Museum of Natural History Vienna

The natural history museum is absolutely incredible. Situated in a beautiful 19th century building that is big enough to be a palace, the ornate designs and construction is worth seeing on its own. But the museum has immense collections that are dazzling. The minerals, gems, and meteorites take up 5 huge rooms and are one of the largest collections I've seen. The animals are also seemingly endless. The diversity of specimens really bring out the evolutionary changes in species. Like there are 4 different species of taxidermied rhinoceros. And like a hundred snakes. Seeing all the samples is dazzling. Can't recommend this museum enough! I love visiting natural history museums, and this one stands out as one of the best I've seen!

What a beautiful museum! The history of the museum is just as interesting as what's in it and the architecture is gorgeous. I was blown away with how much there was to see. We were in here for almost 6hrs! That did include lunch at the cafe haha. Some of the taxidermy animals are incredible specimens, although some are showing their age. The dinosaur exhibits were fun. I was very appreciative that there was a lot of inscriptions translated in English. I really enjoyed learning about the salt mines. The gem exhibit was unbelievable and stunning. This museum is a worthwhile visit!

An exceptional collection of minerals from around the world. A rich collection of meteorites from various localities. Dinosaurs and mammoths as well as large collections of stuffed animals from all over the world. A beautiful cafe restaurant with a good selection of coffee, food and sweets. Suitable for kids and families, one visit is not enough, the collection is huge and very detailly explained

The Natural History Museum was amazing! The exhibits were interesting and varied, and there was so much to learn. It’s perfect for children, with many fun and interactive activities. Highly recommended!

That's a good museum. Quite a lot of exhibits from various categories. I especially like the moving dinosaur and the mineral collection which includes quite big meteorites. Some areas are more modern however the majority of exhibitions are in rather traditional fasion. You can spend many hours there.

The Vienna Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) is nothing short of magnificent - a temple of knowledge wrapped in imperial grandeur. From the moment you step into its vast marble halls beneath a painted dome, you realize this isn’t just a museum; it’s a cathedral dedicated to the wonder of creation. Its collections are astonishing in both scale and diversity, treasures gathered from every corner of the world. Ancient fossils, towering skeletons, glittering minerals, and lifelike dioramas tell the story of Earth and life in exquisite detail. The meteorite hall, one of the largest in the world, is absolutely captivating, fragments of the cosmos themselves resting quietly behind glass, reminders that we are part of something much larger. The gemstone collection dazzles in contrast: a kaleidoscope of color and light that turns science into art. And then there’s the architecture, majestic, symmetrical, and deeply human in its craftsmanship. Every corridor and ceiling fresco seems to invite you to pause, look up, and feel small in the best possible way. A visit to the Vienna Natural History Museum is not just educational, it’s humbling. It connects past and present, Earth and sky, science and beauty. Truly one of Vienna’s crown jewels, where curiosity feels sacred. Highly recommend. You would spend more than 5 hours of your time here. And it is totally worth it. Be prepared to feel overwhelmed.

We were with Vienna Pass and we didn't wait for tickets at all, they scanned our passes directly at the entrance and we got in quickly. The museum is huge, take at least 2-3 hours to explore, it's definitely worth it. There are so many things to see, it's very interesting. We liked the section with dinosaurs, primitive people and stuffed animals the most. The museum also has an elevator for people with mobility problems or if your legs hurt from walking.

One of the most interesting museums! An incredible number of exhibits - from stones to taxidermied animals. The variety is stunning. It's impossible to see everything, impossible to listen to everything the audio guide offers. By the way, I recommend getting the audio guide. I spent 6 hours at the museum and rushed through the last 20% of the exhibition almost at a run. I'll definitely visit again, but in reverse order)

Time spent visiting a natural history museum in any city is never time wasted, especially one of this size and spectre. Prices were reasonable for entry and the exhibits were very well done, with not a lot of dinosaur skeletons on exhibit, you can see a wonderful selection of rocks and minerals.

This is the Science museum and they have a lot of different options and fun facts. It was cool to see the dinosaurs skeleton and other science items that are worth seeing.

Absolutely incredible museum. Not only is it visually stunning but it houses some incredible collections. They seemingly have every species of bird ever located, it's crazy! Some really unusual ones too. As well as an array of animal species, fossils, and crystals. Incredible! Also has an amazing cafe.

The Naturhistorisches Museum is an internationally important museum that's definitely worth visiting if you're in Vienna. The Venus of Willendorf is in her own room. There's an extensive collection of minerals & gemstones, which is very impressive. There are meteorites. There are rooms full of glass cases of taxidermied animals. It can be sad to see, especially when they have many dead individuals from extinct species -- this prompts reflections on how humans have roamed the earth killing so many wonderful beings in the name of science and spectacle. The architecture of the building is beautiful. Major text is often given in English as well as German, though the labels for individual specimens are not necessarily in English.

Spent around 2 hours and half here and was able to see it fully- really nice, informative, and chill if you just want to walk around a see cool things. Perfect for any type of outing (intimate or casual/alone or group) and all ages. The gift shop is adorable and has some really cool items. (it was a little warm and stuffy inside, was hot by the end of it.)

Husband's favorite place on our whole trip. Do yourself a favor and go first thing in the morning and race through to see everything without people. Then do the whole thing a second time more slowly. Pictures are amazing without people in them. Make sure to get the Venus of willendorf and the animatronic dinosaur. It's a huge museum and gorgeous. The building itself is worth the trip. My husband really enjoyed the mineral specimens and the huge collection of meteorites. I liked the dinosaurs! But the stuffed animals (real animal specimens) were interesting too. There is even a digital planetarium. It does get hot in here, so go on a cool day. I think it must be unbearable on very hot days.

Truly the best natural history museum in the world! The American Museum of Natural History in NYC and the Smithsonian one in Washington, D.C. don't even come close! A temporary exhibit, 'Krieg' (war) is amazing. It deals with the origins of warfare from the earliest humans and then until the Thirty Years War. The Meteorite Room is to die for!!

Coming here was a bit of a risk for me. I did not really know what to expect, and did not think I would be very interested by what I would inside. I was wrong. The museum is amazing, beautiful, large, well organized, and has a good variety of exhibits. Maine them were minerals, animals, dinosaurs (including one that moved and roared). There were so some interesting interactive exhibits related to volcanoes, evolution, and Continental drift. So...why only 4 stars and not 5? Well, first I felt there were a few too many exhibits dedicated to human related things and not natural things for such a museum. Second, while it is large, I would have liked more variety of exhibits. While minerals and animals are awesome, when a massive portion of the museum is dedicated to that, you don't get to experience the same amount of natural history

The museum was great, the exhibitions were amazing and we spent almost 2 hours there just walking around taking in everything from the mineral collection to the beautiful building. It would have been a more informative and interesting for us if more of the information about the items in the exhibition had been in English. I thought we missed quite a lot by not understanding everything that was written about the items we saw. We also had a small coffee break in the café where the lady that worked there tried to charge us more for the coffee by giving us back the wrong amount of change and helping herself to tips that we would never have dreamed of giving her. We noticed that the people at the table behind us had the same problem when they were paying. So pay attention.

Pretty much what you would expect from a natural history museum: Fairly detailed exhibits. Large range of subjects. Well thought out and good progression. Very fairly priced, (we paid only 2€ each on a Sunday) even though my personal opinion is that it should really be free. And now the bad points: The different halls have vastly inconsistent content levels. In some there is so much info whereas in others there is barely anything at all. The restaurant service is non existent. We waited at the counter and on a table for around 15 minutes and nobody came to us or even acknowledged our existence. There is very little interactive content which is key in this day and age if you want to attract the younger generation. But the main reason for the 4 stars is the building itself. Just spectacular! There is a huge double marble staircase leading out of the massive entrance hall with checkered floor. And the paintings towards the ceilings in the halls are spectacular. Sometimes even better than the exhibits. Everywhere you look there are details on the walls and ceilings that are especially wonderful. Really worth it if only for the building.

I have visited the Natural History Museum in Vienna several times over the years and it is definitely one of the things you should see there The Museum itself is housed in an ornate building that appears to date from the later part of the nineteenth century. The building itself is almost worth price of admission. There is a nice cafe where you can get coffee, some of those fantastic Viennese pastries and sit down for a while. When I was there last they had a special exhibit on war in which they had, based on archaeological evidence, reconstructed the types and frequency of wounds suffered by soldiers at the Battle of Lutzen during the Thirty Years War. It was fascinating and made you glad you weren't a participant. They also have exhibits on pre-modern humans such as Neanderthals which makes you think that they weren't that much different from us. It seems that a modern trend in museums is to dumb things down. This isn't the case in the Natural History Museum. There is a lot to see and it is presented in a way that doesn't insult your intelligence. BTW signage is in English as well as German. We were there with my grandchildren who were 6 and 9 and they enjoyed the Museum also.

A good sized museum full of tons of animals and specimen! The museum consists of two big floors. The walking path is easy to follow and it assures you'll see everything the museum has to see. I also thought it was nice most the informational plaques were both in German and English. I went on a Wednesday night where they are open til 9pm. The museum wasn't very crowded which made my visit pretty peaceful. There's a lot to see so come with plenty of time. I spent about three hours there but easily could stayed longer. Adult entrance fee is €12. I didn't give all five stars because I was hoping for more interactive things. I still enjoyed seeing the many animals though.

If you're in Vienna for a short time and want to visit a museum, the Natural History is the best one to go to. It's one of the oldest and largest museums in the world. They have the largest collection of minerals I've ever seen. There were so many different types from all parts of the world. It was arranged neatly, filling room after room. At one point, I thought the entire museum was just on rocks, but it eventually moved on to other exhibits. They have an awesome dinosaur exhibit and taxidermy exhibits on birds, beetles, and reptiles. The building itself is also very beautiful! Look up to see the detailed sculptures and paintings near the ceiling. The museum is 10€ for adults (5€ if you're a student). Most of the descriptions have an English translation. They also offer audio guides. If you're hungry, there is a cafe on the top level. I didn't eat there so I can't review on that. If you go during November or December, there is a Christmas market out front.

A remarkable collection which includes a 25,000 year old relic which is incredible. The museum has also gone out of its way to cater to kids, so a great place for the family.

If you like natural history museums you should come here if you are in Vienna. Its a great Museum, although I was expecting it to be a bit cooler than it was. It was boiling so don't expect to go on a hot day and cool down. The place is full of Dinosaurs, rocks, dead insects and stuffed animals. So if you like that sort of thing you should go and have a look. Note there isn't much English translation and most of the animals/birds have different names. Which is fair enough not many German translations in the London museums either! Also the cafe is a bit pricey so I knocked of a star for the heat and cafe prices.

I can't believe I waited more than one year before entering the natural history museum of Vienna. I simply loved it! And not only because it was a rainy Sunday outside ;) The geological and zoological expositions are both interesting and well presented, with all the beautiful minerals, microorganisms, insects, and my absolute favorite: the animals part! I felt like a child again, being so enthusiastic about stuffed animals!! They are grupped in zoological families and positioned as if they were still alived, in a representation of their natural environment. Take the time to read some of the posters. I personally learned a lot about marsupials! Plus, right from the entrance I couldn't help myself but being impressed by the building museum itself, with all the marble decor, statues and paintings... Each room is beautiful, it's like a nature historical museum within an art museum! It looks quite similar to its twin the Kunstmuseum, but the themes of the paintings are definitely more nature oriented! In the center of the builging there is a nice café-restaurant, not more expensive than any other Café in Vienna (!) but quite busy... Take a look at the dome and the statues matching the biological themes written in golden letters... I had to withdraw one star for the noise though: on a Sunday afternoon, there are plenty of children and it can be really, really loud, especially with the acoustic of the café-restaurant and its (beautiful) dome...

This place is massive! All the rooms in themselves are so beautiful and this is before you start looking at the artefacts on display. Arriving at around 16:00, this gave us 2 hours to see it all. The ticket seller said this was doable. So we paid, but not full price. Entrance fee was reduced to 10 EUR each because it was later in the day. Nice one :) There is sooooooo much to see. Seriously. If you want to see everything and read everything, I recommend you arrive at the start of the day. Highlights: The discount The archetecture The dinosaur collection The bug collection The birds collection (especially the Dodo) The live beehive that the bees have access to using a pipe fed through the window. ....I could go on and on (but I wont) Lowlights: The heat, no AC. Which is surprising, I would have thought the atmosphere would be more controlled in here to protect the artefacts. This place is a definite must see if you are in Vienna.

Lot of fantastic minerals and crystals. Amazing exhibition of stuffed animals and a bit small but really well prepered anthropology exhibition. I am very glad that i have visited this museum. Although it was not the nature, what made the biggest impression on me, it was the architecture inside the building. It is outstanding and really shows the history of... art. Anyway, you should visit this museum, for either paintings inside the building or the exhibitions. ;)

What an amazing museum! I love just museum of natural history, and this one is one of the best that I had visit so far. Vienna Museum of Natural History offers a really huge collection and amazing architecture. One thing I like to mention first, this museum building opened in 1889 at the same time as the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which located opposite side. Maria Theresien Platz is in the middle separated both buildings. These two museums building have identical looks, even some part of the museum inside just look familiar to the other. They built for the huge collection of the Habsburgs. Our friend he went to the other one which the collection of art was much more interesting for him. But my partner and I just picked this one. I was so impressed by how the museum look when I first walked in, I mean, I was already impressed before I walked in, but inside was just breathtaking beautiful. I keep looking at the top of the building for awhile, so many details. Then I followed this grand stairway, get to the café at the upper floor. This whole area was just brilliant. We started from this area and went around the whole museum. Many different collect and organized really by the themes. My favorite are the areas of insert, animal in ocean and the whole animal in the wild, the part I think it could improve was the area about astronomy, which there were mostly just pictures here, they could of find a way which more interactive to explain the planet. At the ground floor, I also like the area about the dinosaur, which they got one built could moves like a really one, pretty badass. The Geologic temperature was also really interesting. They showed how thing went on earth from past to now with modern technology, not just paper and data. And the collection of rock just fascinating I think the museum is really great for family visit, student who doing related study or simply just like it as hobby and like to know more. This museum has huge and various collection. They didn't use a traditional and education way to showcase the topic in their theme, instead of, there adopted some creative ways to do so in order to make it interested for all different age. It reminds some great museum like In Belgium, New York City, Berlin that I have been. I could spend the whole day here.

The Natural History Museum is housed in the grand twin building facing the Kunsthistoriches Museum. I spent 4 hours here and could easily have spent another full day at the museum. The 25,000 year-old Venus of Willendorf is a sight to see. Found in the Danube Valley, she is only 4 inches tall, has exaggerated dimensions, and she was found in one piece. The dinosaurs and mammoth exhibits are impressive. Enjoy the model dinosaur that moves and roars. My favorite section was the anthropology/human evolution exhibit in salles 14 and 15. There is a lot of information on bipedalism and brain development, available in English and German. The comparisons between the Neanderthal and Homo sapiens skulls and skeletons were informative, and my favorite part was the CSI exhibit, where you inspect a skeleton and determine its genus and species, sex, diet, work, and medical diagnoses - for example a bone tumor. Really lots of fun. The only negative - the guy at the ticket booth was trashy and disrespectful to single women. He was flirting in a disrespectful way and exhibited behavior (gestures and whispering things in German that I looked up later on) that would warrant contacting the supervisor or even security/police in the US. Uncouth.

This was a huge (and beautiful) building full of tons of dead animals. There were four rooms full of birds. It was like a zoo cemetery. I was so disappointed because I was looking forward to seeing it, but it was more like a warehouse instead of a museum. There were amenities like free lockers and audio guides.

This is truly a place full of wonder and amazement, with beautifully crafted exhibits, charming models and stunning displays spanning its vast collection. The attention to detail is just unbelievable. Particular highlights for me included weird and wonderful microscopic devices, improbable numbers of butterflies, huge cases full of sharks that you could individually light up and finally - a rather bizarre arrangement of a human skeleton sitting at a writing desk with a small monkey harassing him. There was probably a butterfly involved there too! Some of the displays have information in English. Very highly recommended for anyone with any interest in the natural world!

Outstanding, even if some of the displays are old fashioned. The meteorite and the mineral rooms have to be the best exhibits in the world; so many samples it would make any collector want to weep. The artifacts of prehistoric man and the time period to the Celts has to been seen and don't miss the Venus of Willendorf, it is in its own room. Overall, 5 hours invested here and I was so happy to have seen it.

The natural history museum... Need I say more for nature loves of all kinds? This museum is really big and really packed with moving dinosaurs that can scare a small child or a huge meteorite, bird and insect exhibition. . COOL! Plus much much more!!! The museum also has a great restaurant to refuel your energy supplies and keep going. Still be ready spend hours if not a few days until you see all that it has to offer. A large majority of the exhibition signs are even translated into English, which is an extra plus in my books. At the entrance you can also find a locker room and a place to set any large bags or backpacks you might be lugging around. After being a returning customer, I still haven't seen everything this museum has to offer and they are constantly setting up new and extraordinary exhibitions.

Looking back on my trip to Vienna, the Naturhistorisches Museum totally stands out. As a matter of fact, had I not been a little more careful in planning my trip, this gem would have totally passed me by! I was skimming through recommendations from friends as to where to go in Vienna, and suddenly, a word jumped at me: taxidermy. Oh girl, I'm always very down to go see some taxidermy! The museum is so much more tough. First you have to walk through a massive display of gems, all set up as they would be in the 19th century, in lit glass shelves. Some are massive, some minuscule, some look fresh off a cliff, and then there are jewels, and still lives made out of quartz.. From this point on, you get to travel through humanity, from prehistory to today, and get a glimpse at the cells, the atoms, the planets .. If you have kids, they'll be hanging around the gigantic dinosaur skeletons, which are simply breathtaking, or maybe they be checking out all the insects under glasses, or examining them carefully under microscope. The whole entomology section is epic, and I'm not a usually a fan, but the room is wooden and intimate. Apparently some professors lecture here during the school year.. On the second floor was the piece de resistance, as far as I'm concerned: room upon room of taxidermy! From common birds to exotic parakeets, to arctic specimens, sea lions, a massive seal to fawns, cubs, jungle animals (handsomest lion ever!) all beautifully preserved and some set in a reproduction of their natural habitat. This isn't cheap stuff, the displays are ornamented with colored ribbons, signaling that this or that animal had won a prize at the International Taxidermy convention (or something like that - yes, it exists!). And then there are seashells and algae, and a whole section on textiles and dyes. Take a good 4-5 hours if you want to see everything in one shot, you can always chill at their café, surrounded by the mind-blowing architecture, when your feet aren't up for it anymore..

This museum was nice. Don't think I've seen an exhibition like this before. Most of the signs had bio's and explanations in English which was helpful. The artwork was jaw-dropping. They had 3 different sections, all were worth walking through.

This museum is definitely worth it. It is relatively inexpensive, especially if you are a student and has hours worth of great exhibits. It has numerous dinosaur skeletons, rare animals (non-living of course), the largest rock collection in the world, a sculpture from 25,000 years ago, and much more. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our time at the museum.

I love this place! I could roam around for hours and waste endless amount of time scouring through the various exhibits and discovering every minute thing they encased behind glass. When you visit, prepare your legs and maybe a bit of water, or just pop into the cafe for a break and enjoy a very good Viennese coffee. Suitable for children and adults alike, it is worth several visits a year.

Once again I echo my prior review of the Kunsthistorisches as this should be a location that shouldn't be missed especially if you like natural history. Our experience was a great one and we enjoyed it very much however - we would've enjoyed it even more if we had gotten an audio guide. My German sucks, and there were very little English captions which was fine as i completely understood but I think had we gotten a guide this would've been awesome. I prefer Kunst over Natur but you could certainly take your kids here for an entire day and they would be asleep within 6 hours.

Not the best museum, but the building is beautiful. Even though it does not have an incredible collection I still find it my favorite museum in Vienna. They have one of the largest and diverse stone collection in the world and a meager dinosaur fossil collection.

A very beautiful setting / building (ala Vienna) and interesting exhibits and variety. I enjoyed my visit, and you can always read the guide/info before going in if you are not sure.

LOVE LOVE LOVE! The 10 EUR admittance is worth it no matter how you turn or twist it. In my humble opinion that is what EVERY museum should look like. I have no idea how many different species they have but it is absolutely mind blowing not only the amount but the care and the quality of the stuffed critters is amazing. The architecture and decoration of the various halls makes you feel intelligent and like a scientist. I did not take advantage of the cafe that is in the museum but believe that it is standard museum stuff (aka coffee, water/soft drinks, ice cream and cake, etc.). Another fun inside activity to do when it is cold or wet in Vienna :)

Great museum. Could have easily spent the entire day and then some. The collection is beautiful and the building is unbelievable.