After a sneaky virus unexpectedly made my whole week a living hell, I was unable to travel back to Budapest and do my weekly museum visit. But fear not dear readers, because I still have plenty of wisdom to share.
Small Museums
Why do people miss out on the small, fun museums of Budapest?
Lack of Promotion - Either we are tourists or native Hungarians, advertisements and wallpapers of big exhibitions are practically shoved in our faces. On the other hand, people have no idea that certain museums exist unless they are hardcore museum fetishists, or they accidentally read/hear about them somewhere. This is the reason why Project culTOUR came to being - to provide information for adventurous foreigners ready to explore every museum in Budapest.
Distance - Sad but true, people can be lazy. The big elite museums are mostly located in the city center, while the lesser known museums are usually further away from downtown. One of the best museum experiences I have had was The Hungarian Railway Museum, which was quite difficult to get to, but once I was there and I could hop on the Orient Express, then sit on an authentic steam-hauled train I did not want to leave at all. Accept the challenge of finding those hidden, little museums - one can always count on Google maps and if there is no wifi available, an old school map will not disappoint either.
Empty Museums - One might get the impression that if a museum is not crowded, it cannot be good. This is just silly. In the Telephone Museum, me and my friend were the only visitors, but we had so much fun that I would gladly visit again. Besides, with no crowd comes more fresh air, less noise, and a better view at the objects on display.
In fact, the best thing about being the only visitor is to have the guide or museum assistant at your service; the staff at small museums can be very enthusiastic and eager to share everything there is to know about the museum, its history or the exhibitions. Granted, I once met an overenthusiastic museum assistant who talked way too much but she also gave me a beautiful greeting card for free so there is a flip side to everything. Sometimes even the owner of a collection or the descendant of an artist works in the museum and you can casually talk to them, which is not something that happens often in popular museums.
Tickets
I have recently discovered that while some museums give discounts to students, others offer discounts only for those between the age 6 and 26. If you are a student older than 26, make sure you always check the criteria to avoid surprises. In addition, some museums guarantee free admission for those under 26 on certain days, for example on every last Saturday of a month. Always check these special offers on the internet before you leave home, as the staff in the museum might forget to inform you about them.
Museum Shops
If there is a museum shop, however small it is, one cannot leave without purchasing a reminder of their visit. As a rule, I always buy a greeting card in every museum, and I use the tickets as bookmarks. Throughout the years I have collected so many, that I am thinking about creating a montage of them to put in a frame; it is a nice memento and more personal than any painting or photo bought in a shop.
Warning: Beware the occasional elderly museum shop assistant who can be particularly eager to sell you a book you do not really need.
Couples
I can be a very tolerant person but there is one thing I cannot stand when it comes to my museum visits and I am sure that many others agree: couples making out at exhibitions. In theory it is indeed romantic to go to a museum with our special someone. However, a lot of people find it irritating when they try to look at a beautiful piece of art but a passionately kissing couple inside their field of vision spoils the experience. I am all for young love but I have been to exhibitions with boyfriends and it is actually possible to focus on the art. Another argument for small museums: so far I have not met any annoying couples during my visits, unlike in crowded museums.
Museum Café
If there is a Café in the museum, sit down and drink an espresso or latte with your friends before/after the exhibition. A nice cup of coffee is part of the fun! We are no longer in elementary school; we go to museums because we are interested, and we want to enjoy it, so let us make the best of the experience.
Small Museums
Why do people miss out on the small, fun museums of Budapest?
Lack of Promotion - Either we are tourists or native Hungarians, advertisements and wallpapers of big exhibitions are practically shoved in our faces. On the other hand, people have no idea that certain museums exist unless they are hardcore museum fetishists, or they accidentally read/hear about them somewhere. This is the reason why Project culTOUR came to being - to provide information for adventurous foreigners ready to explore every museum in Budapest.
Distance - Sad but true, people can be lazy. The big elite museums are mostly located in the city center, while the lesser known museums are usually further away from downtown. One of the best museum experiences I have had was The Hungarian Railway Museum, which was quite difficult to get to, but once I was there and I could hop on the Orient Express, then sit on an authentic steam-hauled train I did not want to leave at all. Accept the challenge of finding those hidden, little museums - one can always count on Google maps and if there is no wifi available, an old school map will not disappoint either.
Empty Museums - One might get the impression that if a museum is not crowded, it cannot be good. This is just silly. In the Telephone Museum, me and my friend were the only visitors, but we had so much fun that I would gladly visit again. Besides, with no crowd comes more fresh air, less noise, and a better view at the objects on display.
In fact, the best thing about being the only visitor is to have the guide or museum assistant at your service; the staff at small museums can be very enthusiastic and eager to share everything there is to know about the museum, its history or the exhibitions. Granted, I once met an overenthusiastic museum assistant who talked way too much but she also gave me a beautiful greeting card for free so there is a flip side to everything. Sometimes even the owner of a collection or the descendant of an artist works in the museum and you can casually talk to them, which is not something that happens often in popular museums.
Tickets
I have recently discovered that while some museums give discounts to students, others offer discounts only for those between the age 6 and 26. If you are a student older than 26, make sure you always check the criteria to avoid surprises. In addition, some museums guarantee free admission for those under 26 on certain days, for example on every last Saturday of a month. Always check these special offers on the internet before you leave home, as the staff in the museum might forget to inform you about them.
Museum Shops
If there is a museum shop, however small it is, one cannot leave without purchasing a reminder of their visit. As a rule, I always buy a greeting card in every museum, and I use the tickets as bookmarks. Throughout the years I have collected so many, that I am thinking about creating a montage of them to put in a frame; it is a nice memento and more personal than any painting or photo bought in a shop.
Warning: Beware the occasional elderly museum shop assistant who can be particularly eager to sell you a book you do not really need.
Couples
I can be a very tolerant person but there is one thing I cannot stand when it comes to my museum visits and I am sure that many others agree: couples making out at exhibitions. In theory it is indeed romantic to go to a museum with our special someone. However, a lot of people find it irritating when they try to look at a beautiful piece of art but a passionately kissing couple inside their field of vision spoils the experience. I am all for young love but I have been to exhibitions with boyfriends and it is actually possible to focus on the art. Another argument for small museums: so far I have not met any annoying couples during my visits, unlike in crowded museums.
Museum Café
If there is a Café in the museum, sit down and drink an espresso or latte with your friends before/after the exhibition. A nice cup of coffee is part of the fun! We are no longer in elementary school; we go to museums because we are interested, and we want to enjoy it, so let us make the best of the experience.
If there is an interactive part of the exhibition, one should never leave without trying it. These opportunities are not to be missed; they are for entertainment, to make the visit memorable and a better experience. Do not think it is silly to dress up in kimonos or make phone calls to each other with 100 years old telephones; these are the things one remembers 20 years later, not the dates and names written on the information boards.
Last but not least, do not take it personally if the coat checkroom attendants happen to be grumpy when you visit; keep smiling and carry on, they are probably having a bad day.
I will be back with a review on the Gizi Bajor Theatre Museum next Sunday, stay tuned!
