Széchenyi Memorial Museum

The entrance to the Széchenyi Memorial Museum is in the mansion through the Sala Terrena - it's almost austere compared with the similarly named hall at the Esterházy Palace in Fertőd. There's a taped commentary in several languages (including English) in each room; just press the button.

The rooms on the ground floor of the museum, furnished with period pieces, deal with the history of the Széchenyi family and their political development, from typical baroque aristocrats in the 18th century to key players in the 1848 War of Independence and István's involvement in the ill-fated government of Lajos Batthyány. A sweeping baroque staircase leads to the exhibits on the 1st floor - a veritable temple to István's many accomplishments - from Budapest's Chain Bridge and the Danube and Tisza Rivers' engineering works, to steamboat and rail transport. There's also an interesting exhibition on Hungarian coinage.