The Hungarian Railway History Park in Budapest offers a glimpse into Hungary’s rich history of rail transport and manufacturing. Despite being often translated as Hungarian Railway Museum, the Vasúttörténeti Park, its name in Hungarian, is more than just a museum. The Hungarian Railway History Park is Europe’s largest open-air railway entertainment park. Aside from the impressive collection of historic locomotives, carriages, model railways, and more, you can board and ride some vintage trains and a miniature railway.
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What’s On at the Hungarian Railway History Park in Budapest
Let’s start with the name. The proper translation of Vasúttörténeti Park isn’t Hungarian Railway Museum like there is on the official website. It means Railway History Park, and it’s somewhere in between a museum and an amusement park.
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The Hungarian Railway History Park in Budapest spans an area of 70,000 square meters and showcases over 100 rare railway vehicles, including many Soviet-made locomotives. Additionally, the park hosts a calendar full of events, some of which offer free entry.
Below I will share some of the attractions that will strike your imagination. This is not your typical railway museum that you might encounter in Western Europe. It is large and features steam locomotives adorned with red stars, evoking the iconography of Soviet factories.
Soviet Steam Engines
The museum features a fleet of locomotives from the Hungarian State Railways, which includes a variety of steam and electric engines, some of which are still operational. Most locomotives are displayed on an outdoor turntable, creating an incredible sight.
These enormous, powerful Soviet locomotives are unlike anything I have seen before. In the museum, you’ll see many different models. Like the aeroplanes exhibited at Aeropark Budapest, the Hungarian trains also possess unique characteristics that are representative of the Soviet bloc.
Here, you can see the production of the factories of the former USSR in all their grandeur. I’m not that nerdy to know all the names of the engines but even if you’re not a train enthusiast you’ll have a lot of fun getting on and off all the locomotives on display. It’s pretty easy imagining yourself shovelling coal from the tender to make them go faster, like the Stakhanovite workers peddled by communist propaganda!
Turntable
As I mentioned, the oldest steam locomotives are displayed outside on a turntable originally used to move them from one track to another and reverse them. Seeing a railway turntable is truly unique because there are just a few transport museums in Europe where you can find one.
Museum
To learn how Hungary was one of the largest producers of locomotives in the last century, you should visit the indoor museum in the railway workshops of the Hungarian Railway Museum in Budapest.
There, you can learn about the locomotives used in Hungary between the 19th and 20th centuries. I discovered that their designs varied depending on the terrain, whether hilly or flat, and their intended purpose, whether for hauling freight or transporting passengers.
Inside the museum, I learned that the most famous Hungarian steam engine was the No. 1 Locomotive. As the name suggests, it was the first steam engine to operate in Hungary and shaped the early days of rail travel.
Another iconic Hungarian steam locomotive was the MÁV Class 424, known for its powerful performance and distinctive design. Also, Hungary produced 424 locomotives as war reparations for the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and even North Korea as war aid!
In modern times, Hungary has also played a role in manufacturing diesel and electric trains. The MÁV Class M61, for example, was a notable diesel-electric locomotive used extensively during the mid-20th century.
Lastly, the museum features a model railway and many tools and gears to manage rail traffic. You’ll learn a lot about rail transport and the history of Hungarian railways by exploring this area of the Hungarian Railway Museum!
What You Can Board at the Hungarian Railway History Park in Budapest
The Hungarian Railway History Park in Budapest is Europe’s largest open-air railway entertainment park. Here, you can board vintage trains and ride on a miniature railway, making it a true paradise for kids. Occasionally, there are rides on diesel and steam locomotives, as well as on handcars and a unique rail car used by higher-ranking railway managers to supervise the tracks!
Miniature Railway
The Hungarian Railway History Park miniature railway, known as the Garden Railway, has operated since August 2006 and features a track length of 870 meters. My son absolutely loved it!
The miniature railway ride is probably one of the most fun activities for train enthusiasts of all ages. Along the route, you will find miniature stations and overpasses. Don’t be misled into thinking it’s just for kids; adults seem to have just as much, if not more, fun than the children!
Rail Car
At the Hungarian Railway History Park in Budapest, you can ride on an authentic railcar. I had never seen a railcar before! This is a Csajka, a Soviet-made luxury passenger car modified by the MÁV Construction Equipment Repair Plant in 1973 to operate on railway tracks.
The original purpose of the railcar was to transport specialised personnel responsible for track supervision in the area of the Budapest Railway Directorate. Senior MÁV managers used the vehicle for track supervision until it was decommissioned in 1991. In 2000, MÁVGÉP Ltd. restored it to an operational condition.
Diesel and Steam Locomotives
At the Railway History Park in Budapest, you can ride in the driver’s seat of old diesel or steam locomotives on special event days. After the 800-meter journey, you will receive an “Honorary Locomotive Driver” certificate.
Unfortunately, we didn’t realise that we could actually drive the locomotive. It appeared to be just a ride on a historic train, and during our visit, the staff inside the park didn’t speak English well enough to explain how the rides worked.
We had a lot of fun anyway, but we won’t miss these opportunities next time. Hopefully, I’ll speak enough Hungarian to understand what’s included in the entrance and what’s not!
Handcars
In addition to the open-air exhibition of historical hand-powered vehicles in the park, you can try out them. Some handcars and a newly refurbished track inspection car, powered by an original Pannónia motorcycle engine are available for a ride on the tracks.
Practical Information for Visiting the Hungarian Railway History Park in Budapest
Most of the Hungarian Railway Museum is outdoors, making it an amazing venue to visit on sunny days. The location is perfect for a day out, and I recommend spending the entire day there.
For lunch, you can bring your own food and eat in the picnic area. Alternatively, a small restaurant offers traditional Hungarian food, such as fried cheese. We learned the hard way that “rántott” means “deep fried” and not “fried eggs,” which are “rántotta”. However, the food was great, and we can’t complain!
This is not a typical tourist destination. Most visitors to the Hungarian Railway History Park are Hungarian families from the surrounding areas. For this reason, the staff may have difficulty communicating in languages other than Hungarian. Even though I know a little Hungarian, I wasn’t sure about the ticket I bought or the food I ordered.
Hungarians are typically very friendly and helpful, and despite the language barrier, we had a great time. Fun fact, in the museum, we met a really nice Hungarian guy who spoke quite good Italian because he had spent some time working there. He explained to us how most of the rides worked so it’s thanks to him that I was able to add all these explanations in this article!
Opening Hours
The Hungarian Railway History Park in Budapest is usually open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. However, it closes for winter break from December to March, so always check the website before going there.
Admission Fee
Tickets to the Hungarian Railway History Park in Budapest cost 3,000 HUF for adults. Children and teens aged 3 to 18 pay 1,400 HUF, while children under 3 can enter for free.
Discounts are available for pensioners, and there is a family ticket option for 2 adults and 2 children. Throughout the year, the park hosts numerous events that may have free entrance.
Some specific activities, like the train rides, need an extra ticket from 300 HUF to 2.000 HUF per person, which you have to purchase in advance at the ticket counter or through the automatic machines within the museum.
Activities that typically require extra tickets include:
- Ride on the garden railway
- Ride on diesel locomotives (both small and large)
- Ride on a steam locomotive
- Rides on handcars (manual and motorised)
- Ride on the horse tram
- Railcar ride
Many of these rides operate only occasionally or during special event days. For example, during our visit in August, coinciding with a national holiday event, almost all rides were functional. However, there was limited information available in English about the event specifics beforehand.
How to Buy Tickets for the Rides
To ride the attractions that require extra tickets, you must purchase these tickets at the ticket counter. Alternatively, there are automatic machines inside the Hungarian Railway Museum.
I faced some challenges while purchasing our tickets because the lady at the ticket counter couldn’t explain well enough in English which activities required an additional fee.
I eventually managed to buy tickets for the miniature railway my son wanted to ride, but speaking a bit of Hungarian and using Google Translate can definitely help. Just in case you need it, “kicsi vonat” means “small train” in Hungarian!
How to Reach the Hungarian Railway History Park
The Hungarian Railway History Park is located on the outskirts of Budapest. In theory, it’s easy to reach by public transport, but we had difficulties following Google Maps. It was a memorable experience to get lost along a cycle and pedestrian path, but if I had known the best route beforehand, I would have saved myself the long walk on foot!
How to Find the Right Address on Google Maps
Now, there is a bit of confusion when using Google Maps because there are two nearby locations with similar names: “Vasútmúzeum,” which translates to “Railway Museum,” and is actually a train station on the other side of the railway, and “Magyar Vasúttörténeti Park,” which means “Hungarian Railway Museum” and it’s located in an old train station.
This could lead to misunderstandings for tourists, as “Railway Museum” and “Hungarian Railway Museum” sound very similar. They are also quite close together. Unfortunately, there is a railway track without an overpass between the two locations, and choosing the wrong one on Google Maps could result in a long walk in the middle of nowhere.
To avoid this issue, type “Vasúttörténeti Park” into Google Maps in Hungarian to reach the correct destination. Additionally, to prevent confusion, always select the bus itinerary from the centre of Budapest rather than the train.
Which Bus Arrives In Front of the Museum
While there is no direct bus from the centre of Budapest, you will need to make a change. For the final stretch, keep in mind that the closest and safest stop to avoid ending up on the other side of the railway is the bus stop for lines 30/30A.
I hope these tips are helpful!
Hungarian Railway Museum (Vasúttörténeti Park)
Budapest, Tatai utca 95, 1142
Where to stay in Budapest
Budapest offers a wide range of beautiful hotels to choose from. Hampton By Hilton Budapest City Centre (here my review) is located in the heart of Budapest, just 600 metres from St. Stephen’s Basilica. They offer a delicious breakfast and have a restaurant and a bar on-site. For those looking for a hotel with unique and stunning decor, Stories Boutique Hotel is a 4-star property situated 500 meters away from the Hungarian State Opera. They have a restaurant on-site that serves à la carte, a continental or vegetarian breakfast. If you prefer an aparthotel, Zoya Luxury Residence is an excellent option with units with a coffee machine, a dishwasher, a microwave and parking space.
In summary, the Hungarian Railway History Park offers a fascinating glimpse into railway history with its impressive exhibits and activities. You’ll have a lot of fun whether you’re a rail enthusiast like us or a casual visitor. I hope that what we learned from our misadventure about reaching the destination and buying the rides tickets will help you have a smoother trip here! Feel free to share your impressions and experiences in the comment.
