A man in a flat cap on the telephone at a desk among the museum's curiosities
A man in a flat cap on the telephone at a desk among the museum's curiosities

Steampunk Transylvania

Our Story

and why we do this

How it began

A dream built from discarded things

It all began in the lively heart of Cluj-Napoca, a city known for its youthful energy and its festivals. Driven by a passion for the fantastical world of steampunk, the founders of Steampunk Transylvania set out to create something truly unique.

The goal was not only to build the first museum of its kind in Europe, but to prove that museums don't have to be boring. With clockwork, gears and antique materials they built a weird and wonderful world, and invited visitors to step through a curtain and leave the ordinary behind.

The museum opened its doors on 18 June 2022, with the hope of inspiring future generations to dream and to create. It blends the mystique of Transylvania with the look of Victorian machinery: not a place to look at objects, but a living world where imagination comes to life, and where unwanted things become something extraordinary.

A fringed lampshade and books in the Victorian living room
18.06.2022the doors opened
15–20guides and artists
0audio guides: we talk to you

Our mission

We turn everyday materials into extraordinary experiences. We work with re- and upcycling: our exhibits are made from discarded and unwanted things.

We challenge the idea that museums are boring, especially for young people. We want art and science to be exciting and hands-on, so that visitors, younger ones above all, put down their screens and reconnect with the world around them. The enthusiasm we hear back tells us it works.

What drives us

Our team of 15 to 20 guides and artists works to give every visitor an experience of their own. Tours follow a general path, but each one is shaped by the interests of the people in it, so no two visits are alike.

We believe in real human connection. That is why we deliberately do without audio guides and keep information panels to a minimum. We focus on conversation and shared moments: we are not just passing on information, we are creating an experience together.

Our team

The people behind the project

Dr. Botond Istvándy

Dr. Botond Istvándy

Founder, Director

I sometimes find it hard to accept reality as it is. That is why I like to enrich it with dreams. They often seem out of reach, but they fill me with wonderful energy, and the mere thought of them brings joy.

This way of seeing things is what brought the museum to life. For a long time I kept the dreamer in me to myself, but a few years ago I decided I wanted to inspire others to dream too. Reaching the dream is not always the point; it is the joy and new energy that dreaming itself gives, because what matters most is that our soul is happy and in balance.

Professor Sylvester

Professor Sylvester

Resident Artist

Imagination and creativity have always been part of me, and I have spent more than a decade making steampunk and dystopian art.

But the place where I could truly grow as an artist was the museum's workshop. Here I found the freedom to bring my boldest ideas to life. Every new project is a challenge I gladly take on: ever more complex and lively works that bring something new to the museum and, I hope, spark wonder and joy in our visitors.

Inya

Inya

Museum Manager

Places that were out of the ordinary, magical or whimsical always drew me in, and made me draw and write from an early age. Enchanting worlds that could be real if only we believed enough make the spirit jump with joy and with an adventurer's curiosity.

Discovering that such a place exists in the heart of my beloved city was a delight. Helping people take a break from reality the moment they step into this world is a marvellous thing.

Read the whole story

How an abandoned pub called Junkyard became a museum, told in the director's own words.

How it all started