{"id":26023,"date":"2020-07-13T05:43:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T04:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=26023"},"modified":"2025-11-13T12:39:28","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T11:39:28","slug":"theatermuseum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/theatermuseum\/","title":{"rendered":"The Theatermuseum"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><a href=\"#tickets\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/theatermuseumticketsl.jpg\" alt=\"Theatre Museum sign\" class=\"wp-image-43777\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>All the world&#8217;s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>So wrote Shakespeare. And the entrance to Vienna&#8217;s Theatermuseum is on Lobkowitzplatz. Inside has a few surprises&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Located within a baroque palace<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exhibition(s) &amp; small permanent displays<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bonus treats for Beethoven &amp; Klimt fans<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Closed for day-to-day visits from Aug 18, 2025 to Oct 2026 due to refurbishment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#tickets\">What special exhibitions are on<\/a>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/concerts-opera-vienna-tickets-l206741\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_Theater\" rel=\"sponsored\">concert experience<\/a>* for Vienna<\/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\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"37363\">Exhibitions in Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/vienna-museums\/\">Vienna museums<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A museum of theatre<\/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\/2022\/03\/theatermuseum.jpg\" alt=\"The Theatermuseum\" class=\"wp-image-43778\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/theatermuseum.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/theatermuseum-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\">(The long front of the palais building)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re going to open a theatre museum, then you need a suitable stage. Vienna&#8217;s Theatermuseum occupies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/palais-lobkowitz\/\">Palais Lobkowitz<\/a>, built in the late 1600s and a former home to one of Beethoven&#8217;s chief sponsors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main attractions within depend on the current exhibition(s): the museum offers one or two small permanent displays and an ever-changing repertoire of special exhibitions that draw on the extensive collections within the museum archives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/austropop-exhibition\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"52088\">Austropop exhibition<\/a>, for example, took us through the idea of popular music in Austria. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/beethovens-ninth-symphony\/\">Joy, a Shining Divine Spark<\/a> presented pages from the original manuscript of Beethoven&#8217;s 9th symphony. And <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/johann-strauss-exhibition\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"75722\">Johann Strauss &#8211; The Exhibition<\/a> covered themes across the life and works of the King of the Waltz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the permanent highlights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A small exhibition around the masterful <em>Nuda Veritas<\/em> painting by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/gustav-klimt\/\">Gustav Klimt<\/a>, produced for an 1899 exhibition and purchased the following year by a strong supporter of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/wiener-moderne\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"28303\">Vienna modernism<\/a> movement (Hermann Bahr). Bahr&#8217;s estate bequeathed the painting to the museum<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that they sometimes loan out the <em>Nuda Veritas<\/em> for exhibitions elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"323\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/theatermuseumteschner.jpg\" alt=\"1911 postcard by Richard Teschner\" class=\"wp-image-57979\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/theatermuseumteschner.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/theatermuseumteschner-300x194.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\">(Postcard published by the Wiener Werkst\u00e4tte in 1911, featuring artwork by Richard Teschner, whose marionettes appear in the Theatermuseum; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 311108; reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Teschnerraum room with its collection of marionettes, many of which are works of art in their own right<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A small display of model stages, including a full model of the stage from the historical Hofburgtheater<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>They tore down that Hofburgtheater to complete the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/michaelerplatz-2\/\">Michaelerplatz<\/a> end of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/hofburg\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"2708\">Hofburg palace complex<\/a>. You can see the old building on the right side of the photo below (taken at the end of the 19th century).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look close to spot a stone eagle, wings outspread, up on the roof. The Theatermuseum has that very sculpted bird on display, too.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"378\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/michaelerplatzold.jpg\" alt=\"Historical view of Michaelerplatz\" class=\"wp-image-43780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/michaelerplatzold.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/michaelerplatzold-300x227.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 old Hoftheater; photo courtesy of the Rijksmuseum)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the way&#8230;they replaced the Hofburgtheater with the Burgtheater, which you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/burgtheater-tour\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"19099\">tour<\/a>. And, like the Theatermuseum, it has its own unexpected Klimt surprise inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The museum&#8217;s first floor has another particular jewel to offer up that you might not expect in an institution covering the theatrical arts: the Eroica Saal, where Beethoven&#8217;s third and fourth symphonies were performed before their public premieres. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/palais-lobkowitz\/\">More on that here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tickets\">Tickets, exhibitions &amp; tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An entrance ticket for or from the Theatermuseum includes access to any special exhibitions within. Note that the museum is closed to normal day-to-day visitors from August 18th, 2025 until October 2026. During that period, it only opens for special events, workshops &amp; education programme activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Special exhibitions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The current schedule at the time of writing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>250 Years of the Burg<\/em> (my translation; until June 30th, 2026): an external exhibition in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/theaters\/burgtheater\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"85\">the Burgtheater<\/a> celebrating that institutions 250th anniversary<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some more tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Instead of a normal entrance ticket, you can pay a little extra and buy a Palais Lobkowitz tour ticket on site. This includes museum entrance, but comes with an audio guide that explains more of the building&#8217;s history and architecture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Once you&#8217;re done in the palais, walk across the road for your next major site of interest: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/albertina\/\">Albertina<\/a> staterooms and prestigious art museum<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get to the Theatermuseum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Put the Theatermuseum on a long list of Viennese sites located right in the centre of town. The tourist information centre is practically a neighbour, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You also pass the museum on my suggested <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/walking-tour\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"50322\">self-guided walking route<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subway: Stephansplatz (U1 and U3) and Karlsplatz (U1, U2 and U4) stations will get you close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tram\/bus: the 2A bus that drives around the town centre stops close by (get off at Albertinaplatz or Plankengasse). The nearest tram stop is Oper\/Karlsplatz, with stops for the 1, 2, D, 62, and 71 trams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Lobkowitzplatz 2, 1010 Vienna | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatermuseum.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=1asmHlbVpicbQLt1557vf6l4l0zQ\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All the world&#8217;s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances So wrote Shakespeare. And the entrance to Vienna&#8217;s Theatermuseum is on Lobkowitzplatz. Inside has a few surprises&#8230; A museum of theatre (The long front of the palais building) If you&#8217;re going to open a theatre [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26019,"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-26023","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\/26023","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=26023"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26023\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87070,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26023\/revisions\/87070"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}