{"id":18107,"date":"2019-08-08T04:53:24","date_gmt":"2019-08-08T03:53:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=18107"},"modified":"2025-12-23T17:19:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T16:19:53","slug":"technical-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/technical-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"Technisches Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><a href=\"#tickets-visitor-tips\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/technischesmuseumtickets2025.jpg\" alt=\"Glass roof with a historical building behind\" class=\"wp-image-82468\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The interactive experiences at the Technisches Museum (Vienna Museum of Science and Technology) are near endless. A place of excitement and exploration&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Numerous themed sections<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vast collection of exhibits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8230;including planes, trains &amp; automobiles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Top for families (obviously)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Special play areas for younger kids<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#tickets-visitor-tips\">What special exhibitions are on<\/a>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/vienna-attractions-c60335\/tickets-for-vienna-technical-museum-skip-the-line-p976418\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_TM\" rel=\"sponsored\">Technisches Museum tickets<\/a>*<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/events\/exhibitions\/#science\">Science exhibitions<\/a> in Vienna<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/vr-multimedia-immersive\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"57016\">Immersive experiences<\/a> in Vienna<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/kids-2\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"11143\">Vienna with kids<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-museum-of-technology\">Science &amp; technology<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/technischesmuseum2025.jpg\" alt=\"Front view of the Technisches Museum with logo\" class=\"wp-image-82466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/technischesmuseum2025.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/technischesmuseum2025-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Hard to miss the museum sign)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the opening in May 1918, one paper described the Technisches Museum as &#8220;&#8230;a treasury of domestic industrial effort&#8221; and expressed relief that young people need no longer travel to Munich to study industrial advances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll be pleased to learn the displays have changed over the years. But today&#8217;s museum still remains a source of wonder for the young (and old).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A visit takes you through various self-contained areas, each dealing with a particular topic. Examples include climate change, energy production, communication, work, materials, mobility, and musical instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of it as a testament to human scientific and industrial endeavour: a museum of progress.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/technischesmuseum2023.jpg\" alt=\"Model of a satellite hanging in a museum\" class=\"wp-image-64665\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/technischesmuseum2023.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/technischesmuseum2023-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(1:1 scale model of the ARTEMIS communication satellite; press photo \u00a9 Technisches Museum Wien\/Christine Tschavoll)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each section typically features both historical and modern items, with text, audio and video explaining developments through time and\/or the role played by particular technologies in today&#8217;s (and tomorrow&#8217;s) world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve listed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/technical-museum-highlights\/\">some highlights here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Five aspects of the museum particularly impress me&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-the-depth\">1. The Depth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The museum contains a universe of possibilities, with more exhibits and experiences than you can fit in a black hole. Almost too much (we&#8217;ll come back to that issue later). Everything from rare earth elements to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/10-12-steam-locomotive\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"27145\">giant steam locomotives<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the museum continually expands and updates its displays and collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-the-interactivity\">2. The Interactivity<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/technischesmuseummusiclounge.jpg\" alt=\"Music lounge in the Technisches Museum\" class=\"wp-image-64973\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/technischesmuseummusiclounge.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/technischesmuseummusiclounge-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The performance stage in the new Music Lounge dedicated to electronic music)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dozens of hands-on displays let you experience and explore technological principles, processes, and histories in a more memorable manner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you might &#8220;ride&#8221; a cable car, sit in a wheelchair simulator, appear in a newsroom broadcast, send a message by morse code, or perform on a giant karaoke stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Doing the newsroom broadcast, I squealed like an excited toddler.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-the-kid-friendly-exhibits\">3. The kid-friendly exhibits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Technisches Museum remains one of Vienna&#8217;s best places for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/kids-2\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"11143\">entertaining the kids<\/a>. Many of the interactive experiences specifically target children, plus two play &amp; activity areas (these require a separate timeslot ticket) help burn away the energy of the youngest family members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-the-sensitivity\">4. The sensitivity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The explanations and excitement around technology sit alongside an awareness of the pros and cons&#8230;particularly the associated social and environmental impacts and responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, for example, a display on mass media also includes insights into its abuse in spreading propaganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Posters throughout the museum highlight the work of women scientists and help redress the imbalance in our understanding of historical gender roles in technological progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-the-temporary-exhibitions\">5. The special exhibitions<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/smartworld3.jpg\" alt=\"Model of a cloud city\" class=\"wp-image-64934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/smartworld3.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/smartworld3-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Cloud City in the 2024 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/smart-world-ai\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"64951\">Smart World exhibition<\/a>; press photo \u00a9 Technisches Museum Wien)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, the temporary exhibitions at the museum always prove entertaining and informative (<a href=\"#tickets-visitor-tips\">see below<\/a> for the current schedules). Those I&#8217;ve enjoyed recently include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/smart-world-ai\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"64951\">Smart World<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/bioinspiration-exhibition\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"52786\">BioInspiration<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/artificial-intelligence-robotics\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"29317\">AI<\/a> (back before ChatGPT!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/foodprints-exhibition\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"40209\">Foodprints<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/special-effects-exhibition\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"19899\">Special Effects<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">But&#8230;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>All this excellence comes at a price&#8230;tired feet and minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With so much to see, poke, press, and read, a visit can be rather overwhelming. So it perhaps makes most sense to focus your time only on those sections that interest you most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, do a quick run through to admire some of the more spectacular exhibits and then narrow your interests down by topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tickets-visitor-tips\">Tickets, exhibitions &amp; tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Any entrance ticket from or for the Technisches Museum also includes all the special exhibitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)<\/p><div data-tiqets-widget=\"availability\" data-product-id=\"976418\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"AW_TM\" data-layout=\"full\"><\/div><script defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Special exhibitions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The current schedule for the main exhibitions (at the time of writing):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/more-than-recycling\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"85272\">More than Recycling<\/a> (until December, 2026): insights into the circular economy, resource use, and resource sustainability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Under the Spell of the Railway<\/em> (until August 2nd, 2026): exploring railways in the context of the 200th anniversary of this mode of transport. Includes many historical models and also examines rail as a marker of social change and development<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A few additional tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Those under 19 go in free<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The great majority of displays contain both German and English text<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Immediately after the ticket control, turn left for a museum shop full of puzzles, little science kits, small toys and all you might expect from a museum of technology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The museum caf\u00e9-restaurant also has a self-service area for buying drinks and snacks without waiting for service. On my visit, the table menu included decent vegetarian and vegan options. (Tip: the sweet potato fries were excellent&#8230;and generously portioned)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A ten minute walk takes you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/palace-of-schonbrunn\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1672\">Sch\u00f6nbrunn<\/a> palace and park, which has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/palace-of-schonbrunn\/vienna-zoo\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1674\">Tiergarten Sch\u00f6nbrunn<\/a> (a world-leading zoo), a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/schonbrunn\/childrensmuseum\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"119\">Children&#8217;s Museum<\/a> (dress up like a Habsburg), and various other entertainments for youngsters<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Finally, if you enjoy interactivity, then consider some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/vr-multimedia-immersive\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"57016\">Virtual Reality tours and experiences<\/a> Vienna has to offer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-get-to-the-technical-museum\">How to get to the Technisches Museum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To travel there direct on public transport:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subway: it&#8217;s a ten minute walk from Sch\u00f6nbrunn station (on the U4 line) or a slightly longer one from Johnstra\u00dfe station (on the U3 line)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tram\/bus: two tram stops more or less flank the museum&#8230;Penzinger Stra\u00dfe and Winckelmannstra\u00dfe. The 60 or 52 tram lines are a good bet, since they both leave from a major railway and subway station (Westbahnhof). The 10A bus stops at Linzer Stra\u00dfe\/Johnstra\u00dfe, which is close to the museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Mariahilfer Stra\u00dfe 212, 1140 Vienna | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.technischesmuseum.at\/\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1oN2SutdbrqOx-JViFyKk3v-X_Kw\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The interactive experiences at the Technisches Museum (Vienna Museum of Science and Technology) are near endless. A place of excitement and exploration&#8230; Science &amp; technology (Hard to miss the museum sign) At the opening in May 1918, one paper described the Technisches Museum as &#8220;&#8230;a treasury of domestic industrial effort&#8221; and expressed relief that young [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":82467,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-18107","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-museums","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18107"}],"version-history":[{"count":60,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87745,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18107\/revisions\/87745"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}