Memento Park - Statues from the Communist Dictatorship

Today, I had the pleasure of visiting this hidden gem just an hour from Budapest city center. The journey was straightforward, especially by public transport, and the experience was well worth the trip. As you arrive, you’re welcomed by imposing statues of Lenin, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels at the entrance, immediately setting the stage for the park’s distinctly Soviet atmosphere. Tickets can be purchased on-site, along with a detailed guidebook explaining the significance of the statues. Additionally, there’s a selection of Soviet-style memorabilia for sale, including a humorous parody of a Soviet passport, which I found particularly entertaining. For those seeking a deeper understanding, guided tours are available, though they need to be arranged in advance. The statues themselves are striking and serve as powerful historical reminders. Near the ticket office, there’s a vintage Trabant car where visitors can hop inside and take photos—a playful nod to the era. Close to the entrance, you’ll also find a small barrack featuring an exhibition about Hungary’s communist government, which ruled until the transition to democracy in 1989. The exhibition includes a fascinating documentary said to contain footage used in espionage training for new recruits. I found it to be an especially intriguing and thought-provoking part of the visit.

Bruh! This place is epic! So many authentic Soviet monuments collected in one area instead of being destroyed. There are also vintage pins and medals to purchase at the ticket office. The museum gives you great context to what you are viewing.

Highly highly recommend the park and the guided tour and take some pocket money for the fab postcards and CCCP related memorabilia / I took the bus (101e) from the bus station in Budapest which was cheap and quick - spent about 2 hours at the park and the tour was worth every penny ! Note do not happen every day so check and book in advance

According to our guide, the park is not funded by the government and relies on tickets sale to keep running, which is a pity considering the historical value of it. In the premises you can find statues from the soviet era and understand more about how society and the regime worked back in the day. Also, taking the tour is highly advisable since the meaning behind the statues are very subtle to the untrained eye. There is also a gift shop with authentic communist era trinkets you can bring home such as mugs, pins and posters. It’s absolutely worth a visit if you’re ever in the city.

Fantastic place, so great that Hungary has saved a important part of their history. Be sure to buy the booklet at the register, it tells you a lot about each sculpture, without it you do not have much information. The museum is easy to get too by public transport. Highly recommended

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.

Really interesting visit, and a nice excuse to get out of the city centre. The person selling tickets was lovely and informative, and the exhibition and cinema was super useful to learn some more context about the statues and hungarian history. Very easy to get to on the metro line 4, and then a regular bus.

A unique and interesting park, well worth a visit if you have the time/have exhausted the typical tourist attractions in Budapest. It is around 45-60 minutes from the city centre depending on where you are coming from, but certainly worth doing if into your modern history! Several statues to look at and informative guidebook or tour guides available. Also featured a small exhibition room that is also worth a look.

Today, I had the pleasure of visiting this hidden gem just an hour from Budapest city center. The journey was straightforward, especially by public transport, and the experience was well worth the trip. As you arrive, you’re welcomed by imposing statues of Lenin, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels at the entrance, immediately setting the stage for the park’s distinctly Soviet atmosphere. Tickets can be purchased on-site, along with a detailed guidebook explaining the significance of the statues. Additionally, there’s a selection of Soviet-style memorabilia for sale, including a humorous parody of a Soviet passport, which I found particularly entertaining. For those seeking a deeper understanding, guided tours are available, though they need to be arranged in advance. The statues themselves are striking and serve as powerful historical reminders. Near the ticket office, there’s a vintage Trabant car where visitors can hop inside and take photos—a playful nod to the era. Close to the entrance, you’ll also find a small barrack featuring an exhibition about Hungary’s communist government, which ruled until the transition to democracy in 1989. The exhibition includes a fascinating documentary said to contain footage used in espionage training for new recruits. I found it to be an especially intriguing and thought-provoking part of the visit.

Bruh! This place is epic! So many authentic Soviet monuments collected in one area instead of being destroyed. There are also vintage pins and medals to purchase at the ticket office. The museum gives you great context to what you are viewing.

Highly highly recommend the park and the guided tour and take some pocket money for the fab postcards and CCCP related memorabilia / I took the bus (101e) from the bus station in Budapest which was cheap and quick - spent about 2 hours at the park and the tour was worth every penny ! Note do not happen every day so check and book in advance

According to our guide, the park is not funded by the government and relies on tickets sale to keep running, which is a pity considering the historical value of it. In the premises you can find statues from the soviet era and understand more about how society and the regime worked back in the day. Also, taking the tour is highly advisable since the meaning behind the statues are very subtle to the untrained eye. There is also a gift shop with authentic communist era trinkets you can bring home such as mugs, pins and posters. It’s absolutely worth a visit if you’re ever in the city.

Fantastic place, so great that Hungary has saved a important part of their history. Be sure to buy the booklet at the register, it tells you a lot about each sculpture, without it you do not have much information. The museum is easy to get too by public transport. Highly recommended

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.

Really interesting visit, and a nice excuse to get out of the city centre. The person selling tickets was lovely and informative, and the exhibition and cinema was super useful to learn some more context about the statues and hungarian history. Very easy to get to on the metro line 4, and then a regular bus.

A unique and interesting park, well worth a visit if you have the time/have exhausted the typical tourist attractions in Budapest. It is around 45-60 minutes from the city centre depending on where you are coming from, but certainly worth doing if into your modern history! Several statues to look at and informative guidebook or tour guides available. Also featured a small exhibition room that is also worth a look.