The best museums for children

Vienna boasts about 100 museums and collections – from very little ones to very big ones. There is something for children to enjoy too. Boring museums are a thing of the past – off to the art! Looking and joining in is on the cards.

Numerous museums focus on topics that excite the whole family – from technology to nature, the imperial age, art and music to chocolate. Exploring on your own is always possible – we recommend joining in the popular educational programs for children and families (registration is usually required).

Current dates of children's activities in the museums for children can be found in our event database

The best museums for children

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ZOOM Children's Museum, print workshop Children experiment — Just for kids: The ZOOM Children's Museum in the MuseumsQuartier is all about questioning, touching, exploring, feeling, and playing to one's heart's content on an area of 1,600 square meters – in the "Ocean", in the studio, and in the interactive exhibition, depending on age. Really great workshops! – © ZOOM Kindermuseum/J. J. Kucek

Old train set in the central hall — The Museum of Technology is a world unto itself. Interactive objects and experiments make technology literally tangible. Off to the children's adventure areas "Mini" and "Mini Mobil", to the mine, to the high-voltage or steam locomotive demonstration! – © Technisches Museum Wien

Children with costumes at Schönbrunn Palace — The 16 children of Maria Theresa wandered the rooms and corridors of the palace. Nowadays, the Schloss Schönbrunn Children's Museum whisks visitors away to the everyday life of those times: with fan language, quadrille dancing, and dressing up in Baroque clothing. – © Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H, Foto: Reza Sarkari

House of Music, children at a concert — House of Music: The musical world of adventure invites visitors to marvel, play, experiment, and explore with giant instruments and state-of-the-art technology. Fantastic: The waltz-dice game, the musical stairs, and conducting the Vienna Philharmonic virtually. – © Hanna Pribitzer

Museum of illusions, woman feeds head on table — The interactive Museum of Illusions has holograms, stereograms, and optical illusions for the whole family to enjoy. Defy gravity in an inclined room, watch others shrink, or serve a head on a silver platter. Photos allowed! – © Museum der Illusionen Wien

Various skeletons in the Natural History Museum Vienna — Look at dinosaurs in the Naturhistorisches Museum Vienna: The allosaurus even moves and roars. Specially for kids: Guided tours, microtheater, and the digital planetarium. And what about a night in the museum? – © Naturistorisches Museum

SchokoMuseum Heindl workshop, children bake — The Chocolate Museum (SchokoMuseum) of Confiserie Heindl recounts the sweet story of chocolate – from cacao cultivation to the making of exquisite pralines (Sissi Coins! Mozart Balls!). Chocolate cinema, three chocolate fountains, and workshops get the sweet-toothed purring. – © Heindl

Just for kids: The ZOOM Children's Museum in the MuseumsQuartier is all about questioning, touching, exploring, feeling, and playing to one's heart's content on an area of 1,600 square meters – in the "Ocean", in the studio, and in the interactive exhibition, depending on age. Really great workshops! – © ZOOM Kindermuseum/J. J. Kucek

The Museum of Technology is a world unto itself. Interactive objects and experiments make technology literally tangible. Off to the children's adventure areas "Mini" and "Mini Mobil", to the mine, to the high-voltage or steam locomotive demonstration! – © Technisches Museum Wien

The 16 children of Maria Theresa wandered the rooms and corridors of the palace. Nowadays, the Schloss Schönbrunn Children's Museum whisks visitors away to the everyday life of those times: with fan language, quadrille dancing, and dressing up in Baroque clothing. – © Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H, Foto: Reza Sarkari

House of Music: The musical world of adventure invites visitors to marvel, play, experiment, and explore with giant instruments and state-of-the-art technology. Fantastic: The waltz-dice game, the musical stairs, and conducting the Vienna Philharmonic virtually. – © Hanna Pribitzer

The interactive Museum of Illusions has holograms, stereograms, and optical illusions for the whole family to enjoy. Defy gravity in an inclined room, watch others shrink, or serve a head on a silver platter. Photos allowed! – © Museum der Illusionen Wien

Look at dinosaurs in the Naturhistorisches Museum Vienna: The allosaurus even moves and roars. Specially for kids: Guided tours, microtheater, and the digital planetarium. And what about a night in the museum? – © Naturistorisches Museum

The Chocolate Museum (SchokoMuseum) of Confiserie Heindl recounts the sweet story of chocolate – from cacao cultivation to the making of exquisite pralines (Sissi Coins! Mozart Balls!). Chocolate cinema, three chocolate fountains, and workshops get the sweet-toothed purring. – © Heindl

For the artists of tomorrow

Vienna is rich in visual art – from Rubens to Dürer, Monet and Klimt, to the present day. And it can also inspire the youngest of visitors. Excitingly conveyed by experts, for self-exploration and discovery, and above all with the possibility to get creative. Whether on studio courses or guided tours and workshops (accompanied or alone). Dip the paintbrush in the paint pot!

Art for kids: Museums with a family program

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Albertina, Albrecht Dürer, Young Hare — Off to the art adventure in the Albertina, to masterpieces from Monet to Picasso! Interactive tours, creative workshops, and art courses for the grand masters of tomorrow teach art in an easily accessible way. Tip: The private Family & Friends tours. – © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer

Drawn animals of the AR game The Fantastic Palastics at the Belvedere — Discover art at the Belvedere: on museum tours or in the studios, where you can try out materials and techniques for yourself. Young parents love the parent-child tour “With baby in the museum”. Tip: The free AR adventure game “The Fantastic Palastics” (www.belvedere.at/fantastic-palastics, ages 8 and up) sends you on a “Mission Museum” to the Upper Belvedere. Or you can choose the “Garden Game” edition and search for Prince Eugene's animals in the palace garden (via QR codes on site). – © Johannes Stoll/Belvedere, Wien

Children in front of a painting by Egon Schiele in the Leopold Museum — Children's afternoons in the Leopold Museum: After a short tour of the masterpieces of the Leopold collection (Egon Schiele!), everyone can paint, draw, knead, shape, tear, cut, push, and glue to their heart's content in the LEO Children's Studio. – © Leopold Museum Wien/Katharina Koberger

Children painting at MUMOK — The mumok – museum of modern art ludwig foundation vienna conveys modern and contemporary art, above all to join in with: At children's workshops, in the Sunday studio for the whole family, on studio courses, and in the Scratch Lab, where digital artworks are produced. – © mumok / Niko Havranek

MAK DAY 2014, program for children and families — The youngest visitors explore the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna, in playful fashion – at MAK4Family, on the Mini MAK Tour, and at MAK Design Kids. The past, present, and future of art, handicrafts, and design become tangible in the MAK! – © MAK/Nathan Murell

Off to the art adventure in the Albertina, to masterpieces from Monet to Picasso! Interactive tours, creative workshops, and art courses for the grand masters of tomorrow teach art in an easily accessible way. Tip: The private Family & Friends tours. – © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer

Discover art at the Belvedere: on museum tours or in the studios, where you can try out materials and techniques for yourself. Young parents love the parent-child tour “With baby in the museum”. Tip: The free AR adventure game “The Fantastic Palastics” (www.belvedere.at/fantastic-palastics, ages 8 and up) sends you on a “Mission Museum” to the Upper Belvedere. Or you can choose the “Garden Game” edition and search for Prince Eugene's animals in the palace garden (via QR codes on site). – © Johannes Stoll/Belvedere, Wien

Children's afternoons in the Leopold Museum: After a short tour of the masterpieces of the Leopold collection (Egon Schiele!), everyone can paint, draw, knead, shape, tear, cut, push, and glue to their heart's content in the LEO Children's Studio. – © Leopold Museum Wien/Katharina Koberger

The mumok – museum of modern art ludwig foundation vienna conveys modern and contemporary art, above all to join in with: At children's workshops, in the Sunday studio for the whole family, on studio courses, and in the Scratch Lab, where digital artworks are produced. – © mumok / Niko Havranek

The youngest visitors explore the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna, in playful fashion – at MAK4Family, on the Mini MAK Tour, and at MAK Design Kids. The past, present, and future of art, handicrafts, and design become tangible in the MAK! – © MAK/Nathan Murell

And there's more

Clearly, that is only a selection of museums for children – we'd like to offer you so much more. Here are some tips for families with children:

Collection of Clocks and Watches: Solve the mystery of Aunt Selma's precious pocket watch at twelve stations with the “AR Escape Game” on a tablet in small groups (2 to 5 people).
Mozarthaus Vienna: Mozart adventure world based around the historic Mozart apartment on the second floor.
Jewish Museum Vienna: family program every Sunday
Weltmuseum Wien: treasure trove for explorers. Colorful program with painting, making, playing, improvising.
Az W – Architekturzentrum Wien: monthly Archikids workshops
Imperial Treasury: Discover the sparkling, curious, and wonderful with the children's audio guide
Theater Museum: Theaterkids afternoons with trying on costumes, building stage models, and theater games
Wien Museum: program for children and families in the Roman Museum, Hermes Villa …