Buda Castle St Stephen’s Hall Visitation Rules and Museum Etiquette

By visiting St Stephen’s Hall in the Buda Castle Royal Palace (entry through the Castle Museum), you accept the Visitation Rules and Museum Etiquette of the attraction. The following guidelines ensure that all visitors can enjoy the exhibition in a relaxed manner while preserving the valuable displays of the museum. We wish you a pleasant visitation.

Timed Entry in St Stephen’s Hall
The exhibition operates with designated time slots, allowing only a limited number of visitors at a time due to space constraints. This ensures a comfortable and enjoyable experience while maintaining the preservation of exhibits. Last entry is at approx. 17:00 (may change over time).

Ticket Purchase for St Stephen’s Hall
Visitors can purchase entry tickets online for a preferred time slot or on-site (if tickets are left) at the exhibition ticket counter. Most tours – especially after 10 am – are fully booked, so be aware please that tickets are subject to availability.

Guided Tours in St Stephen’s Hall
The tour begins with a language selection for the guided experience. The 45-minute tour is enhanced by digital tools, creating an immersive and memorable visit. Major languages are available via the tablet guided audio-visual tours: EN, DE, FR, ES, IT, PL, RU, etc.

Entry Guidelines – Buda Castle St. Stephen’s Hall

• Pre-booked tickets are required for visiting the exhibition as the visitation is time stamped and requires the booking for visitation slots before entering St Stephen’s Hall (tickets can be purchased on site, subject to availability).
• Arrival Time: Visitors are requested to arrive 15 minutes before the reserved time.
• Late arrivals cannot be accommodated.
• There is no ID check unless required to prove your entitlement to the pre-booked ticket.
• Dress Code: While there are no specific dress codes (unlike in Matthias Church, or in the St Stephen’s Basilica), visitors are kindly asked to wear decent regular dress for the exhibition.

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Exhibition Area Conduct – Buda Castle St. Stephen’s Hall

• No touching artwork or exhibits.
• Distance from Exhibits: Please maintain a minimum distance of 30 cm from the exhibits.
• Restricted Areas: Sitting on window sills within the exhibition area is prohibited. Please use only  designated seating areas inside the Castle.
• Object Protection: For the preservation of exhibits, touching artworks is strictly forbidden.
• Please stay behind exhibit barriers if present.
• Please be respectful at all times with other visitors and with the staff.
• Please cooperate with museum staff or security at all times.
• No shouting, running, or disruptive activities.

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Cloakroom & Prohibited Items – Buda Castle St. Stephen’s Hall

• Mandatory Cloakroom Use: For security reasons, you are kindly asked to use of the cloakroom, which is a pre-requirement of the visitation. Lockers operate with 100 HUF / €1 € / £1 coins, and are refundable after use.
• Items to Leave in Lockers: Bags larger than 30x40x20 cm, backpacks, umbrellas, wet coats, food, drinks, sharp objects or other potentially damaging items such as markers, sports gear and children’s toys must be left in the cloakroom. This also means that luggage, e.g. cabin size suitcase is well over the maximum allowed size and is unlikely to fit into the locker, unfortunately. There is no need to bring a lock for the locker. It opens and closes with the coin.
• Prohibited Items: Bicycles, scooters, roller skates, other wheeled items (except buggies and wheelchairs), and  are not allowed on the premises.
• Pets (except guide dogs) are not allowed on the premises.

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Photography & Mobile Phone Use – Buda Castle St. Stephen’s Hall

• Photography Rules: Non-flash photography is allowed.
• Selfie sticks, tripods, stabilisers, and other  professional equipment are not permitted to avoid accidents.
• Mobile Phones: Please silence phones and avoid loud conversations while inside the exhibition area to ensure an overall calm area.
• Filming allowed with prior permission only.
• No commercial use of photos/videos unless permitted by the Museum management

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Visiting with Young Children – Buda Castle St. Stephen’s Hall

• Child Safety: Children under 2 years old must be in a stroller or carried in a front-facing baby carrier. Unfortunately, Back carriers and carrying children in arms are not allowed for security reasons. Strollers must remain open and cannot be carried folded.
• Items to Leave in Lockers: children’s toys must be left in the cloakroom.
• No food or beverages are allowed in the exhibition halls of the museum, which includes baby formulas and kids’ snacks. Kindly use the Cafe in the Buda Castle Museum downstairs by the entrance gate to consume foods and drinks.

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Prohibited Conduct & Assistance – Buda Castle St. Stephen’s Hall

• Smoking Ban: Smoking and e-cigarette use are prohibited. Smoking is only allowed in designated outdoor areas. If in doubt, kindly consult with the museum staff.
• Lost & Found: Kindly report lost items to museum staff immediately.
• If you are trying to recover a lost item, please contact the staff at the ticket information desk.

Policy Updates
The museum reserves the right to modify the Visitation Guideline, rules and policies without prior notice to ensure the best possible visitor experience and the safety of the exhibits in St Stephen’s Hall, Buda Castle.

By purchasing the ticket to the museum you accept to follow the Rules of St Stephen’s Hall, Buda Castle.  Wishing you a safe and enriching experience while exploring the cultural heritage of Buda Castle St. Stephen’s Hall Visitation Rules on Szent Istvan Terem official website.