When I first heard about the “House of Terror” (Terror Háza), I initially thought that it was a museum about torture. In some ways, it was; however, the terrors that the museum focuses on are the fascist and communist regimes that Hungary lived under in the 20th century. More specifically, the building housing the museum became–as the information pamphlet says–“the house of terror and dread” because the Hungarian Arrow Cross Party used the building in 1944 and, later, between 1945 and 1956, so did the communist terror organizations abbreviated as the ÁVO and ÁVH. Ergo, the House of Terror.

Photographs in the museum are not allowed, so I only have some pictures of the outside of the building and of the entryway. What I like about the outside of the building is not only the very obvious “TERROR” shadows created by the roofing but that, along the wall are photographs of people.

The museum is a popular attraction, even on a Sunday. I arrived shortly after its opening hour of 10 AM, and there was already a line. More on the actual process of tickets in the What to Know section below. Needless to say, arrive as early as possible.

The tour begins on the top floor and works its way down. At the beginning of most sections are information papers in either Hungarian or English. I collected each of these except in the few places that they had run out of copies. I only skimmed them, though. There was too much to see and quite the crowd, so I saved the papers for a little craft project.

Videos play in most of the rooms, and in one of the rooms in particular, it’s difficult to leave if you want to watch everything. A dozen screens cycle through interviews and documentaries, and it’s all fascinating.

The museum also has interactive parts, namely rotary telephones that you can “dial” to hear information about various topics. Unfortunately, they are in Hungarian, so they were of no use to me.

The displays in the rooms vary greatly: Party banquet tables; changing rooms and clothes (display only); maps on the floor; walls covered in memorabilia of everyday life; church artifacts; intelligence rooms; propaganda; and a huge tank.

While each is extremely interesting in its own right (I could have stayed for 5 or 10 minutes in almost every room), perhaps the most fascinating is the basement, where they have recreated prison cells. Other interesting displays and videos are there as well, but letting myself stand in the cells and imagine what even a few hours there would have been like was definitely the most chilling experience in the entire museum.

After the museum, there is a gift shop. Most of the items for sale are books, and primarily in Hungarian at that. However, they have all sorts of other nifty items, including fake USSR passports and candles of Lenin and Stalin.

I had almost gotten the chance to visit the museum with one of the classes at the school where I teach, but ultimately I couldn’t go. By chance, this museum was a short walk from where I was staying when I visited Székesfehérvár and Vác. So instead of catching a morning train home, I spent a few hours at the museum instead, and I’m immeasurably glad that I did. It is the most interesting museum I have been to in a long time.

What to Know

The House of Terror is located at 1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 60 (zip code, city, street name and number), not far from the Oktogon tram stop via Tram 4 or 6 or from the Vörösmarty utca underground station on the M1. Just walk for a few minutes, and you’ll see the building no problem.

The museum is open every day except Mondays and some holidays. See the website for current details. Though it runs from 10 AM – 6 PM, the front desk closes at 5:30 PM.  Because of crowds and because I recommend taking as much time as you can in the museum, I would allot at least an hour and a half there, so I wouldn’t go much later that 4:30 PM.

Ticket prices for a single adult are 3000 forint ($11 US), and an audio guide is another 1500 forint. That’s not cheap, but at the very least, the entrance fee is worth it. (I didn’t do the audio guide.) Note that there are a number of possible discounts, but most are for citizens of the EEA – European Economic Area .  If you are a teacher, though, and have an international teachers ID card (as I did, though it expired the previous year), you can get free entrance. It may also be free to all visitors on national holidays such as March 15th or October 23rd. Definitely check the website for current prices, reduced prices, group tickets, and more.

After purchasing your ticket and receiving a map, you are required to store most items in the cloakroom. Since I had a large winter jacket and a suitcase, that was perfect for me. You’ll receive a numbered card or chip that you’ll return to the staff worker when you’re ready to pick up your item.

There is a cafe between the front desk and the cloakroom and bathrooms, but I didn’t stop there. I assume it would be on the pricey side. Instead, on my way to take the subway, I got a delicious pizza from a quick Italian restaurant on the corner. It’s called Bellozzo, so stop by there if you can!