Naturhistorisches Museum Vienna guide: dinosaurs, meteorites and the Venus of Willendorf
Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum Day Admission Ticket
Is the Naturhistorisches Museum Vienna worth visiting?
Yes — the NHM Vienna is one of Europe's great natural history collections, with the Venus of Willendorf (28,000 years old, the world's oldest known female figurine), one of the finest meteorite halls in the world, Carinthian topaz crystals, and substantial dinosaur and palaeontology departments. Excellent for children and adults equally. Allow 2–3 hours; tickets are €16.
The NHM: one of Europe’s great natural history collections
The Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Natural History Museum Vienna) is often described as the mirror image of the Kunsthistorisches Museum — and architecturally this is literally true, the two buildings having been designed by the same architects (Gottfried Semper and Carl von Hasenauer) in the same style and placed symmetrically on either side of Maria-Theresien-Platz. In content, however, they are as different as two museums can be.
Where the KHM is the product of Habsburg cultural collecting — paintings, sculpture, decorative arts — the NHM is the product of Habsburg scientific collecting: natural history specimens, archaeological objects, and geological samples assembled through centuries of imperial exploration, excavation, and purchase. The result is one of the most complete natural history collections in the world, housed in a building that treats the display of science with the same monumental seriousness as the display of art.
What you need to know before you go
Address: Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Wien Opening hours: Daily 9 am–6:30 pm; Wednesday until 9 pm. Closed Tuesday. Admission: €16 adults; under 19 free; combined ticket with the KHM available Getting there: U2 to Museumsquartier or U3 to Volkstheater (5 minutes walk each); tram D to Burgring Photography: Permitted in all permanent galleries without flash
What to see: room by room priorities
Room 11: The Venus of Willendorf
This is the NHM’s most famous object and one of the most important prehistoric finds in the world. The Venus of Willendorf — an 11.1-centimetre limestone figurine carved approximately 28,000–25,000 years ago — was found in 1908 near the Danube village of Willendorf in Lower Austria by archaeologist Josef Szombathy. It is the oldest known female figurine, predating agriculture by 20,000 years and the Egyptian pyramids by 25,000 years.
The figurine represents a female body with exaggerated secondary sexual characteristics, no facial features, and traces of ochre pigment. Its purpose — ritual, artistic, or practical — remains the subject of scholarly debate. What is not in dispute is its significance: it is the starting point of the longest human artistic tradition we know.
The room also contains other Venus figurines from Paleolithic sites across Europe, providing comparative context. Allow 20–30 minutes here.
Meteorite Hall (Room 5)
The NHM Vienna holds one of the three or four largest and most significant meteorite collections in the world. The centerpiece is the Tissint Martian meteorite — one of only a handful of confirmed samples from Mars in existence, a fragment that was ejected by an impact on Mars and eventually fell to Earth in Morocco in 2011. The collection also includes the Knyahinya meteorite (one of the largest stone meteorites in any museum, weighing 500 kg) and hundreds of specimens representing every major meteorite class.
The Meteorite Hall is often the highlight for visitors who did not anticipate it being significant. The Tissint meteorite’s Martian origin — confirmed by analysis of trapped gases matching the Martian atmosphere — makes it one of the more philosophically striking objects in any museum: a rock from another planet, in a room in Vienna, fallen through the atmosphere we share with Mars.
Palaeontology (Rooms 14–16)
The palaeontology halls cover the history of life from the Precambrian through the Mesozoic. The dinosaur material includes mounted casts of Allosaurus and Diplodocus (reconstructed skeletons based on specimens from North American excavations) and original Austrian specimens — particularly the ichthyosaur skeletons from the Hallstatt limestone, which are important original finds from the 19th century.
The ammonite collection is one of the finest in Europe, with specimens from Austrian and international localities covering a 300 million year span of cephalopod evolution. For visitors interested in palaeontology beyond dinosaurs, this collection is genuinely exceptional.
Mineralogy and Gemology (Rooms 1–3)
The mineral collection occupies the first three rooms and includes some of the finest mineral specimens in Europe: the Carinthian topaz crystals (among the largest and most perfect topaz crystals known), native gold specimens from various localities, massive quartz, and the spectacular amethyst geode collection. Room 3 contains an extensive display of cut gemstones and diamonds.
Children tend to be drawn immediately to the large crystals and the fluorescent mineral display — minerals that glow under ultraviolet light in vivid blues, greens, and oranges.
Anthropology and Prehistoric Room (Rooms 7–11)
The anthropological collection covers human evolution from early hominid fossils through the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic. The Venus of Willendorf is in this section (Room 11), preceded by a broader context of prehistoric material from Austria and Central Europe.
Zoology (Rooms 21–39)
The zoological collection fills much of the upper floor: birds, insects (a world-class entomology collection), mammals, fish. The whale skeleton hanging in one of the larger rooms is consistently popular with children. The dodo skeleton — one of the more complete dodo specimens in existence — is in the birds section.
The building as experience
Unlike the KHM, where the building serves as a backdrop for art, the NHM’s interior is itself part of the collection in an unusual way: the ceiling frescoes and domed interior (painted between 1885 and 1891) depict scenes from natural history and classical mythology relating to science, creating a coherent iconographic programme that treats natural history as a subject worthy of the same visual treatment as the Habsburgs’ art.
The main staircase hall — with its marble balustrades, scientific busts, and painted ceiling — is one of the finest Historicist interiors in Vienna.
Combining with the KHM
The KHM and NHM are opposite each other across Maria-Theresien-Platz and are complementary in obvious ways: one covers human artistic production, the other natural and prehistoric history. Visiting both in one day requires careful time management — start at 9 am at the NHM (which opens earlier than the KHM), cover the key rooms (Venus, meteorites, dinosaurs) in 2.5 hours, then cross the square to the KHM for the painting galleries in the afternoon.
A more comfortable approach is to give each museum a dedicated half-day or full day. See our Vienna 3-day itinerary for a structure that avoids rushing both.
Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum day admission ticket Vienna: guided walking tour of city center highlightsA walking tour that covers Maria-Theresien-Platz gives the architectural and historical context of the museum pair before you enter either building.
Practical tips
Children: The NHM is one of Vienna’s best family destinations. The discovery room (Kinderreich) specifically designed for younger visitors is in the basement. Allow extra time if visiting with children — the dinosaurs and crystals tend to generate extended study.
Thursday evening: Open until 9 pm with significantly reduced visitor numbers after 6 pm. The meteorite hall in the late afternoon is especially atmospheric.
Combined ticket: A combined NHM + KHM ticket is available and saves money. If you plan to visit both, this is the most economical option.
Frequently asked questions about the Naturhistorisches Museum
What is the Venus of Willendorf?
A limestone figurine 11.1 cm tall, carved approximately 28,000 years ago and found near Willendorf in Lower Austria. The oldest known female figurine and one of the most important prehistoric objects in the world. Room 11, NHM Vienna.
How long does the Naturhistorisches Museum take?
A thorough visit takes 2.5–3 hours. A focused visit to specific sections can be done in 1.5 hours.
Are there dinosaur skeletons at the Naturhistorisches Museum?
Yes — mounted dinosaur skeletons and extensive fossil collections in the paleontology halls (Rooms 14–16).
What is the meteorite collection at the NHM Vienna?
One of the world’s finest, including the Tissint Martian meteorite and the Knyahinya (500 kg) stone meteorite.
Is the Naturhistorisches Museum suitable for children?
Excellent for children aged 5 and above. Dinosaurs, meteorites, whale skeletons, and the fluorescent mineral display are consistently popular.
Is the Naturhistorisches Museum in the same building as the KHM?
No — they are two separate mirror buildings on either side of Maria-Theresien-Platz, designed identically from the outside but with different interiors and entirely different collections.
Frequently asked questions about Naturhistorisches Museum Vienna guide: dinosaurs, meteorites and the Venus of Willendorf
What is the Venus of Willendorf?
How long does the Naturhistorisches Museum take?
Are there dinosaur skeletons at the Naturhistorisches Museum?
What is the meteorite collection at the NHM Vienna?
Is the Naturhistorisches Museum suitable for children?
Is the Naturhistorisches Museum in the same building as the KHM?
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