KinderWelt Walchen
Hands-on museum and nature play park in the former manor farm of Schloss Walchen about childhood in the 18th and 19th centuries – currently closed according to its website.
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About the museum
The KinderWelt Walchen was founded in 1979 by art historian and folklorist Eugenie Hanreich and is housed in the former manor farm of Schloss Walchen, built in 1590, near Vöcklamarkt. Reform-pedagogical and ecological ideas have shaped the concept from the start: toys made of natural materials are on display, and outdoors, stations invite visitors to get to know animals and nature. For its child-friendliness, the museum was awarded the first "Rosaroter Teddybär" (Pink Teddy Bear) by Austrian television.
On more than 800 square metres, the "World of Children" shows with over 1,000 objects how children lived around the turn of the 18th to the 19th century in farming, middle-class and working-class families. The themes range from birth, nutrition, clothing and hygiene to housing, religious education and school, as well as educational ideals, media and music education. Many play stations invite visitors to try things out, such as washing laundry with the washboard, sitting at a school desk or making music on old instruments.
In the "Villa Kunterbunt" there are over 30 play stations with a hall of mirrors, a circus tent, a children's post office and a room where the floor must not be touched. The castle park with its old trees is home to a nature play park with a herb trail and stations based on the Montessori concept. The KinderWelt is run by the Verein Kinderwelt Walchen. According to older sources, the museum closed in 2017; the association's current website still states a closure for the current year.
Highlights
- World of Children: everyday life of children in the 18th and 19th centuries
- Villa Kunterbunt with over 30 play stations
- Nature play park with a herb trail in the castle park
- Numerous hands-on stations such as the washboard, school desk and children's post office
- Awarded the first Pink Teddy Bear by the ORF
Permanent exhibitions
- Welt der Kinder – Over 1,000 objects show the lives of children in the 18th and 19th centuries in farming, middle-class and working-class families; numerous play stations invite visitors to join in.
- Villa Kunterbunt – Over 30 play stations with a hall of mirrors, a circus tent, a children's post office and a room where you can only climb over furniture and ropes.
- Naturspielpark – Play park in the castle park with a herb trail, balance beams, a barrel slide and a campfire area.
- Founded
- 1979
- Operated by
- Verein Kinderwelt Walchen
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Playground / play area
Numerous play stations in the museum and in the nature play park, geared towards children of every age group.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Kinderwelt Walchen (Stern & Hafferl) · 10-min walk
By Westbahn to Vöcklamarkt ÖBB station, where you change to the "Stern & Hafferl" local railway to the Kinderwelt Walchen stop; from there about a 10-minute walk.
By car via the A1 West Motorway, exit St. Georgen im Attergau, then follow the signs for 9 km towards Vöcklamarkt. Address: Walchen 3, 4870 Vöcklamarkt.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Workshops in keeping with the museum's reform-pedagogical and ecological orientation; registration at +43 7682 6246-12 (according to a tourism portal). |
