The majestic Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) on Maria-Theresien-Platz stands opposite the Natural History Museum as an architectural mirror image.
With 1.5 million visitors annually, it is not only one of the most important museums in Vienna, but also one of the most important in the world.
The museum, with one of the most magnificent interiors in Vienna, has precious art treasures from seven millennia, from the time of Ancient Egypt to the end of the 18th century.
This includes the "Saliera", estimated to be worth more than 50 million euros, which was stolen in 2003. Ever since the golden salt cell was found in a forest and brought back in 2006, it has been one of the museum's most famous exhibits.
Collections in the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum)
Created from the estates of the Habsburgs, the Art History Museum, with its collection of important works and the world's largest Bruegel collection, is one of the most extensive and important art collections in the world.
Permanent Exhibition
- Egyptian-Oriental Collection: Marvel at one of the world's most important collections of Egyptian antiquities. Over 17,000 objects covering 4,500 years deal with the areas of death cult, cultural history, fine arts and the development of writing. Highlights include sarcophagi, mummies, the richly decorated cult chamber of Ka-ni-nisut from the Old Kingdom, as well as facial steles from ancient South Arabia and a lion depiction from Babylon's Ishtar Gate.
- Collection of Antiquities: around 2,500 exhibits from three millennia take you into the fascinating world of classical antiquity. Particularly noteworthy are the treasure finds from the Migration Period and the early Middle Ages, the unique antique cameos and the vase collection with masterpieces such as the Brygos Skyphos.
- Picture Gallery: In addition to the world's largest Bruegel collection, the picture gallery shows many major works of Western art, including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, Dürer and Tintoretto. Particularly worth mentioning are Raphael's "Madonna im Grünen", the Infanta pictures by Velazquez and Vermeer's "Malkunst".
- Vienna Art Chamber: As one of the most important Art Chambers in the world, it presents rare exhibits from the former Habsburg treasury and cabinet of curiosities. The showpiece is the already mentioned Saliera by Benvenuto Cellini. The Art Chamber of Emperor Rudolf II and the exotica complex are also well worth seeing.
- Coin Cabinet: This collection with around 600,000 objects from three millennia is one of the five largest and most important coin collections in the world. It goes back to the Imperial Habsburg collection.
Changing exhibitions complete the top-class offer. Here you will find the current special exhibitions.
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) Locations
The KHM Museum Association comprises the following 7 locations.
- Art History Museum Vienna: The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) is the main building and houses the picture gallery, Egyptian-Oriental collection, antiquity collection, Art Chamber and the coin cabinet.
- Vienna World Museum: The World Museum is located in the Vienna Imperial Palace, just a 6-minute walk from the main building. With 250,000 ethnographic objects and an important photo collection with around 140,000 photographs and around 146,000 printed objects, it is the largest ethnographic museum in Austria.
- Vienna Imperial Treasury: This is located in the Swiss Wing, the oldest part of the Vienna Imperial Palace, just a 5-minute walk from the main building. The treasury houses treasures of the Habsburgs, including the imperial crown and the Austrian imperial crown.
- Theseus Temple: The Theseus Temple is a Greek-style temple from 1823 that displays exceptional works of art. It is in Volksgarten, an 8-minute walk from the main building.
- Imperial Coach: The Imperial Coach is located in the Schönbrunn palace complex. It presents carriages and extraordinary items of clothing from the Austrian imperial family.
- Theater Museum: The museum in Lobkowitz Palace is a 12-minute walk from the main building. It is dedicated to the history of theater from the late 15th century to contemporary experiments and shows the diversity of theater.
- Ambras Innsbruck Castle: This medieval castle is located in Innsbruck. The art museum in the lower castle is considered the oldest museum in the world and presents the collections of the Renaissance prince and client Archduke Ferdinand II - one of the most important collectors of the Habsburg Empire.
Admission, Tickets and Prices of Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum)
- Tickets: Admission for adults is €16. Children and young people under the age of 19 have free admission.
- Combination Tickets: With the “Treasures of the Habsburgs” combination ticket for €22, you get admission to the Art History Museum and the Imperial Treasury. The "Masterticket" for €24, on the other hand, entitles you to visit the Art History Museum and the Leopold Museum.
- Annual Tickets: An annual ticket is also available. This card gives you access to the following seven museums for one year: Art History Museum, Imperial Treasury, Imperial Carriage Museum, Theater Museum, World Museum with court hunting and armory and a collection of old musical instruments, Ambras Castle Innsbruck and Theseus Temple.
- Friends of the KHM: If you would like to support the Art History Museum, you can apply for membership in the Association of Friends of the KHM for €70. Membership is valid for 12 months from the date of joining. More about this here.
- Guided Tours: Those interested can take part in the public guided tours of the Art History Museum. Registration is not required. The current range of guided tours and the respective prices can be found on the museum 's homepage.
- Audio Guide: An audio guide in seven languages is available for a rental fee.
Here you will find a detailed overview of the current ticket program.
Museum Cafe
Art lovers can take a delicious breather in the in-house café-restaurant.
The extremely photogenic café-restaurant in the breathtaking dome hall with its magnificent backdrop is a very popular photo motif - especially with the Instagram community.
Treat yourself to traditional specialties in an elegant interior and historic ambience.
A valid museum ticket is required to visit the restaurant.
History of the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum)
The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) was built in 1891 under Emperor Franz Joseph for the imperial art collections. He had the imperial collections of the Habsburgs, Emperor Rudolf II, Ferdinand of Tyrol and Archduke Leopold Wilhelm brought together and exhibited in a specially built building on Ringstrasse.
The architects Gottfried Semper and Baron Karl von Hasenauer, who began construction in 1871, were commissioned with this and the simultaneous construction of the Natural History Museum.
The two palace-like museums face each other like a mirror image on Maria-Theresien-Platz.
In keeping with the world-class artworks on display, the museum's magnificent interior also impresses with its richly decorated interiors, domes and neoclassical staircases.
Contact
- Address: Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum), Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna
- U-Bahn: U3 Volkstheater
- Opening Times: The current opening times can be found on the museum's homepage.