The Natural History Museum Vienna stands on Maria-Theresien-Platz, directly opposite the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts). Both buildings were designed by the same architects and face each other as mirror images. Behind this facade are around 30 million objects. In 2024 the museum welcomed 971,061 visitors.
Yes, especially if you're traveling with children or enjoy natural science. The best-known pieces are quick to find. The Dinosaur Hall has skeletons of Allosaurus, Diplodocus and Iguanodon. The Venus of Willendorf is around 29,500 years old.
The Meteorite Hall is considered the largest publicly accessible meteorite collection in the world. Then there is the Gemstone Bouquet, with more than 2,100 diamonds and 761 other precious and semi-precious stones. If you're short on time, focus on these four stops.
If you're more interested in paintings, cross the square to the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Doing both in one day is possible, but tiring.
Admission costs €18, reduced €14. Children and young people under 19 get in free. To see how the prices compare with other museums, check our overview of admission prices in Vienna.
The museum is closed on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays it's open until 20:00, on all other days 09:00–18:00. If you have time in the evening, make use of the late Wednesday opening.
Take the U2 or U3 to Volkstheater; from there it's a few minutes on foot. The wheelchair entrance is at Burgring 7. There is level access to the elevator there, and staff will meet you at the porter's desk on request.
The museum was formally founded on April 29, 1876. Emperor Franz Joseph I opened it on August 10, 1889. It was designed by Gottfried Semper and Carl von Hasenauer as part of the Imperial Forum on the Ringstrasse (the Ring).
Plan your visit for a Wednesday evening. The museum is open until 20:00, and afterward you can head to the MuseumsQuartier right behind it for dinner.
Regular admission costs €18, reduced €14. Children and young people under 19 pay nothing. That puts the museum in the middle range of Vienna's major museums. If you're coming with children anyway, you only pay for the adults.
The museum is closed on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays it's open 09:00–20:00, on all other days 09:00–18:00. If you don't have time during the day, make use of the late Wednesday opening until 20:00.
The four best-known stops are the Dinosaur Hall with Allosaurus and Diplodocus, the roughly 29,500-year-old Venus of Willendorf, the Meteorite Hall and the Gemstone Bouquet with more than 2,100 diamonds. With these four you'll have seen the highlights in a manageable amount of time.
Yes. The wheelchair entrance is at Burgring 7, with level access to the elevator. You can borrow a wheelchair without reserving. On request, staff will meet you at the porter's desk and help you buy your ticket.
The easiest way is the U2 or U3 to Volkstheater. From there it's only a few minutes' walk to Maria-Theresien-Platz. The Kunsthistorisches Museum is directly opposite and the MuseumsQuartier right behind, so both are easy to combine.
Places nearby, sorted by distance from Natural History Museum Vienna.
Ringstraße, 1010 Vienna
Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna
Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna
Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna
Museumsplatz, 1070 Vienna
Blog posts related to this place.
Since 2026, there are no more 48- and 72-hour transit tickets, and that has changed the math for Vienna's sightseeing ca...