The Haus des Meeres is one of the three zoos in Vienna, along with Schönbrunn Zoo and Lainz Zoo.
This zoo is housed in an old anti-aircraft tower from World War II.
Here you will learn everything you need to know about the zoo's inhabitants, admission prices, attractions and its history.
What Can I See in the Haus des Meeres Zoo?
Haus des Meeres is an Aqua Terra Zoo. More than 10,000 live animals on an area of approx. 5,000 m², spread over 11 floors. It's residents include sharks, rays, turtles, freshwater fish, crocodiles, snakes, monkeys, birds and insects from around the world.
The following highlights await you here:
1. Marine Aquariums
- Shark Tank: The 300,000 liter shark tank is home to black tip sharks, bamboo sharks and the over 100 kg sea turtle, Puppi.
- 360° Shark Tank: This walk-around tank offers views from every angle. It features blacktip and bamboo sharks, as well as rays like the guitarfish and the bluespotted stingray.
- Hammerhead Shark Pool: The hammerhead shark pool awaits you on the 10th floor, where hammerhead sharks, southern stingray & more cavort.
- Atlantic Tunnel: The 10 meter long Atlantic tunnel with its 500,000 liter tank is not only the largest sea aquarium in Austria, thanks to the glass tube that runs through the middle of the tank, you get a spectacular view of the fish world of the Atlantic.
- Pacific Eye: This special aquarium is a two-meter-diameter Plexiglas hemisphere that allows a magnifying glass view into the rare world of the brown seaweed forest.
- Surf Reef: This adventure aquarium presents an impressive sea surf that is home to many colorful tropical fish and corals.
2. Terrariums
- Terrarium Section: The terrarium section is home to poisonous and giant snakes, crocodiles, turtles, lizards, frogs and various tarantulas.
3. Glass Extentions
- Tropical House: There is a pure jungle feeling in the tropical house, where more than 500 animals live. Covering an area of 200 m² and a height of over 20 meters, you can watch monkeys roaming around, tropical birds flying free and much more.
- Crocodile Park: From the entrance area, you can take a look up into the croc basin. In addition to the crocodiles, West African crocodiles, various fish, turtles, birds and monkeys also live in the crocodile park.
Admission, Tickets and Guided Tours
- Tickets: Admission for adults is €22.90. Children aged 6-15 pay €9.80, and children aged 3-5 pay €6.50. Online tickets are available here.
- Annual Pass: Annual passes are available for both adults (€39) and children (€19). They are valid from Monday to Friday. At the weekend you get a 25% discount on admission.
- Guided Tours: By prior registration via the official website’s booking form , both private tours (1–8 people) and group tours (from 20 people) are possible. Senior tours (Mon & Tue on weekdays outside holidays and school breaks) for groups of 15 or more, as well as school tours (Mon–Fri on weekdays outside holidays and school breaks), are free of charge. All other tours cost 100 euros (private tours up to 25 people, evening tours up to 10 people). More details can be found here.
- Feeding: Here you will find the current feeding program.
360° Ocean Sky Cafe Bar Roof Terrace
The 360° Ocean Sky rooftop restaurant on the 11th floor of the building is the highest rooftop location in the center of Vienna.
On the all-round terrace you can not only enjoy a spectacular panoramic view over the rooftops of Vienna, but also exquisite food and drinks.
Whether for a breather during the day or to end the evening - the newly opened 360° Ocean Sky promises to be one of the top locations in Vienna with its magnificent view.
Haus des Meeres for Children
- Questionnaire: In order to guarantee that children have an educational visit to the zoo, Haus des Meeres offers a questionnaire about its residents. You can download it from the homepage.
- Digital Explorer Tour: A free app from Haus des Meeres, developed with hublz, now guides visitors interactively and multimedia through the zoo. The traditional questionnaires have been modernized and enriched with exciting features — even TikTok star Jeff Schreiner is part of it. More info on the website.
- Children's Birthday Parties: For a very special birthday, you can let your children, from the age of 6 and above, celebrate in Haus des Meeres. The little ones are looked after by a guide who accompanies them on their treasure hunt through the zoo. You can find more information about this on the homepage. Haus des Meeres now also allows adults to celebrate their birthday there too. Details can be found here.
Climbing at Haus des Meeres
Climbing enthusiasts can look forward to an exciting attraction at Haus des Meeres. The Flakturm climbing facility offers a wide range of climbing opportunities and is also located here.
The 30 meter high climbing wall in the countryside is not only suitable for advanced climbers, but also beginners get their money's worth, thanks to various climbing courses.
More than 20 route variants from the 4th to the 9th level of difficulty lead to the roof of the flak tower - a grandiose climbing experience!
History of Hause des Meeres
On November 26, 1957, the Association for Marine Biology was founded, which at that time already set itself the goal of creating the “Haus des Meeres” in the former Esterházypark flak tower.
At that time, Haus des Meeres was the first seawater exhibition in Austria and only occupied 1 ½ floors of the flak tower, which was mostly empty at the time.
This was completed in July 1944 and functioned as a fire control tower until the end of the war. On the roof of the tower was the so-called "Würzburg giant". This was a radar device that was protected from air raids in the shaft by 3.5 meter thick reinforced concrete walls.
The fact that the zoo is housed in a former flak tower is a special feature and is the subject of the permanent exhibition, Remembering Inside".
The exhibition is located in the former command center and sheds light on the dark past of the flak tower. The exhibits include original exhibits and wall panels about the history of the building, which can be viewed in the staircase, and most of which have been preserved in its original condition. The permanent exhibition is accessible as part of a guided tour. You can find out more about this here.
Today, Haus des Meeres covers an area of 8,000 m², spread over 11 floors, and has been visited by more than 11.7 million guests since it opened in 1957.
Contact
- Address: Fritz-Grünbaum-Platz 1 (Esterházypark), 1060 Vienna
- U-Bahn: U3 Neubaugasse
- Parking: There is a Wipark parking garage in Windmühlgasse, in the immediate vicinity of the Aqua Zoo. Visitors to the Haus des Meeres can park here at a reduced rate. You will receive a discount card at the ticket office in the Haus des Meeres.
- Opening Times: You can find the current opening hours on the Haus des Meeres homepage.