This small, spare museum just outside the train station contains the military barracks where former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife Elena were tried and executed by firing squad on Christmas Day in 1989. Three rooms are open, showing where the trial took place and where the couple spent their last nights. Outside in the back, visitors can see the wall where the couple were shot. There's helpful signage in English and the modest setting adds to the powerful effect.
Before entering, take a moment to read the large bulletin board outside, which explains in detail the dramatic and terrifying days in December 1989 that lead to Ceauşescu's downfall and execution. The Târgovişte location was purely coincidental: when the couple fled Bucharest, they were captured near the city and brought here because the military barracks were well fortified.
