{"id":9264,"date":"2019-01-23T06:21:28","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T05:21:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=9264"},"modified":"2026-03-03T11:51:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T10:51:25","slug":"weltmuseum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/khm\/weltmuseum\/","title":{"rendered":"The Weltmuseum"},"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\/2022\/02\/weltsmalltickets.jpg\" alt=\"Weltmuseum gates\" class=\"wp-image-43310\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The name Weltmuseum translates literally as &#8220;World museum&#8221;. Consider it a lucky dip into the history and culture of the world&#8217;s peoples&#8230;but with enough self-awareness to know issues are raised when you display valuable ethnic artifacts from other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Modern ethnographic museum<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Each room covers a region or sociocultural issue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Also explores a theme&#8217;s relationship to Austria<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Part of the &#8220;Neue Hofburg&#8221; ticket<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This ticket also includes:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Imperial Armoury<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Historical instrument collection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/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\/vienna-attractions-c60335\/tickets-for-neue-hofburg-house-of-habsburg-entry-ticket-weltmuseum-p1115618?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_Welt\" rel=\"sponsored\">Neue Hofburg tickets<\/a>*<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Selected <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/past-exhibitions-weltmuseum\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"31945\">past Weltmuseum exhibitions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\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>The Austrian museum of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/volkskundemuseum\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"47771\">Folk Life and Folk Art<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-s-the-weltmuseum\">What&#8217;s the Weltmuseum?<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/weltmuseumfront.jpg\" alt=\"Front of the Weltmuseum\" class=\"wp-image-55139\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/weltmuseumfront.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/weltmuseumfront-300x196.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 Weltmuseum Wien; press photo \u00a9 KHM-Museumsverband)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The permanent exhibitions of the Weltmuseum take you on a journey across the world, where each room tackles a particular topic or region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One room might feature &#8220;Mesoamerica&#8221; with an ancient feathered <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/queztal-feather-headdress\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"27927\">Aztec headdress<\/a> and &#8220;Day of the Dead&#8221; art; the next might examine the topic of &#8220;migration&#8221;. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As such, you experience a series of vignettes of world history and world cultures, often presented within the context of their connection to Austria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, as well as seeing 19th century Indian art, for example, you learn how the heir to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/austria-hungary\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"12858\">Austria-Hungary<\/a>, Franz Ferdinand, actually came to possess it.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/hallofcolumns.jpg\" alt=\"Weltmuseum Hall of Columns\" class=\"wp-image-51833\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/hallofcolumns.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/hallofcolumns-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 gorgeous Hall of Columns; press photo \u00a9 KHM-Museumsverband)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The museum occupies rooms in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/neue-burg\/\">Neue Burg part<\/a> of the Hofburg Palace, encircling a huge marbled atrium known as the <em>Hall of Columns<\/em> (pictured above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This entrance hall reminds me of a multilayered Roman villa, all cream marble columns flecked in black, and topped off by painted ceiling arches and a giant skylight. A most impressive sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fresh and modern presentations, plenty of videos and interactive screens, and a diverse approach to displays gives each gallery its own character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The overall result is a history museum. And a cultural museum. And a science museum. And, well, a museum of people, essentially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><em>Ad:<\/em><br><\/div><div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-slug-ids=\"pro1115618,pro974058\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"DA_Weltmuseum\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The exhibits certainly mirror the variety and diversity in human cultures: a collection of Indonesian ankle chains in one room, an analysis of language distribution in modern-day Vienna in another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here a beautiful model of the Edo-period residence of a Japanese feudal lord, there a feather bust of a god from Hawaii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In presenting these cultural and historical artifacts from a region, the Weltmuseum does not shy away from discussing the associated problems and complexities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So displays of native American art include baseball caps that invite questions about cultural appropriation by sports teams. An examination of life in a Himalayan village highlights the migration of labour to other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/weltmuseuminside.jpg\" alt=\"Gallery view inside the Weltmuseum\" class=\"wp-image-55140\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/weltmuseuminside.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/weltmuseuminside-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\">(Gallery &#8220;At the threshold of the Orient&#8221;; press photo \u00a9 KHM-Museumsverband)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The museum raises such issues, but rarely provides an explicit answer. Instead, it encourages you to critically examine topics for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nor does the Weltmuseum ignore the twin &#8220;elephants in the room&#8221; when it comes to ethnographic collections: colonialism and imperialism. (Three if you include the controversial <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/queztal-feather-headdress\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"27927\">Penacho<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Austria never had the colonial legacy of, for example, a UK or France, but the Habsburgs were beneficiaries and enablers of colonial and imperialistic behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ironically (and possibly deliberately?), a room examining the legitimacy of former colonial powers possessing valuable artifacts from abroad stands adjacent to one with a precious royal screen &#8220;liberated&#8221; by Austrian forces during the Chinese Boxer rebellion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tickets-visitor-tips\">Tickets, exhibitions &amp; tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Access requires a Neue Hofburg ticket, which includes three attractions all in the same building: the Weltmuseum, the imperial armoury and the historical music collection.<\/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-layout=\"full\" data-orientation=\"vertical\" data-product-id=\"1115618\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"AW_Welt\"><\/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<p>The floor above the Weltmuseum permanent exhibitions houses those two additional collections included in the Neue Hofburg ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/khm\/imperial-armoury\/\">Imperial Armoury<\/a> has an assortment of decorated arms and armour of the past that includes many spectacular items owned and worn by members of the nobility<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/khm\/historical-instruments\/\">Historical Musical Instruments<\/a> collection presents the development of instruments through time but also features specific items used by Vienna&#8217;s famous composers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Special exhibitions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Several special exhibitions usually run at any one time. These typically encompass ethnographic topics, but often layered in contemporary art. The main schedule at the time of writing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Colonialism on the Window Sill<\/em> (until May 25th, 2026): ten plants well-known in Europe but with a colonial past<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/dark-pairing-exhibition\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"35347\">Dark Pairing<\/a> (ongoing): Wie-yi T. Lauw\u2019s images of plants intermeshed with twine invite us to give more thought to the issues surrounding colonialism<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>The Colours of the Earth<\/em> (until April 6th, 2026): woven fabrics that mesh traditional techniques and art with the contemporary<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>The Ultimate Breath<\/em> (until May 25th, 2026): solo exhibition for Indah Arsyad, who draws on the symbolism of historical Javanese mythology and culture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Regenerative Design<\/em> (ongoing): design students present the results of their analysis of 20 objects from the museum in the context of new approaches and perspectives not limited by traditional Global North thinking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>The Craftocene<\/em> (until August 16th, 2026): three works by SUPERFLUX addressing speculative futures and juxtaposed with items from the Weltmuseum collection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Next up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Kiteezi<\/em> (May 29th to October 11th, 2026): installation by Nabukenya Allen, which sees renewal arising out of rubbish<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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\/2024\/04\/weltmuseumcamels.jpg\" alt=\"Model camels in a display case\" class=\"wp-image-70867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/weltmuseumcamels.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/weltmuseumcamels-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\">(View of the <em>On the Backs of Camels<\/em> 2024\/2025 exhibition; press photo \u00a9 KHM-Museumsverband)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A caf\u00e9 and bistro occupies part of the Hall of Columns, so you can marvel at the architecture while you eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On my last visit, the bistro offered coffees, teas, cold drinks and cakes, but also snacks and meals, with both traditional Austrian fare, such as the Sacher variation on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/frankfurter\/\">Frankfurter sausages<\/a>, and one or two representatives of world cuisine, such as coconut curry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few more tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A Vienna Pass (see my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/vienna-pass-review\/\">review<\/a>) gets you in once for free. As a national museum, kids under 19 go in free anyway<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You can normally visit the Hall of Columns and caf\u00e9 (and the toilets, for example) without an entrance ticket<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The museum shop at the exit sells books, souvenirs etc. with a little more colour and diversity than the usual museum outlets. It shares premises with the Imperial Shop, which stocks Viennese wares, souvenirs, arts, and crafts of a more local nature <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All text, videos and interactive displays in the Weltmuseum part are in both German and English (nice!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The location also offers the option to rent a special &#8220;House of Habsburg&#8221; audio guide that uses the Neue Burg and museum rooms to wander through the history of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/habsburgs\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"12848\">the dynasty<\/a> that ruled Vienna and an empire for centuries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-get-to-the-weltmuseum\">How to get to the Weltmuseum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s hard to miss the entrance. Face the huge, curved historical building on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/heldenplatz\/\">Heldenplatz square<\/a> and the Weltmuseum sits at the right-hand end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finding Heldenplatz is easy. It&#8217;s at the core of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/walking-tour\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"50322\">walking route<\/a> you probably take on any visit to Vienna, part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/hofburg\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"2708\">Hofburg complex<\/a>, and opposite the imposing and popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/khm\/overview\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1446\">Kunsthistorisches<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/natural-history-museum\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"252\">Naturhistorisches<\/a> museums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subway: the nearest station is Museumsquartier on the U2 line, but it&#8217;s just a short walk from Volkstheater (U2 and U3 lines), Herrengasse (U3) and even Karlsplatz (U1, U2 and U4), too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tram\/bus: take a 1, 2, 71 or D tram to Burgring<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Heldenplatz, 1010 Vienna | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weltmuseumwien.at\/\">Website<\/a>\ufeff<\/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>The name Weltmuseum translates literally as &#8220;World museum&#8221;. Consider it a lucky dip into the history and culture of the world&#8217;s peoples&#8230;but with enough self-awareness to know issues are raised when you display valuable ethnic artifacts from other countries. What&#8217;s the Weltmuseum? (The Weltmuseum Wien; press photo \u00a9 KHM-Museumsverband) The permanent exhibitions of the Weltmuseum [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9265,"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":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9264","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-khm","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9264","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=9264"}],"version-history":[{"count":65,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89024,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9264\/revisions\/89024"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}