Arany Sas Patikamúzeum
The Arany Sas Patikamúzeum in the former pharmacy house in Buda Castle: a pharmaceutical-history exhibition with an original officina, laboratory and ornate pharmacy vessels.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Ernyey József initiated the collection of Hungarian pharmaceutical-history memorabilia in Budapest in 1896; in 1905 he already proposed setting up a specialist museum, but this took a long time. The first such exhibition opened in 1948 within the medical university. In 1963 its material went to the Semmelweis Orvostörténeti Könyvtár (Semmelweis Medical History Library), with the aim of forming the basis of a museum of medical and pharmaceutical history.
Work began in parallel with the opening of the Orvostörténeti Múzeum (Museum of Medical History), and in 1974 the Arany Sas Patikamúzeum opened in one of the long-established buildings of Buda Castle. The house at Tárnok utca 18 was chosen not by chance: from the mid-18th century until the First World War, a pharmacy operated here. The ground floor of the house, built on medieval foundations, served commercial purposes from the start. Its present layout took shape in the 18th–19th centuries, when the officina (the room for serving customers) and the laboratory, connected by a serving hatch, were formed.
The exhibition is organised around the interiors of these two main rooms. Through written, pictorial and object memorabilia, it presents the development of the science of pharmacy. The material also shows that the history of pharmacy is an important part of the history of applied arts: ceramic, wooden and glass drug jars, mortars, scales and other tools, with their finely crafted decoration, are among the beautiful pieces of Hungarian and universal artistic heritage.
Highlights
- Original officina and laboratory in Buda Castle
- A building that has operated as a pharmacy since the mid-18th century
- Ceramic, wooden and glass drug jars
- Mortars, scales and pharmacy equipment
- Joint ticket with the Semmelweis Orvostörténeti Múzeum (Semmelweis Museum of Medical History)
Permanent exhibition
- Arany Sas Patikamúzeum – In the officina and laboratory of the pharmacy house, the development of pharmacy is presented through written, pictorial and object memorabilia, pharmacy vessels, mortars and scales.
- Founded
- 1974
- Operated by
- Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum – Semmelweis Orvostörténeti Múzeum, Könyvtár és Adattár
Admission & discounts
| Adults | HUF 1,000 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | HUF 500Hungarian and EEA citizens aged 62–70 or entitled to a full state pension, and Hungarian and EEA citizens aged 6–26; parents and close relatives accompanying at least two persons under 18 |
| Children & teens | HUF 500free up to age 5 · Free admission up to age 6; youth ticket for ages 6–26. |
| Seniors | HUF 500For Hungarian and EEA citizens aged 62–70 or entitled to a full old-age pension; free admission over 70. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Visitors with disabilities and one companion may enter free of charge. |
| Students & apprentices | HUF 500For Hungarian and EEA citizens aged 6–26. |
| Families | HUF 1,6002 adults and 1–3 minor children; each additional child HUF 200 more. |
| Combined ticket: Semmelweis Orvostörténeti Múzeum + Arany Sas | HUF 2,200Reduced HUF 1,200, family HUF 4,000. |
Free admission: On the first Sunday of each month, free admission for visitors under 26 and for up to two close relatives accompanying children under 18 (Hungarian and EEA citizens); on national holidays (15 March, 20 August, 23 October) free for everyone.
The price applies to a separate ticket for the Arany Sas Patikamúzeum.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Szentháromság tér
Buses 16, 16A and 116: Szentháromság tér; Hop On Hop Off bus: Vár; Budavári Sikló (Buda Castle Funicular): Szent György tér.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Exhibitions, guided tours and events take place at the Arany Sas; guided tours can be arranged by calling the guide service (+36 1 375 3533, +36 1 201 1577). Animals (except assistance and guide dogs), food and dangerous objects may not be brought in. |
