Bartók Béla Emlékház

About the museum

The villa in Pasarét was built in 1923 to plans by Tauszig Béla for a Belgian businessman. From April 1932 to October 1940, Bartók Béla rented the ground-floor and upper-floor flats of the house with his second wife, Pásztory Ditta, their son Péter and the domestic staff. In the eight and a half years spent here, works including the Mikrokozmosz, the 5th and 6th String Quartets, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, and the 2nd Violin Concerto were composed. The couple left for America from here, so this was Bartók's last Hungarian home.

In 1946 the villa was nationalised and three council rented flats were created in it. On the centenary of the composer's birth, in 1981, the Budapest City Council turned the building into a memorial house; the concert hall on the upper floor was created by combining the former entrance hall, the living room and Pásztory Ditta's practice room. After the extension of 1991 and the renovation of 2006, the villa came closer to its original state.

Between 2006 and 2021, Bartók's furniture, folk art collection and personal objects formed the material of the exhibition, but in 2021 the legal heir withdrew the objects that had been deposited on loan. The interactive exhibition “Bartók's Silence” (“Bartók csendje”) opened on 23 November 2024 and is being expanded in several stages. Today the house is also a memorial site and one of the city's important chamber music venues: its concert hall, with 90–100 seats, hosts around forty to forty-five concerts a year.

Highlights

• Bartók's last Budapest home, in the green area of Pasarét
• “Bartók's Silence” (“Bartók csendje”): interactive permanent exhibition, expanding in stages
• Archive film compilation showing Bartók on film
• Carved furniture by Péntek “Gyugyi” György, recreating the atmosphere of the flat
• Chamber hall with a Steinway D concert grand piano and recording studio

Permanent exhibition

• Bartók csendje – Interactive exhibition on Bartók's home in Pasarét, his Budapest residences and the historical background of his career; archive films, interactive devices and original objects show the composer's work as a folk-music researcher and the influence of his music.

Founded

1981

Admission & discounts

The museum ticket does not include a guided tour. Museum tickets can only be bought on site, not online. Holders of a Budapest Card, an ICOM card or an international press card can visit the house free of charge.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The venue is not step-free.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

For primary and secondary school groups and music school groups (ages 6–18), museum education sessions with a guided tour, screening, lecture and a short concert are held on Thursdays and Fridays by pre-arranged appointment. The sessions last 60–90 minutes and take up to 35 people.

Getting there & parking

From the Pasaréti tér terminus it takes about 5–8 minutes on foot along Csévi utca to reach the house.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

A music shop operates in the house.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

The chamber hall, equipped with a Steinway D concert grand piano, can be rented for closed events, concerts and studio recordings; the connected studio provides radio-recording quality.

Plan your visit