The boys posing next to the sculpture outside of Skanzen.
David’s aunt Kati is a teacher and for years she has taken her class on a field trip to this awesome museum called Skanzen not far north of Budapest in Szentendre. It is an open air ethnographic museum examining village and farm life from the 18th to early 20th centuries. It is so much more than your standard brick and mortar museum. They currently have close to 400 reconstructed buildings (they actually take the buildings from villages and reassemble them at the museum just as they had been in the village) and several hands on activities for kids. The boys had a wonderful time learning how to tool leather and how to making key chains.
Kati showing off Skanzen.
Watching the leather demonstration and Skanzen’s wind mill.
This kind gentleman was demonstrating how to tool leather.
Little Man was excited to watch Big Guy make his key chain.
Story time with lamb puppets. David translated for me and Mat as the lady told the story.
These bee hives were on display at a bee keeper’s home.
Skanzen has a large restaurant by the main entrance and a few places where you can buy refreshments, but you have to be on the lookout because several exhibits have small bites that you can sample (we tried both a traditional Hungarian bread and a gingerbread). The boys decided that their favorite area was the Great Plains exhibit. I’m pretty sure this was thanks in large part to the working bakery that sells traditional Hungarian pastries. I can assure you that we purchased and consumed more than our fair share of baked goods that day!
The bakery (our favorite spot)
Walking through one of the regional exhibits.
The boys praying in one of the churches (this one was tiny).
The museum paints a clear picture of what it would have been like living in the villages more than 100 years ago. You get to see how homes were laid out and decorated and volunteers help explain how a family would have lived depending on what part of Hungary they were from and what sort of job they had within the community. We were even encouraged to sample fruits growing on the fruit trees. It was cherry season, so David was in Heaven!
A cherry tree full of fruit.
Outside of the blacksmith’s shop.
Using one of the blacksmith’s tools.
Mat decided that he liked this house the best.
And this is the one my guys picked.
Posing in one of the regions.
Big Guy too.
The museum is huge and can easily tie up a whole day but if you’re in Budapest with kids or if you like history this might be the perfect place for you. In addition to their permanent exhibits, they also have great temporary exhibits, a cool shop with souvenirs that you won’t find anywhere else and festivals throughout the year.
Of course, the horses were a hit with Big Guy (he asks for one nearly every day)
There were a bunch of piglets resting in the mud.
The boys enjoyed all of the hands on experiences.
One last shot of my main guy.