Natural History Museum Vienna
In 1750 an emperor bought the world's largest natural history collection — 30,000 objects in one transaction — and it hasn't stopped growing since.
Coming soon on iOS — be first to walk Vienna offline.
Maria Theresa opened the collection to the public after her husband's death, making this one of the first museums built on Enlightenment principles. It remains a working research institution: 60+ scientists study 30 million specimens in the same building where you wander 39 exhibition rooms.
What to look for
- Fossils, corals, and precious stones from Jean de Baillou's original 1750 purchase — the 30,000-object trove Emperor Francis I acquired from the Florentine scholar
- Minerals gathered under Ignaz von Born, the mineralogist Maria Theresa brought to Vienna to classify and expand the holdings
- Natural specimens from Nicolaus Joseph Jacquin's 1755 expedition — he returned from the Caribbean, Venezuela, and Colombia with 67 cases of material
39 rooms across 8,460 square meters; set aside at least two hours and wear comfortable shoes.
Natural History Museum Vienna is one of 39 sights worth the detour in Vienna, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Vienna pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Vienna
- Schönbrunn PalaceHabsburg emperors were born here, ruled from here, and died here — 1,441 rooms of Baroque ambition spanning 300 years.
- St. Stephen's CathedralA cathedral consecrated in 1147 as crusaders prepared to march — and built on top of a Roman burial ground that nobody knew was there until 2000.
- BelvederePrince Eugene built this summer palace on Ottoman campaign winnings — it is now three art museums inside a World Heritage Baroque garden.
- Hofburg PalaceSeven centuries of Austrian rulers worked from this address — the current president still does.
- Vienna State OperaThe first major building on Vienna's Ring Road, and the house where Vienna Philharmonic musicians earn their seats.
- Ernst-Happel-StadionBuilt for workers' sport in 1931, this 50,865-seat bowl also served as a transit prison for over 1,000 Jewish deportees in 1939.