Smidt Múzeum

About the museum

The Smidt Museum was founded in 1968 by Dr. Smidt Lajos (1903–1975), a retired hospital director and chief surgeon, who presented the results of more than six decades of collecting to the city of Szombathely and to the people of Vas County. The museum opened to visitors on 1 October 1971.

The listed building that houses the museum was built in 1772–1773 on the walls of the medieval castle. Some 4,500 objects in the exhibition rooms, arranged on three floors, evoke the past of the town and the wider region. Thanks to Dr. Smidt’s medical career and personal connections, descendants of several Transdanubian noble families, among them the Batthyány, Bezerédj, Cziráky and Erdődy families, gave him works of art and relics that they had kept for centuries.

The collection ranges from archaeological finds and military-history memorabilia, through weapons, rare books and applied-art objects, to pieces that evoke the atmosphere of 17th- to 19th-century noble and bourgeois homes. The new wing, handed over in 2018, hosts temporary exhibitions, lectures, museum education sessions and community programmes.

Highlights

• Military-history exhibition from medieval swords to memorabilia of the World Wars
• Glass art exhibition with pieces of Venetian-Murano influence
• Photography-history exhibition with daguerreotypes and talbotypes
• Collection of old and rare books from the 15th to 17th centuries
• Listed building on the walls of the medieval castle

Permanent exhibitions

• Hadtörténeti kiállítás – The exhibition presents chapters of Hungarian history, from medieval swords through memorabilia of the Kuruc era and the 1848–49 War of Independence to objects from the First World War of the Ferenc József era.
• Üvegművészeti kiállítás – The exhibition presents Hungarian glass art influenced by Venetian-Murano styles, including a 19th-century candlestick.
• Fotótörténeti kiállítás – Presents the history of photography from the mid-19th century to the present, with daguerreotypes, talbotypes, ferrotypes and chromotypes.

Founded

1968

Operated by

Savaria Megyei Hatókörű Városi Múzeum

Admission & discounts

Free admission: In 2026 admission is free on one Saturday a month: 21 November and 19 December.

Visitors over 70 and holders of a teacher’s ID card pay a service charge of HUF 200 per visit at every member institution of the Savaria Museum. A document certifying eligibility must be shown for a reduced or free admission.

Accessibility

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

Tactile objects can also be experienced in the museum’s Empire and Biedermeier exhibition.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The museum offers museum education sessions, including on objects from the First World War.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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