About Székely National Museum
At a glance: Museums and memorial houses in Sfântu Gheorghe, Covasna County. Opening hours: Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 17:00. Ticket: 25 lei. The visit takes 1 – 1½ hours. Information verified on 10 October 2026.
The Székely National Museum (Muzeul Național Secuiesc in Romanian, Székely Nemzeti Múzeum in Hungarian) is the oldest museum institution in Székely Land. Its collection began in 1875, in the manor house at Imeni, where Emília Zathureczky, the widow of János Cserey, opened her gathering of objects to the public. In 1879 it moved to Sfântu Gheorghe as the property of the Székely community, and today it is a regional museum run by Covasna County Council.
The seat on Kós Károly Street was built in 1911–1912 to plans by the architect Kós Károly: white walls, tiled roofs, a tower with a spire of coloured tiles and a stone-pillared entrance porch, in the National Romantic style of Hungarian Art Nouveau. The building was rehabilitated over several years, and the main wing and the surrounding park reopened in October 2023.
The holdings run past 125,000 objects, divided into three main sections: natural sciences (over 60,000), archaeology and history (over 50,000) and ethnography (over 15,000). They are joined by a library of old books, which keeps the Apor Codex, with psalms from the oldest Hungarian translation of the Bible.
What you can see
The permanent exhibitions in the main building are designed with less text and more to look at. Milestones traces the museum's history of almost 150 years through objects chosen from the collections, Geniuses behind the heroes shows Háromszék (the Three Seats) in the war of 1848–1849, with its war industry and cannon casting, and Mrs. Cserey – 200. We Are Reborn! remembers the founder, with embroidery, furniture, ceramics and glass from the 17th to 19th centuries. From October 2025 to January 2027 the temporary exhibition The Székelys: Inherited Traits is open.
In the museum garden you can see carved Székely gates and funerary posts, and nearby, on Libertății Square, the museum's branches in town can be visited on the same ticket.
Good to know
The museum changes its exhibitions from time to time; in August–October 2025 several rooms were closed for refitting, with reduced tickets, before the new exhibition opened. According to the official website, the Gyárfás Jenő Art Gallery is temporarily closed.
- The building constructed to Kós Károly's plans in 1911–1912, with its coloured-tile spire and stone entrance porch.
- The exhibition “Geniuses behind the heroes”, on Háromszék in 1848–1849, with its war industry and cannon casting.
- The exhibition “Mrs. Cserey – 200”, devoted to the museum's founder, with embroidery, furniture and ceramics from the 17th to 19th centuries.
- The carved Székely gates and funerary posts in the museum garden.
- The Apor Codex in the museum library, with psalms from the oldest Hungarian translation of the Bible.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Sfântu Gheorghe is ~30 km from Brașov (~40 minutes) and ~200 km from Bucharest. The museum is in town, on Kós Károly Street, a few hundred metres from Libertății Square.
Public transport: the town has a railway station and a bus station, with connections from Brașov and from around the county; the museum is a few minutes' walk from the centre.
- Where to park
The official website does not announce a car park of the museum's own. In the area you park on the street, usually in paid spaces at the municipal rate; check the markings and signs on the spot.
- Fees & discounts
Full ticket 25 lei; reduced ticket (pupils, students, pensioners) 15 lei; family ticket (2 adults and 2–5 children) 60 lei; groups of pupils or students (10–30 people) 5 lei per person. A ticket can be used once, at one location. County combined ticket, valid for 7 days at the museum and all its external branches: 60 lei. Guided tour 100 lei (50 lei for a single exhibition), by booking. Photography fee for weddings and other occasions: 200 lei per hour. Free entry for pre-schoolers, people with disabilities and their companion, ICOM card holders, members of the press, staff of Romanian museums and students of ethnography, history or fine arts, with a student card. Prices are those on the official website in October 2026.
- Rules
Guided tours are given by booking only, through the form on the museum's website. Children under 12 enter only with an adult. Do not touch anything in the exhibits or display cases and do not pick plants in the garden. Do not bring food or drink into the galleries, sharp or pointed objects, large backpacks (leave them in the cloakroom) or animals, apart from guide dogs. The building and garden are under video surveillance.
- Facilities
cloakroom · souvenir shop · museum garden · guided tours by booking · library · branches in town on the same ticket
Frequently asked questions about Székely National Museum
- How much is a ticket to Székely National Museum?
- A ticket to Székely National Museum costs 25 lei (reduced 15 lei; family 60 lei). Full ticket 25 lei; reduced ticket (pupils, students, pensioners) 15 lei; family ticket (2 adults and 2–5 children) 60 lei; groups of pupils or students (10–30 people) 5 lei per person. A ticket can be used once, at one location. County combined ticket, valid for 7 days at the museum and all its external branches: 60 lei. Guided tour 100 lei (50 lei for a single exhibition), by booking. Photography fee for weddings and other occasions: 200 lei per hour. Free entry for pre-schoolers, people with disabilities and their companion, ICOM card holders, members of the press, staff of Romanian museums and students of ethnography, history or fine arts, with a student card. Prices are those on the official website in October 2026.
- What are the opening hours of Székely National Museum?
- Opening hours at Székely National Museum: Monday closed, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 17:00. Tuesday–Sunday 9:00–17:00; closed on Mondays and public holidays. Last entry 30 minutes before closing. In 2026 the museum was closed on 3–6 April (Easter); in 2025 it was closed on 25–26 December and 1–2 January. The visitor rules on the website say tickets are sold until 15:30 on weekdays and 13:30 at weekends, which does not match the 9:00–17:00 hours: check the hours on the official website.
- How long does a visit to Székely National Museum take?
- A visit to Székely National Museum takes about 1 – 1½ hours (estimate; longer with a guide).
- Can you visit Székely National Museum with kids?
- Yes, Székely National Museum is suitable for children (under 12 only with an adult).
- Where can I park at Székely National Museum?
- There is paid parking at Székely National Museum (estimate: on the street nearby). The official website does not announce a car park of the museum's own. In the area you park on the street, usually in paid spaces at the municipal rate; check the markings and signs on the spot.
- How do I get to Székely National Museum?
- Székely National Museum is located at Strada Kós Károly nr. 10, Sfântu Gheorghe, Covasna County. By car: Sfântu Gheorghe is ~30 km from Brașov (~40 minutes) and ~200 km from Bucharest. The museum is in town, on Kós Károly Street, a few hundred metres from Libertății Square. Public transport: the town has a railway station and a bus station, with connections from Brașov and from around the county; the museum is a few minutes' walk from the centre.
- When is the best time to visit Székely National Museum?
- The best season for Székely National Museum: All year round (open all year, Tuesday–Sunday).
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