, anyone can try themselves out as the conductor of the Orchestrion virtuoso robot-orchestra, or record their first sound recording in the Creative Recording Studio, create four-part rhythm compositions on the Rhythm Vehicle, or admire how the sounds of a hundred-year-old electro instrument, the Chladni-Theremin create the most beautiful geometrical patterns.
To experience the Creative Sound Space to the fullest, plan for a one-hour visit, starting within the time slot you booked. Visits begin every hour. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or on-site, depending on availability of places in the given time zone. It is mandatory to put your luggage, backpacks of any size, umbrellas and bags in the free cloakroom before entering. During the summer, the cloakroom is not open, you can use the lockers on level -1 for your luggage.
With an online ticket redeemed, the first two hours of parking in the Museum Underground Garage are free on the day of your visit. Please validate your parking tickets at the information desk of the Hungarian House of Music.
GENERAL OPENING HOURS
Tuesday - Sunday: 10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Get your online ticket here:
Museum of Ethnography
The building of the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest, Hungary, with the rooftop garden
The new Museum of Ethnography, located on the site of the former Felvonulási Square and not far from the House of Music, is the first purpose-built home for the museum, which previously was housed in the grand but considerably smaller Palace of Justice close to the Danube. Fittingly, the museum is making a return to City Park; founded in 1872, the museum first publicly displayed its collection in 1896, as the Ethnographic Village in the Millennium Exhibition in City Park. For a time, the Museum of Ethnography was also situated in the park's Industrial Hall.
The Museum of Ethnography plays a key role in strengthening Hungarian national identity. The materials from the Carpathian Basin, which date from the 17th century up to the end of the 20th century, preserve the traces of a bygone lifestyle — that of the peasants who made up a large proportion of Hungarian society until the middle of the 20th century.
From the late 19th century, life in Hungary was radically transformed as a result of modernisation, urbanisation, and globalisation. In a race against time, researchers from the Museum of Ethnography successfully collected objects associated with the everyday existence, festivals and working lives of the Hungarians and other nationalities living in Hungary, preserving their knowledge for future generations.
For ticket prices, please check the following link:
The main central passageway of the museum welcomes visitors free of charge: from the corridor functioning as a rich and colourful image repository, visitors also get to peak into paid exhibitions through glazed surfaces.
Visit the roof garden of the Museum of Ethnography, with more than 7,000 square meter green area featuring a diverse and rich flora. The roof garden is a community space, which can be visited freely and offers a special panorama of the City Park and Heroes' Square from its highest points.
Please ensure a safe and responsible use, by following all the safety rules.
The Roof Garden can only be accessed from outside the building.
Closed on Mondays
Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-6pm
House of the Hungarian Millennium
The House of the Hungarian Millenium, © www.gemsofbudapest.com 2025
The House of the Hungarian Millennium is a gem in the City Park, renovated in its old splendour, decorated with Zsolnay ceramics and tiles. The building is a mixture of fine and applied arts, history and heritage, literature and gastronomy.
The building designed by Ferenc Pfaff was originally planned to be a fine art exhibition venue of the National General Exhibition in 1885. Contemporary reviews mentioned it as the most impressive building of the Exhibition, thanks to the unique Zsolnay ceramics decorations of the facades.
The complete refurbishment based on the 1885 architectural plans started in 2017 December. The main entrance was moved back to the Hermina Street side of the building, where a new rose garden welcomes the visitors. The Zsolnay ceramics were all renewed on the façades. The 1,250 square metre building was reborn as a cultural community space with an interactive exhibition, a café with a podium stage and a basement auditorium.
Things to do and see:
The House is a cultural centre offering a wide variety of programmes and events
The restaurant, café and terrace uniquely merge turn of the century glory, high level culinary treats and 21st century gastronomy technology. During summer time guests can enjoy a terrace under the trees of the City Park;
The Auditorium is a place for thematic popular science and educational films, a film club, cultural programmes;
The House’s museum education services offer children and family programmes connected to the themes and artefacts of the exhibition;
The House welcomes events either for a family celebration or for a business meeting.
The heritage setting with high level catering and hospitality ensures guests with one-of-a-kind atmosphere and experience.
The rose garden at the House of the Hungarian Millenium © www.gemsofbudapest.com 2025
