The Autumn Night of Museums 2009

For the past seven years on the 21st of June, the date of the summer solstice also known as Midsummer Night, Budapest museums have kept their gates open after the usual closing time, inviting everyone to visit exhibitions, take part at programs, listen to lectures and participate in discussions about art - to have fun in an unusual environment at an unusual hour.

Year after year the special night has attracted more and more interest from the general public, and the atmosphere has always been great, so encouraged by the huge success that has exceeded all expectations, the Hungarian Ministry of Education and Culture has decided to offer to all lovers of art a smilar opportunity in autumn as well: for the very first time in 2009 a sister event will take place in celebration of Saint Martin's Day.
On Saturday the 14th of November, which is also the closing weekend of the Autumn Festival of Museums, several dozen famous as well as small museums will allow those who purchase just one ticket to enter exhibitions in all the museums they can manage between 6 PM and midnight.
Preparing to establish a new tradition, 30 museums and cultural institutions in Budapest and a total of 47 in towns all around the country will stay open and will put on a variety of cultural programs, with sights and sounds never seen or heard in at other times of the year. Their goal is to entertain adults, children and young people within the walls of old historic buildings, in an attractive and elegant setting, making sure they receive valuable impressions that will hopefully convince them to become regular museum visitors.

Starting this year former stickers serving as admission tickets are replaced by armbands, that are already available and can be bought at all participating in the program, as well as at the ticket offices of the Budapest public transport company. These armbands will allow their holders to use all regular BKV services during the time of the event, but just like always special museum buses will run between venues as well on four different routes, all departing from and arriving back to Deák Square (Deák tér).
A mobile map and program guide will be available to cellphone users during the event: a small application will allow them to connect easier to an online booklet and search for the nearest museums and their offers based on their own location - but those who would like to prepare in advance can already find out lots of useful information on the event's website.