Magyar Nemzeti Galéria

About the museum

The Magyar Nemzeti Galéria (Hungarian National Gallery) was founded in 1957 to present the history of Hungarian fine art in a museum of its own. Its collection was based on the Új Magyar Képtár (New Hungarian Gallery) of the Szépművészeti Múzeum (Museum of Fine Arts), as well as the Hungarian material of the modern sculpture, medal and graphic collections. The first exhibition opened on 5 October 1957 in the former Kúria (court) building on Kossuth tér.

In 1975 the institution moved into the renovated buildings B, C and D of the Budavári Palota. At the new location, the material of the Régi Magyar Osztály (Old Hungarian Department) of the Szépművészeti Múzeum also came to the gallery, so that Hungarian art history from the 11th century to the present could be shown in one place for the first time. The palace’s history goes back to the reigns of King Nagy Lajos, Zsigmond and Mátyás; it was severely damaged in the Second World War, and restoration began in the 1960s.

In 2012 the Szépművészeti Múzeum and the Magyar Nemzeti Galéria merged into one institution. The gallery’s present collection comprises around 110,000 works of art. The palace also houses the main works of the international collection after 1800, and from the ground floor of building C the Habsburg nádori kripta (Habsburg Palatine’s Crypt) can be reached with a prior booking.

Highlights

• Gothic art in Hungary 1300–1500 and late Gothic winged altarpieces
• 19th-century Hungarian painting from Munkácsy to Mednyánszky
• Modern times and Hungarian art after 1945 (Lépésváltás)
• The international collection after 1800, from Courbet to Baselitz
• View from the palace dome over the Danube and the city

Permanent exhibitions

• Gótikus művészet Magyarországon 1300–1500 – Gothic panel paintings and wooden sculptures from the legacy of medieval Hungarian art.
• 19. századi művészet – The permanent exhibition of 19th-century Hungarian painting and sculpture.
• Courbet-tól Baselitzig – 1800 utáni nemzetközi gyűjtemény – The most important works of the international collection of the Szépművészeti Múzeum after 1800.

Founded

1957

Operated by

Szépművészeti Múzeum – Magyar Nemzeti Galéria

Admission & discounts

Free admission: On national holidays (15 March, 20 August, 23 October) all exhibitions are free for all visitors.

A ticket entitles the holder to a single entry on the day of purchase; with a ticket for a temporary exhibition, the permanent exhibition can also be seen. The dome can be visited with the permanent exhibition ticket. Discounts require proof of eligibility. Tickets can be bought online (Jegymester, Ligetplusz) and on site; SZÉP card payment is accepted.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

The step-free entrance is the staff entrance of building B on the Hunyadi udvar (Hunyadi Courtyard) side; it is reached by the ramp on the right-hand side of the arcades, and staff accompany visitors to the collections by lift. Wheelchairs and rollators can be borrowed free of charge in limited numbers. For visually impaired visitors, the Tapints! project offers 3D-printed tactile sculpture replicas; for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors, sign language interpreters can be arranged on request. Sign language videos and audio-described material are available for the Csontváry paintings. Mobile seats can be used in the permanent exhibition area.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Family and children’s programmes (Színezd újra!, Szünetelő, and guided tours for children). On the 1st floor, a baby and mother room has a changing table, a nursing armchair and toys; nappies can also be changed in the women’s toilets of the ground-floor café. Pushchairs can be borrowed free of charge in limited numbers (load capacity up to 15 kg).

Getting there & parking

Vehicles may enter the Budavári Palota area only with a permit from the Várkapitányság Nonprofit Zrt.; where justified, a vehicle may wait for a limited time in the Hunyadi udvar.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Museum Café on the ground floor of building C, at the main entrance on the Savoyai-terasz (Savoy Terrace) facing the Danube; it can be visited without an admission ticket. MúzeumShop. Mobile charging point in the family rest area on the 1st floor; USB ports on the 3rd floor.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Plan your visit