Aquincum Museum

Aquincum, whose ruins are now within Budapest’s borders, was a city located on the northeastern border of the Roman Empire and remained under Roman rule for nearly 400 years. With its strategic location, it was an important military base along the Pannonian Limes, a key part of the Roman Empire’s Danubian Limes. The ruins and historical artifacts uncovered by 19th-century excavations in the area are now exhibited in the Aquincum Museum and Archaeological Park. We visited the site just before the rain, on a day when the colors of nature caught my eye, and had a long, enjoyable walk. Like many archaeological sites, although there wasn’t enough information, the museum was a noteworthy place in terms of museology. The museum complex, which consists of various buildings at different points, was meticulously prepared. There is no such beautiful narration and museology at the Forum Romanum. One of the most notable things I seen in the museum was the display of a 19th-century Hungarian’s reinterpretation of the Tabula Peutingeriana, making it more comprehensible. The way the map was presented allowed for easy exploration, and we spent an enjoyable time examining it closely.

Definitely worth doing if you're a museum person who reads Hungarian or English. You can spend several hours here. The descriptive texts are very interesting, and the ruins themselves make a lot more sense if you slow down and match the rooms to their functions on the posted maps. Very well written and explained.

It is found away from central Budapest, on the Buda side, north from the Margaret island, accessible by bus and HEV (light railway). The museum was quiet but very informative, plenty to see inside the museum building as well as the ruins outside. Don't forget to admire the reconstructed Roman "water" organ... Bilingual labels, English and Hungarian are a great help. A visit is highly recommended to this hidden Roman age.

Aquincum Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the remains of a Roman city, once the capital of the province of Lower Pannonia. The site is well presented, with plenty of information to help visitors understand daily life. A notable recent addition is the reconstructed Mithraeum. The museum is easily accessible by HÉV and can be combined with a visit to Szentendre for a great day trip outside Budapest.

A well-organized museum showcasing the artifacts excavated from Aquincum as well as the history of the city. I enjoyed learning about the ancient Roman culture, such as the importance of bathhouses and the water organ, a musical instrument played with water. The vast majority of the displays are in both Hungarian and English, but the supplementary features of the museum, such as demonstrations and talks are in Hungarian only. I would highly recommend taking a walk around the actual ruins after the museum to experience what the city was like back in the day. There are smaller displays, such as one on Roman food, not attached to the main museum.

The ruins are absolutely stunning in the garden, there are so many interesting things (for example common baths, roman market, forum, houses etc.). The two exhibitions in the building are nice and interesting, but we did not find one of the exhibitions' entrance. We saw an elevetor, but didn't see the entrance (no board, no label, no text), instead there was a security guard/helper who was rude. The ticket officer and the other exhibition's helper were very kind and helpful.

I love learning about the Roman empire but I didn't love this place. Woman who we showed our online tickets to was rude. People working inside were fine but they follow your every move. I'm sure its because they don't have cameras and that's how they protect the exhibits but its pretty stressful to be watched so closely. There were a lot of info plaques and it seemed like they were getting ready to celebrate a festival that looked cool.... Maybe come for that or at least when its MORE crowded so you don't feel so watched. It was very easy to get to from the center of Budapest (1 metro and 1 bus - you'll need a separate ticket for each leg of your journey - 40min). If you are a Roman nerd you gotta see the capital of Pannonia Inferior! But if you are only a little interested in history skip it. I definitely wouldn't recommend it for young kids.

Not too far from the city centre by bus or by H5 line. In addition to the archaeological park, it has a little museum and an exhibition celebrating the 130 years of the beginning of archaeological activities in place. A tiny and interesting pavillon on mosaics and marbles.