In changeable weather and changing times, museums are among the most welcoming places in the city. This weekend we enjoy music at SoNoRo and at the Map Museum, read phone-free at Casa Madrigal and discover the stories of the Brâncoveanu family at Suțu Palace, MMB. At MNȚR we meet the Mexican traditions of Día de Muertos, and for the kids there are films, pumpkins to decorate and imagination workshops.
We've gathered our picks for 30 October - 1 November, worth keeping at hand whatever the forecast. And for more places to explore, Harta Muzeelor, the museum map, features over 60 museums and memorial houses in Bucharest.
Discover Bucharest museum by museum, at your own pace.
SoNoRo: from the Royal Dining Hall to Club Control
The SoNoRo Festival opens on Friday at MNAR with “Lord of the Strings”, a concert that is already sold out. But there are other stops over the opening weekend of the “Infinite Melody” edition: on Saturday, jazz and swing with Ksenia Parkhatskaya and David Duffy at Bragadiru Palace, and on Sunday, morning chamber music at Tinerimea Română, Wagner and Shostakovich at ARCUB and a surprise programme with the festival's artists at Club Control. The festival continues in Bucharest until 8 November, including concerts at MNAR on 3 and 5 November.
Bragadiru Palace; “Tinerimea Română” National Art Centre; ARCUB - Gabroveni Inn; Club Control
Saturday, 31 October, 19:00: “Jazz in Motion”. Sunday, 1 November: “The Morning Star”, 11:00; “The Fugitive”, 16:00; “Face to Face”, 21:00
Standard / reduced tickets: 130 / 65 lei at Bragadiru Palace; 60 / 30 lei at Tinerimea Română; 80 / 40 lei at ARCUB; 90 / 45 lei at Club Control. Full programme and tickets
Coins from the biblical stories, at Suțu Palace
What did money look like in the world of the Old and New Testaments? The exhibition “Biblical Coins - Money in the Old and New Testaments” takes us from the 7th century BC to the early centuries of Christianity, through Persian, Greek and Roman coins. Among the pieces on display are coin types linked to well-known episodes: the tribute owed to Caesar, Judas's thirty pieces of silver and the poor widow's mites.
Suțu Palace - Bucharest Municipality Museum, Bd. Ion C. Brătianu nr. 2 28 October - 29 November 2026 Exhibition details
Contemporary art among the exhibits of the Technical Museum
Installations, objects and sound and light interventions bring contemporary art to the “Dimitrie Leonida” Technical Museum. This section of the National Contemporary Art Salon, curated by Angelica Iacob, brings together 19 artists exploring memory, identity and the relationships between generations. A chance to discover the museum through works rooted in personal experience.
“Prof. Eng. Dimitrie Leonida” National Technical Museum, Bucharest 29 October - 22 November 2026. Opening: Thursday, 29 October, 18:00 Part of the 2026 National Contemporary Art Salon, “Art between Memory and Identity”, organised by the Union of Visual Artists of Romania.
Brâncuși, between artwork and national symbol
The exhibition “Brâncuși. The Syndrome” has been extended, and Judit Balint, deputy director of MNAR and co-curator of the exhibition, invites us on a tour about the sculptor's work and how his name became a symbol of Romania. We start in the Brâncuși Room of the Modern Romanian Art Gallery and continue into the temporary exhibition.
National Museum of Art of Romania, Calea Victoriei 49-53 Friday, 30 October, 16:30 Ticket: 50 lei, with access to both spaces. Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Piano, violin and a three-century-old map
The “Sound Cartographies” season returns to the Map Museum with violinist Vasile Alexandru Marian and pianist Mihai Murariu. We listen to Bartók, Kreisler, Dvořák, Elgar and Tchaikovsky and discover the star map of the evening: a depiction of the Kingdom of Hungary, Transylvania and the neighbouring regions, made around 1720 by Johann Baptist Homann.
Map Museum, Str. Londra nr. 39 Friday, 30 October, 17:00 Ticket: 20 lei. Places are limited and require registration and ticket payment.
Día de Muertos at the Peasant Museum
The Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead comes to MNȚR through an altar and the exhibition “Catrinas, Mexican Memories”, with works by Julio César Rivera and Raúl Balkazar. The Embassy of Mexico and the museum invite us to discover them starting Friday evening, when the opening is accompanied by a musical performance.
National Museum of the Romanian Peasant, Media Hall, entrance from Str. Monetăriei nr. 3 Opening: Friday, 30 October, 18:30. On view: 30 October - 8 November, Wednesday-Sunday, 10:00-18:00 Free entry. Event details
Friday evening, a tour at MARe
We start the weekend among the works in MARe's exhibitions, together with visual artist Mimi Pleșoianu. The guided tour is a chance to look more closely at the works and ask questions about what we discover in the museum.
MARe - Museum of Recent Art, Bd. Primăverii nr. 15 Friday, 30 October, 18:30 Ticket: 100 lei. Tickets and details
Halloween with movie characters, at MINA
“Hollywood After Dark” is an evening with a DJ set and film-inspired costumes. Come as a classic movie star, a mysterious character or a memorable villain. Costumes are encouraged but not required.
MINA Bucharest, Str. George Constantinescu nr. 2-4 Friday, 30 October, 21:00 - around 02:00 Ticket: 45 lei. Drinks are paid separately. Ages 16+.
Three phone-free hours at Casa Madrigal
We leave our phones at the door and make time for reading in the Sacha Roman Villa, now Casa Madrigal. “Offline at Madrigal” means two hours of reading to the music of the Madrigal Choir, followed by conversations about books. Bring a book from home or pick one from the gallery, and discover the Collection Exhibition - The Liciu Family as well.
Casa Madrigal, Aleea Dealul Mitropoliei nr. 11 Saturday, 31 October, 11:00-14:00 Participation: 25 lei. Minimum age: 16. Only 30 places. Registration
The stories behind the Brâncoveanu family portraits
Who are the people in the portraits, and how does a family's prestige endure over the centuries? Dr. Nicoleta Bădilă, curator of the exhibition “The Brâncoveanus: Power and Legacy”, guides us through votive portraits, group images and individual depictions. We uncover family ties, alliances and lesser-known stories from the history of the Brâncoveanu family.
Suțu Palace - Bucharest Municipality Museum, Bd. Ion C. Brătianu nr. 2 Saturday, 31 October, 11:00 Ticket: 20 lei, available at the palace ticket office, payable in cash or by card. Tour details
A walk through the history around the Peasant Museum
Around MNȚR hide stories about the old State Mint, the School of Fine Arts, the Cișmelei quarter and a vanished cemetery. Historian Theodor E. Ulieriu-Rostás guides us through the history of the museum and its surroundings, with stops at the Mavrogheni Church and in Kiseleff Garden.
Meeting point: main entrance of the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant, Șos. Kiseleff nr. 3 Saturday, 31 October, 15:00 Free to take part, limited to 15 places. Registration at proiecte@mntr.ro. In case of bad weather, the tour will be rescheduled. Tour details
Solutions for a sustainable future
Women researchers, artists, architects, designers and entrepreneurs meet at MNLR for the conference “CSWeek V - Women Shaping Sustainability”, coordinated by Andreea Sandu. The talks connect art, research and applied solutions for sustainability. Sunday is also the last day to see the exhibition of the same name in the museum's attic.
National Museum of Romanian Literature, Perpessicius Hall, Str. Nicolae Crețulescu nr. 8 Sunday, 1 November, 11:00 Conference and exhibition details
MUSEUM TIME WITH THE LITTLE ONES
Dracula, monsters and Coco, at MINA
A weekend of animation for the whole family: on Friday we meet Dracula and his grandson in “Hotel Transylvania 2”, on Saturday we discover how Mike and Sulley's friendship began in “Monsters University”, and on Sunday we set off with “Coco” on a journey into the world of those who have passed on.
MINA Bucharest, Str. George Constantinescu nr. 2-4 Friday, 30 October: “Hotel Transylvania 2”, 12:00 and 18:45. Saturday, 31 October: “Monsters University”, 10:00 and 18:45. Sunday, 1 November: “Coco”, 10:00 and 18:45 Ticket: 38 lei, including a voucher for popcorn and a drink.
Pumpkins turned into lanterns, at Antipa
Children carve and decorate pumpkins, learn fun facts about the plant and take home their very own Halloween lantern. They can come in costume, and all materials are provided by the museum. Participation also includes free access to the permanent exhibition for children and their companions.
“Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History, Workshop Room, Șos. Kiseleff nr. 1 Friday, 30 October, 15:00-16:30. Saturday, 31 October, 10:15-11:45 and 13:30-15:00 Ages 8-14. Participation: 100 lei/child or 160 lei for two siblings. Bookings are confirmed once payment is made. Details and registration
Characters without limits, at MARe
At the “The Limitless Human” workshop, children start from the works in the museum's exhibitions and invent fantastical characters. Through drawing, they experiment with body shapes and discover how to express a character's personality.
MARe - Museum of Recent Art, Bd. Primăverii nr. 15 Saturday, 31 October: 12:00 (ages 4-7) and 13:30 (ages 8-12) Participation: 100 lei/child. Tickets and details
A boy with a clear-sky head, at the Filipescu-Cesianu House
Cristina Beatrice Preda invites children to meet Celest, the character from the book “The Boy with a Clear-Sky Head”, illustrated by Diana Tivu. The reading and imagination workshop, organised by the Bucharest Municipality Museum and the De Basm Association, starts from a story about belonging and the people who make us feel at home.
Filipescu-Cesianu House - Bucharest Municipality Museum, Calea Victoriei nr. 151 Saturday, 31 October. Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes Ages 6+. Participation: 40 lei. Registration at educatie@muzeulbucurestiului.ro. Workshop details
This year we met again in museums, gardens, and places worth spending more time in. We listened to music, watched films, discovered exhibitions, and spent many good weekends together.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at Weekend Sessions in 2026.
We're already thinking about what comes next, and in 2027 we'll see each other again, with new places to discover and new reasons to get out and about.
Until then, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram, and here, in the Museum Map newsletter, we'll keep sending you weekly recommendations of places and events worth seeing.
See you in 2027.
