Cifrapalota

About the museum

The Cifrapalota was the first tenement house of the town of Kecskemét. From the municipal assembly's decision of 1902 to its handover, barely a year and a half passed, and construction was completed by July 1903. Géza Márkus's Hungarian Art Nouveau designs follow the solutions of the Lechner school; the façade decoration was made by the Zsolnay factory in Pécs, from pyrogranite and majolica elements. The name may also have been inspired by the rich decoration, reminiscent of the ornamented cifraszűr (decorated shepherd's coat).

The interior decoration is concentrated in the Pávás terem (Peacock Hall), the former oval reception hall of the Kereskedelmi Kaszinó (Commercial Casino). Here one can see blue eosin-glazed tiles, pyrogranite ornaments, eight peacocks, rich stucco and two brass chandeliers with Tiffany glass. After the Second World War it was the headquarters of a trade union.

Since 8 October 1983 the building has served museum purposes, when, after the Wolfner–Farkas–Glücks Collection came to Kecskemét, it opened as the Kecskeméti Galéria, later renamed Kecskeméti Képtár. Since 1996 it has been a venue of the Katona József Múzeum. On the second floor are the most important pieces of the fine arts collection, on the first floor the finest Avar-period finds from the Duna–Tisza interfluve, and temporary exhibitions alternate on the ground and upper floors.

Highlights

• Art Nouveau building with Zsolnay ceramic decoration
• The Peacock Hall with eight stucco peacocks and Tiffany chandeliers
• Permanent fine arts exhibition: Rippl-Rónai, Egry József, Mednyánszky László, Nagy István
• Finds from the Avar chieftain's grave at Kunbábony
• Works of the Kecskemét Artists' Colony (Kecskeméti Művésztelep)

Permanent exhibitions

• „Ezek a képek mind beszélnek” – képzőművészeti állandó kiállítás – Significant works of 19th- and 20th-century Hungarian fine and applied art, including works by Ferenczy Károly, Egry József, Rippl-Rónai József, Mednyánszky László and Nagy István, as well as the Kecskemét Artists' Colony.
• Nagyurak és vezérek – Híres avar leletek a Kiskunságból – The finds from the Avar chieftain's grave at Kunbábony and from other high-ranking graves of the same period.

Founded

1983

Operated by

Kecskeméti Katona József Múzeum

Admission & discounts

Free admission: On the last Sunday of every month, admission is free for visitors under 26 and for up to two close relatives accompanying a child under 18; on national holidays (15 March, 20 August and 23 October) admission is free.

Student groups from Kecskemét enter the museum free of charge. With a full-price ticket to the Bozsó Collection, a 25 percent discount applies for the Cifrapalota, and vice versa.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator
• 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

Since May 2024 a lift has made the entire building accessible with pushchairs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

A family-friendly exhibition venue: changing table, play corner, Kreatív Kuckó (Creative Corner), digital play table, giant jigsaw puzzles, dress-up clothes and colouring sheets. Weekend and school-holiday family days and museum education sessions.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

Wicker chairs in the enclosed inner courtyard, and benches at several points in the exhibition venue for resting.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The Peacock Hall and the other representative spaces can be rented for conferences, lectures, concerts, balls, dinners and weddings; wedding photography costs HUF 10,000.

Plan your visit