Prater Museum

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Seven unusual museums in Vienna

Away from the big museums of art and history, unusual topics can also be a source of interesting wow moments, amazement, shuddering and entertainment. If you are looking for just such unusual museums, then Vienna is the right city for you. Vienna has the right museum for everyone, of that we're certain. We therefore took a look around Vienna's countless museums and in doing so discovered one or two specialties. The result is our list of seven unusual museums in Vienna.

Torture Museum

A dark atmosphere, instruments of torture, guillotines, witch burnings – and all that in a historical Second World War bunker. A visit to the Vienna Torture Museum is an unusual experience and definitely not for the faint-hearted. The sight of medieval instruments of torture makes us shudder. For all the excitement and thrills, however, there is a serious concept to this museum. The aim is to give visitors an eerily entertaining insight into the development of our legal system from the Middle Ages to the present day. What's more, the curators want to draw attention to the fact that torture still takes place in many parts of the world today.

(Temporarily closed!)

Esperanto Museum

Housed within the Austrian National Library is the Esperanto Museum, one of the oldest language museums in the world. To begin with, a short film gives visitors an overview of the constructed language of Esperanto. The extensive exhibition at Palais Mollard then provides an interactive insight into the history of Esperanto and other constructed languages from 1887 to the present day. Admission is free!

Globe Museum

The Globe Museum is unusual, even unique in the world. A neighbor of the Esperanto Museum, this museum in the Austrian National Library also has a magnificent home in Palais Mollard. More than 200 globes from around the world make up this special exhibition. In the Globe Museum, everything revolves around models of the earth, sky, moon and various planets. Truly a historic journey through the galaxy.

Prater Museum

Since the imperial hunting grounds were opened to the people in 1766, much has taken place in Vienna's Prater. From the World's Fair to Venice in Vienna, from the construction of the Giant Ferris Wheel to the Prater as we know and love it today, there was a lot going on. New standards in entertainment were set here over and over again. Reason enough then to dedicate a museum to the Prater. Housed in the Planetarium right next to the Prater, the Prater Museum brings the eventful history of the Prater to life with a large number of exhibits and stories from days gone by.

Rauchfangkehrermuseum (Chimney Sweep Museum)

A museum visit that brings good luck? At the Vienna Chimney Sweep Museum, this wish becomes reality. Chimney sweeps everywhere enjoy a special reputation as bringers of good fortune. A visit to the museum on this subject is sure to bring an extra portion of luck. On more than 200 m², this museum offers an interesting insight into the history of Viennese chimney sweeps from their beginnings to the current tasks and duties of this guild.

Collection of Clocks and Watches

The Collection of Clocks and Watches has (almost) all the time in the world – enviable! Over three floors and in 19 rooms, there are about 700 clocks distributed throughout Vienna's Collection of Clocks and Watches. This makes it one of the most important collections of its kind in Europe. More than 3,000 other clocks and watches are held in the museum's depot. Timepieces of all shapes, sizes and colors show us their progress from the 15th century to the present day. While the smallest fits under a thimble, the largest is an original timepiece from St. Stephen's Cathedral and dates to 1699. Many of the exhibits still tick diligently today and fill the Collection of Clocks and Watches with their sounds every hour on the hour.

Magic Box Museum

Near Schönbrunn Palace, magic lies in the museum air. No wonder, because Vienna's Magic Box Museum immerses us in a world full of conjuring and magic tricks. More than 3,000 exhibits from across three centuries make the museum the world's largest collection of magic boxes – admission to the Guinness Book of Records is included. A special highlight are the one-hour guided tours given by the collector himself. In addition to lots of exciting background information, one or two magic tricks will also be demonstrated live. Simply magical!

Torture Museum (Foltermuseum)

Fritz-Grünbaum-Platz 1
1060 Vienna

Esperanto Museum

Palais Mollard, Herrengasse 9
1010 Vienna
  • Vienna City Card

    • Your benefit with the Vienna City Card: -10%

      Additional information on the offer: Standard ticket price: 5€ / Reduced ticket price: 4,50€ (combined ticket incl. Globe and Esperanto Museum)

  • Opening times

    • Tu - Su, 10:00 - 18:00
    • Th, 10:00 - 21:00
    • Open daily from June to September

  • Accessibility

    • Main entrance
      • no steps
    • Further information
      • Seeing eye dogs allowed
      • Wheelchair accessible restroom available.
    • Special offers for people with disabilities

      Guided tours for visitors with disabilities and special needs on prior arrangement.

    • Comments

      Main entrance on first floor and access to all exhibition rooms: no steps

Globe Museum (Globenmuseum)

Palais Mollard, Herrengasse 9
1010 Vienna
  • Vienna City Card

    • Your benefit with the Vienna City Card: -10%

      Additional information on the offer: Standard ticket price: 5€ / Reduced ticket price: 4,50€ (combined ticket for Globe and Esperanto Museum)

  • Opening times

    • Tu - Su, 10:00 - 18:00
    • Th, 10:00 - 21:00
    • Open daily from June to September

  • Accessibility

    • Main entrance
      • no steps
    • Elevator available
      • Door 90 cm wide
    • Further information
      • Seeing eye dogs allowed
      • Wheelchair accessible restroom available.
    • Special offers for people with disabilities

      Guided tours for visitors with disabilities and special needs on prior arrangement.

    • Comments

      Main entrance on first floor and access to all exhibition rooms on second floor: no steps.

Prater Museum

Oswald-Thomas-Platz 1
1020 Vienna
  • Vienna City Card

    • Your benefit with the Vienna City Card: -30%

      Additional information on the offer: Standard ticket price: 5€

  • Prices

    • 1st Sunday of the month: Free admission
  • Opening times

    • Fr, 10:00 - 13:00
    • Fr, 14:00 - 18:00
    • Sa, 10:00 - 13:00
    • Sa, 14:00 - 18:00
    • Su, 10:00 - 13:00
    • Su, 14:00 - 18:00
    • on holidays, 10:00 - 13:00
    • on holidays, 14:00 - 18:00
    • Closed: 1/1, 12/25 and Easter Monday, Whitmonday and other holidays that fall on a Monday.

  • Accessibility

    • Main entrance
      • no steps
    • Car parks Main entrance
      • 2 Parking spaces for people with disabilities
        parking spaces for visitors with special needs next to the museum (1.-Mai-Strasse)
    • Further information
      • Seeing eye dogs allowed
      • Wheelchair accessible restroom available.
    • Comments

      Main part of the exhibition: no steps, gallery is only accessible via steps, access to exhibition hall: 20 steps.

Rauchfangkehrermuseum (Chimney Sweep Museum)

Klagbaumgasse 4
1040 Vienna
  • Opening times

    • Su, 10:00 - 12:00
    • (closed during the Vienna school holidays)

Collection of Clocks and Watches (Uhrenmuseum)

Schulhof 2
1010 Vienna
  • Vienna City Card

    • Your benefit with the Vienna City Card: -30%

      Additional information on the offer: Standard ticket price: 7€

  • Prices

    • 1st Sunday of the month: Free admission
  • Opening times

    • Tu - Su, 10:00 - 18:00
    • on holidays, 10:00 - 18:00
    • Closed: January 1, May 1, December 24, 25 & 31

  • Accessibility

    • Main entrance
      • 1 Steps
    • Further information
      • Seeing eye dogs allowed
      • Wheelchair accessible restroom available.
    • Comments

      Shop and entrance area: 1 step, exhibition rooms only accessible via spiral staircase

Magic Box Museum

Schönbrunner Straße 262
1120 Vienna
  • Opening times

    • Every 1st Sunday of the month from 10.00 am - 4.00 pm, or groups of 10 or more people, with advance booking on tel. +43 664 20 49 377

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