Where magical sound beings are born
The world of tones and sounds across four floors. Informative and full of surprises.
Vienna Philharmonic
Otto Nicolai, the founder of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, lived in the Palais Erzherzog Karl from 1841 to 1847. Learn more on the 1st floor.
Marvel at treasures from the archives of the world's most famous orchestra in the Vienna Philharmonic Museum – such as the first concert poster from March 28, 1842, the founding decree, Herbert von Karajan's baton, and much more. Enjoy the current New Year's Concert in our cinema.
New Year's Concert and Summer Night Concert
How Mozart rolled dice to play a waltz
Like the maestro, grab the dice and throw them virtually: Your personal random waltz will then sound as a four-part composition.
If you wish, you can have the beautiful result printed out in the museum shop and take it home with you.
Exploring sound: Sonotopia
Feel the sound waves, experiment in the sound lab and create magical sound creatures in the Sonotopia lab:
Explore the world of sound on the second floor in our interactive Science Center. What is sound? What and how does a baby hear in the womb? How do animals perceive their environment? How does our sense of hearing work? You can delve into all these questions in the Sound Lab and, as a finale, create magical sound creatures in the Sonotopia Lab. Our giant drum is impossible to miss – feel free to try it out!
Immerse yourself in sound: Origin
A crackling radio message, everyday sounds: sounds of various origins emanate from the ceiling here.
Where do they come from? The entrance to the next sound show engages the ears and the imagination.
Experiencing the physics of sound
Learn all about sound, explore the human ear, and discover fascinating sound phenomena at six terminals.
Physics of Sounds makes tones and sounds physically tangible.
How a sound is produced: Instruments
Organ pipes, huge strings, a man-high drum: Oversized instruments illustrate the different ways of producing sound.
Touching and playing yourself is encouraged!
Composers of the Viennese Classical period and later eras
They were dazzling stars, bringing music to the people and still touching hearts today.
The 3rd floor is dedicated to the life and work of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss II, Mahler and some representatives of the Second Viennese School.
Namadeus Music Game
Transform your name into a historical composition by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: with a music game developed by him.
You can purchase a copy of the score in Mozart's original handwriting as a souvenir in the museum shop afterwards.
The virtual conductor
The audience is waiting. A few more tips from star conductor Zubin Mehta, choose a piece, then it's your turn.
Conduct the Vienna Philharmonic. The orchestra on the video projection reacts to the movements of the baton.