Memento Park - Statues from the Communist Dictatorship
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We ABSOLUTELY loved this place. I think it's a MUST-SEE if you're living in, or visiting Budapest. First of all, it's really easy to get here from the city center by subway, getting off at Kelenföld and taking the 101E bus. Secondly, the setting is really nice, especially on a sunny day, because of the closeness to nature. Thirdly, the staff is very friendly and professional. They have a small cafe there where you can get some refreshments. They also sell A LOT of cool mementos, from funny fridge magnets, to dark postcards, official war clothing accessories and medals. We've bought many gifts for us and our families to remember this really interesting day. Now to the most important part of the review: the actual park visit. The park is split into 3 parts: the statues area (called "A sentence about tyranny"), the barracks expo (called "Neverwqs Square") and the secret gallery behind Stalin's boots. The expo hall and the gallery can be visited without a ticket. The statues area takes up most of the park. It houses statues from Hungary's soviet and communist past. It's located outside and starts with a huge gate flanked by 2 big statues of Lenin and of Marx and Engels. Right out of the gate you see a funny well taken care of Trabant automobile. The car is clean and you can get inside it and take cool pictures. Next to it you can find the cafe and the ticket office where you can also buy mementos. After that the park is organised into oval small spaces that have statues on their sides. The 42 statues all have small explanations underneath or close by. Make sure to check them out because they give another insight into Hungary's past. The statues were all removed from the city after communism fell and placed here as statements about dictatorship and democracy. In the background you can see huge statues, like the Liberation Army soldier bronze statue taken from the Liberation Monument that sits on top of Saint Gellért Hill, the stone Martyrs Monument and the bronze Republic of Councils Monument. Make sure to check them out because they show glimpses of the country's dark past. After you're done with the Statues Park area go to the barracks and check out the expo there. On the right side, as you enter, there's a small cinema that features a really interesting documentary regarding the secret Hungarian police and their way of recruiting assets, stalking people of interest, planting bugs etc. In the same building you can also find information and documents about the park's history and how it started, and a quick summary about Hungary's communist past. Lastly, there's a secret gallery behind the replica statue of Stalin's boots. In the underground you can see some more statues and you can also go on top of the monument and take some cool pictures. Overall this is a really interesting and educational visit that I would recommend for all people, even those that aren't interested in history. You'll have a wonderful day and maybe you'll also learn something.
thvs86thvs86
20
During our recent trip to Budapest, we decided to venture beyond the city limits to explore Memento Park, a treasure trove of monuments from Hungary's communist era. And let me tell you, it was an experience like no other. Situated just outside the city, Memento Park boasts an impressive collection of relics that offer a glimpse into Hungary's complex history. But what truly elevated our visit was the decision to join a guided tour. We were fortunate to have Esther as our guide, and her insights transformed our visit into an unforgettable journey. Over the course of two enlightening hours, Esther not only shed light on the symbolism behind each monument but also delved into the subtle subtexts and hidden messages embedded within them. It was fascinating to learn how the artists ingeniously conveyed deeper meanings, often reflecting the tumultuous post-war period and the evolving sociopolitical landscape. But perhaps the most profound takeaway from our time with Esther was the realization of the park's significance in the context of democracy. As she eloquently pointed out, Memento Park stands as a testament to the fragility of democracy and the dangers of authoritarianism. It serves as a poignant reminder of the past while advocating for a future rooted in freedom and democracy. Sure, getting to Memento Park requires a short bus ride, but trust me when I say it's worth every minute of the journey. The experience of exploring this open-air museum with a knowledgeable guide like Esther adds a layer of depth and understanding that simply can't be replicated. So if you find yourself in Budapest, do yourself a favor and make the trip to Memento Park—you won't regret it. Memento Park Budapest offers not just a glimpse into Hungary's communist past, but also serves as a powerful testament to the importance of preserving democracy. With its thought-provoking monuments and insightful guides, it's an experience that's as educational as it is eye-opening.
Frank WestpfahlFrank Westpfahl
50
I was at the Memento Park in Budapest. All in all it was disappointing and too expensive for what we saw and discovered. First of all the park is really far from the city center - we needed between 45 min. to 1h from the center of beautiful Budapest. The park is located in a more rural area of the capital city. I mean if the park would be really nice I woudn´t mind about to drive that long way. Positiv was that you can take the BKK buses to the park. But leaving the park we had to wait al lot for the bus which is not common in Budapest. Now let me start with the experience we made at memento park: The park was too expensive for what we saw. We paid 1800 HUF per person without a guided tour. There where about 41-42 status of the former communism area in Hungary - meanly in Budapest. The park side itself was not that big, so I was frusted to even paid only 1 HUF for that experience. But I gave it a chance.... The park was not in a good condition it looked like a forgotten building place and was really dry and not really like somebody cared about it. The statures were at the same bad condition. There were some good statures of Lenin and Marx/Engels on the entrance but inside the park there were a lot of statures which we didn´t now about it because they were special Hungarian or Bulgarian communism politicians. The statures had a small writing about who they are but there was not any explication or history to know about them - I guess that's why you need to book the guided tour (which was higher in price and I don't know if the tour is also in English). The only thing I saw which they care about is the red star which was made of some beautiful flowers. Everything else was wild and dry. We also gave the exhibition and the bunker a try - The bunker was nothing spectacular there were a lot of paintings of a Russian painter of the communism area but I didn't got the meaning of the pictures. Also the signs unter the pictures were to small that I couldn't read them in the dark (there was no light). The exhibition was Ok - they had only framed posters at the exhibition which told the story of Hungary at the soviet area. In the back corner they told about the story of the Park but I couldn't understand it because it was mainly on hungarian and I was so disappointed that I refused to try to read about it. Even the Stalin boots stature was just a 1:1 replica - I thought that this was the original - but this was my fault because they wrote about it on their website. Only positive thing was that the toilets were new. I wouldn't recommend a trip to the Memento Park in Budapest - it was a waste of time and money. As an English speaker I didn't learned anything about the statures (with which they promote themselves) - maybe hungarian speakers do like the park more. I also had read the other comments on this park: The private company which operates this park always justify itself with the problem of financing. I can understand that it is hard to finance such a project only by fees and merchandise but that don't justify the condition which you offer your visitors of the park just because you don´t get any subvention from the state. It's been 30 years since this park opened - I think this is a long time to do things better or to listen to the criticism of your visitors. I also looked up on their website about the conditions of the park: On the ticket buying side of their homepage they tell about the financial problems but not about the bad condition of the park. So this argument doesn't count for me. I feel like I was betrayed because you promise people things that aren't real. All in all it looked like a private collection of statures of somebody without any chronology of time or meaning. Save your time and money - This was the worst sightseeing trip I ever made.
Nur SahNur Sah
00
I cannot begin to tell how disappointed I am. Firstly, this place should be definitely free. This place is in such a bad condition it doesn’t cost a cent. It costs 3.000f for regular ticket and 1.800f for students. Nevertheless, the quality of the service they provide is incredibly bad. Park is not taken care of - all roads are covered in gravel and uncomfortable, tiles are rarely seen and sometimes simply end in the middle of the road, lawns seem to be never cut, brick pedestals are all falling apart. The styled telephone booth was broken and instead or repairing they decided to close it with the construction tape. I wonder where does all the revenue from the pricy tickets goes to, but absolutely not to the needs of the visitors and park itself. Even as a natural park this place is bad, since it has no trees or flowers. Secondly, the vast territory of the memorial only includes about five interesting statues. Others either are either memorial signs or dull and uninteresting. Thirdly, there is no information stands, very limited information on the statues themselves. The main attraction - giant black boots left from precisely a full statue, are incredibly high on the pedestal and cannot be seen fully from any distance! The museum was small and only included one worth mentioning showpiece - the same big boots but in the white color. The floor of the building was unstable and the it’s construction was probably done in a hurry. The screened movie inside was not intriguing either. Overall, do not suggest this place. Expected much more. It could be an incredible experience with the amazing concept of preserving the history telling us the stories of the repressive communist past though statues. Nevertheless, what we get is a capitalist desire of people to easily take our money without providing any comprehensive, or even minimal, service.
Makar UlitinMakar Ulitin
150
A place which to some will be a source of nostalgia for the forgotten glory days of proletarian heroism, to others of fits of laughter, and to others still a feeling of anger and frustration towards the period. ⭐️ Feel the imposing (and imposed) splendor that your (grand)parents were subjected to right before walking into a grocery shop empty of basic goods. ⭐️ Feel the inspiration (that some felt) to follow the dream and create a socialist paradise. ⭐️ Feel the judging eye of Lenin as you photograph him with your capitalist phone created by taking the means of production form the masses. Feel it all and be happy statues like this are now just a dark memory in a remote park of curiosities. Don't miss the exhibition in the house in front of the park and the extra collection of statues in the bunker under Stalin's shoes. 🤔 The total collection strikes me as a bit small, in comparison to what I think must ave been around the city/country "back in the day". I suspect there must be more statues somewhere; who knows maybe some people just put them in their gardens to barbecuing under a watchful eye of the heroes of the working class. The gentleman selling tickets is very kind, deserves his own 5 stars. He patiently encourages everyone to buy an explanation booklet (which in retrospect I think would have been very helpful to get more context about the statues). I had a huge coughing fit while visiting the place, and he brought me a glass of water. ℹ️ There is a toilet, little cafe, and a shop with a lot of Soviet memorabilia including original pins, postcards, some collectors items and other stuff—basically what I'd find in my grandma's closet.
Marta KrzeminskaMarta Krzeminska
180
Memento Park is an open-air museum dedicated to monumental statues and sculpted plaques from Hungary's Communist period (1949–1989). There are statues of Lenin, Marx, and Engels, as well as several Hungarian Communist leaders. A quote by the architect on the project: "This park is about dictatorship. And at the same time, because it can be talked about, described, built, this park is about democracy. After all, only democracy is able to give us the opportunity to let us think freely about dictatorship. Memento Park is divided into two sections, Statue Park, officially named "A Sentence About Tyranny" Park after a poem of the same name by Gyula Illyés, and laid out as six oval sections; and Witness Square (also called Neverwas Square), which lies east of the main park entrance and is visible without payment. Statue Park houses 42 of the statues and monuments that were removed from Budapest after the fall of communism. Witness Square holds a replica of Stalin's Boots which became a symbol of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, after the statue of Stalin was pulled down from its pedestal, and is flanked by two single storey timber structures housing the internal exhibition space, their design being evocative of simple internment camp buildings, and also the Bunker, which is free of charge. Worth a visit if you have a day free, Budapest card got us here and back no problem.
Pete / HelPete / Hel
00
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Address
Budapest, Balatoni út - Szabadkai utca sarok, 1222 Hungary
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+36 30 500 0925
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Website
mementopark.hu
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Description
Memento Park is an open-air museum in Budapest, Hungary, dedicated to monumental statues and sculpted plaques from Hungary's Communist period. There are statues of Lenin, Marx, and Engels, as well as several Hungarian Communist leaders.
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