National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall
About National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall
The National Museum of the Union has two buildings facing each other in the middle of the Alba Carolina Fortress. The main exhibition is in the Babylon building (Clădirea Babilon), a former residential block for the officers of the Austrian garrison, built between 1851 and 1853 in the Romantic style, with battlements and corner turrets; the museum moved here in 1967. Across the street stands the Union Hall (Sala Unirii), the former officers' casino built between 1898 and 1900, the only hall in town large enough for the 1,228 delegates who voted on 1 December 1918 for the union of Transylvania, the Banat, Crișana and Maramureș with Romania.
The museum was founded in 1887–1888 by a local history and archaeology society, with the archaeologist Adalbert Cserni as its first curator, and was named the Museum of the Union in 1929. Its collections hold around 200,000 items. The Union Hall was embellished in 1921–1922 for the coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie, with a vault, side niches and a portal shaped like a triumphal arch, and was restored between 2018 and 2019. The historic centre of the town, with the fortress, has been on the UNESCO Tentative List since 1991.
What you can see
In the Babylon building the exhibition follows the history of the area in chronological order: prehistoric tools and pottery, finds from the Dacian fortresses of Căpâlna, Cugir and Piatra Craivii, then the Roman section, with inscriptions, statues, coins and objects from the city of Apulum, and finally medieval pieces and documents from 1848 and the Memorandum era. From 23 October 2026 the exhibition "John Hunyadi and His Age" is added.
In the Union Hall, the text of the Resolution of Union is engraved on the walls of the central hall, and the lunettes at either end hold Pierre Bellet's 1922 paintings on canvas of Romanian princes and scholars, put back in place during the restoration. The 1918 exhibition shows the office of the lawyer Aurel Lazăr, where the declaration of self-determination of October 1918 was drafted, the delegates' credentials, flags, the volumes of the Union Documents and the camera of Samoilă Mârza, who took the only photographs of the assembly. The basement hosts temporary art exhibitions, and in front of the building runs an alley with busts of the leaders of the Union.
Good to know
The hall itself is free to enter; the exhibitions in the Union Hall and those in the Babylon building have separate tickets, and the combined ticket covers both. In January and February the museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Information verified on 21 October 2026.
- Pierre Bellet's paintings in the lunettes of the Union Hall, showing Romanian princes and scholars.
- The Latin inscription on the triumphal-arch portal of the Union Hall, recording the union of 1 December 1918.
- Samoilă Mârza's camera, used to take the only photographs of the 1918 assembly.
- The Roman inscriptions, statues and coins from Apulum, in the Babylon building.
- The alley with busts of the leaders of the Union in front of the Union Hall.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Alba Iulia is ~107 km from Cluj-Napoca (A3 and A10, ~1 hour 30 minutes), ~81 km from Deva (A1 and A10, ~1 hour) and ~72 km from Sibiu (DN1, ~1 hour 20 minutes). The museum is in the middle of the Alba Carolina Fortress, on Strada Mihai Viteazul, next to the equestrian statue of Michael the Brave.
Public transport: Alba Iulia railway station and bus station are ~2 km south of the fortress; the museum is ~25–30 minutes away on foot or a few stops on local buses towards the centre.
- Where to park
The museum has no car park of its own. Inside the fortress you can park for a fee on the streets around the Union Hall; larger car parks, also paid, are at the Fourth Gate and on Bulevardul Transilvaniei, below the walls, 5–10 minutes' walk away.
- Fees & discounts
Babylon building: adults 20 lei, students and seniors 10 lei, pupils 5 lei. Union Hall: entry to the hall is free; the permanent exhibition on 1918 and the temporary exhibitions in the building cost 15 lei (students and seniors 7 lei, pupils 3 lei). Combined ticket for the museum and the Union Hall: 25 lei (students and seniors 12 lei, pupils 6 lei); with Museikon added, 35 lei. Free for pre-school children, war veterans and people with disabilities. Tickets can also be bought online. Guided tour of the museum and the Union Hall: 100 lei.
- Rules
Photo and video shoots for advertising carry a separate fee (1,000 lei for 15 minutes). Food, drinks and pets are not allowed in the exhibition halls. For a sign-language interpreter, the visit must be announced 3 days in advance at [email protected].
- Facilities
free digital guide with audio tours in the Bloomberg Connects app · guided tours on request · sign-language interpreter on request · online tickets
Frequently asked questions about National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall
- How much is a ticket to National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall?
- A ticket to National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall costs 25 lei (combined, Babylon + Union Hall). Babylon building: adults 20 lei, students and seniors 10 lei, pupils 5 lei. Union Hall: entry to the hall is free; the permanent exhibition on 1918 and the temporary exhibitions in the building cost 15 lei (students and seniors 7 lei, pupils 3 lei). Combined ticket for the museum and the Union Hall: 25 lei (students and seniors 12 lei, pupils 6 lei); with Museikon added, 35 lei. Free for pre-school children, war veterans and people with disabilities. Tickets can also be bought online. Guided tour of the museum and the Union Hall: 100 lei.
- What are the opening hours of National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall?
- Opening hours at National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall: Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 10:00 – 18:00. May–August: Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–18:00, last entry at 17:30. March–April and September–December: Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–17:00, the ticket office closes at 16:30. January–February: Wednesday–Sunday 10:00–17:00. Closed on Mondays. The hours are the same for the Babylon building and the Union Hall; around 1 December the museum usually announces special opening hours.
- How long does a visit to National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall take?
- A visit to National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall takes about 1½ – 2 hours (estimate, both buildings).
- Can you visit National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall with kids?
- Yes, National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall is suitable for children (suitable for schoolchildren).
- Where can I park at National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall?
- There is paid parking at National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall (inside the fortress, paid). The museum has no car park of its own. Inside the fortress you can park for a fee on the streets around the Union Hall; larger car parks, also paid, are at the Fourth Gate and on Bulevardul Transilvaniei, below the walls, 5–10 minutes' walk away.
- How do I get to National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall?
- National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall is located at Strada Mihai Viteazul 12–14, inside the Alba Carolina Fortress, Alba Iulia, Alba County. By car: Alba Iulia is ~107 km from Cluj-Napoca (A3 and A10, ~1 hour 30 minutes), ~81 km from Deva (A1 and A10, ~1 hour) and ~72 km from Sibiu (DN1, ~1 hour 20 minutes). The museum is in the middle of the Alba Carolina Fortress, on Strada Mihai Viteazul, next to the equestrian statue of Michael the Brave. Public transport: Alba Iulia railway station and bus station are ~2 km south of the fortress; the museum is ~25–30 minutes away on foot or a few stops on local buses towards the centre.
- When is the best time to visit National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall?
- The best season for National Museum of the Union and the Union Hall: All year round (all year; closed on Mondays).
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