House of Terror

The museum opened in 2002 in a building on Andrassy Avenue that had served in turn as the headquarters of two twentieth-century state security organisations. The exhibition runs across three floors and the basement, using film, sound and archive documents rather than object cases, and the route is designed as a descent: the upper floors carry the historical material, the basement preserves the holding cells as they were found. The design, by Attila F. Kovacs, is deliberately theatrical, with a black exterior frame that casts the building's name onto the facade in sunlight.

What you actually see

• The three floors of exhibition - film, sound and documents rather than display cases.
• The basement - the preserved cells of the building's former use.
• The central hall - the courtyard installation and the wall of portraits.
• The exterior frame - the black steel canopy that shadows the facade.

When to go

Year-round; it is entirely indoors. The audio guide is close to essential because much of the labelling is Hungarian only. Two hours is the usual visit. Weekday mornings are quietest; queues form at weekends because the lift to the basement takes small groups.

Honest expectations

The presentation is heavily staged, with loud sound design and dim lighting, and how much history you take away depends on how much you already know - the printed sheets in each room are the substance. Its interpretation has been debated by historians since it opened, which is worth knowing before you treat it as the whole story. It is not suitable for children, and the basement is unpleasant for anyone claustrophobic.

Nearby

The opera house is down the same avenue; Heroes' Square is at the far end of it.