y Planet calls the "socialist Disneyland," a collection of three dozen busts, statues and plaques from the Communist era. I think most Americans from my generation have somewhat of a fascination with Communism. Our American History classes are dominated by this topic, which perhaps we can connect with better than the American Revolution of the late 18th century, for example, since we were alive to witness the end of the Cold War.One of the first touristy things I did in Budapest, therefore, was visit the Statue Park, along with two American guys and a German. It is situated just outside the city, so you can either take a train and two buses or go by car. We opted to go by car. There are basically no signs to direct you, and even as you approach the park there is no sign or arrow to draw you in. Anyway, admission was 600 HUF per person (approximately 3 USD) and each statue has a plaque telling you what it is, though most give the description of "Communist-era statue" or something equally informative. You can also buy a book that describes the statues in more depth, which also tells you where they were located in Budapest, etc. There were very few tourists there and we were pretty disappointed overall- mostly because it's too small. The guy fro
m Germany said they have regular parks in Germany which feature statues from the Communist era which are much larger and more exciting- and they're free.My Hungarain host parents have not gone and will not go to see the Statue Park. A Hungarian friend told me that Communism ended so long ago that it was practically forgotten. It seems that most Hungarians have no desire to see the Statue Park, having seen so many of the statues every day of their lives during an era that is over. People say that Hungarians are typically fairly pessimistic but from what I have seen these past few weeks, they seem eager to move forward in this new era, to see improvements in the economy and their country.
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