Karikaturmuseum Krems

About the museum

The Karikaturmuseum Krems opened on 29 September 2001 as Austria's only museum of satirical art. The impetus came from Lower Austria, which wanted to tie the draughtsman Manfred Deix more closely to the region; Deix wanted the architect and caricaturist Gustav Peichl to design the building. It opened with the show “Alles Karikatur. Das gezeichnete 20. Jahrhundert” (“It's All Caricature: The Drawn 20th Century”) after a construction period of just under a year.

Peichl's building stands out for its façade: it shows a friendly face wearing an eleven-pointed jester's cap, and “Mr. and Mrs. Austria” stand in front of the entrance. Inside there are special features such as a snail-shell staircase and a glass floor connecting the two storeys. The building was renovated in early 2017.

Since 2001, the Province of Lower Austria has been building up a collection of caricatures, cartoons, critical graphic art and illustration together with the museum, which by now comprises several thousand original drawings. It includes the largest collection of Deix cartoons, works by Gustav Peichl, parts of the estate of Erich Sokol, the Fotter collection and works by Gerhard Haderer. Since 2017, the museum's own Deix Archive has shown annotated Deix cartoons in a selection that changes every year. Every five years, the Erich Sokol Prize for digital caricature, critical drawing and satire is also awarded. Gottfried Gusenbauer has been artistic director since 2012.

Highlights

• Deix Archive with annually changing cartoons by Manfred Deix
• Building by Gustav Peichl with a jester's cap on the façade
• Snail-shell staircase and glass floor inside
• Collection on European caricature since 1900
• Works by Gerhard Haderer, Erich Sokol and Gustav Peichl (Ironimus)

Permanent exhibition

• Deix-Archiv – Since 2017, the museum's own archive has shown over 50 annotated cartoons by Manfred Deix, arranged anew every year.

Founded

2001

Operated by

Land Niederösterreich

Director

Gottfried Gusenbauer (künstlerischer Direktor)

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the NÖ-CARD (once in the year booked), IAA card, ICOM Card and the Kulturpass “Hunger auf Kunst und Kultur”; two tickets for the price of one with a Krems City Library card. Discount when arriving by nextbike rental bicycle (proof in the app).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

According to Kunstmeile Krems, all buildings and exhibition rooms are accessible (ramps, handrails, sliding doors, lift, low hanging, easily legible labels, wheelchair-accessible toilets). Wheelchairs and light folding chairs are available free of charge at the ticket desk. Assistance dogs (noted in the ID) are permitted, please report to the ticket desk; no other animals. Disabled parking: 3 spaces along Steiner Landstraße opposite the entrance of the Karikaturmuseum.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Family tour every 1st and 4th Sunday of the month at 2 p.m. The museum regularly shows exhibitions on children's book illustration and comics. Kunstmeile also offers the free MY MUSEUM BOX, the open studio Family Factory, readings, the Kinder.Kunst.Klub and children's birthday parties (recommended for ages 4 to 10); on the national holiday (26 October) the KINDER.KUNST.FEST takes place. Children up to age 6 have free admission.

Getting there & parking

By car from Vienna or Salzburg via the A1 and from St. Pölten/Ost via the S33 to Krems, alternatively from Vienna via the A22 and from Stockerau via the B3; on site, follow the Kunstmeile Krems traffic guidance system. The Stein–Mautern Danube bridge has been closed to motor vehicles since 18 May 2026 (detour via the St. Pölten bridge). About four minutes' walk from the Krems/Stein ship landing; nextbike rental bicycles, among others, at Krems station (about eight minutes' ride), bicycle racks in front of the museums.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Museum shop with catalogues, illustrated books, children's books and design items (also online). Free cloakroom, lockers with deposit (€1 or €2), free Wi-Fi. Gastwirtschaft Poldi Fitzka in the nearby ground floor of the Landesgalerie Niederösterreich.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit