Landeszeughaus

About the museum

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Inner Austrian lands of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola were repeatedly threatened by incursions of Ottoman troops and Hungarian insurgents. The Styrian Estates therefore had an arsenal of their own built on Herrengasse in the 1640s to plans by Antonio Solar, and purchased weapons and equipment for the defence of the province. For about a century it was the most important supply centre in the southeast of the Habsburg Empire; around 1700 the stock comprised almost 190,000 items.

As the wars subsided, the arsenal lost importance. When Maria Theresa centralised the army and wanted to dissolve the arsenal, the Estates successfully campaigned for its preservation as a monument of the province's history. In 1882 it was opened to visitors for the first time; when the Joanneum took it over it received the name Landeszeughaus and remained intact as a self-contained ensemble. Since 1918 it has belonged to the province of Styria.

Today around 32,000 suits of armour, firearms, polearms and edged weapons, guns and accessories are stored on four floors covering about 2,000 square metres; the building and its holdings are preserved as an ensemble. Because the building is a listed monument, there are no labels on the objects; guided tours, companion booklets and audio guides open up the collection. Since 2026 the Landeszeughaus has carried the European Heritage Label.

Highlights

• Around 32,000 original weapons and suits of armour at their historical location
• Over 13,000 handheld firearms with accessories
• Armour from workshops in Graz, Innsbruck, Augsburg and Nuremberg
• Baroque arsenal building from the 1640s on Herrengasse
• European Heritage Label since 2026

Permanent exhibition

• Historische Waffenkammer – Around 32,000 suits of armour, firearms, polearms and edged weapons as well as guns from the 15th to 18th centuries, displayed on four floors of the original arsenal.

Founded

1882

Operated by

Universalmuseum Joanneum GmbH

Director

Bettina Habsburg-Lothringen

Admission & discounts

Free admission: National holiday (26 October): free admission

The ticket is valid for one admission on one calendar day. Discounts among others with the Ö1 Club card, ÖAMTC membership and Bühnen Graz Card; the Steiermark-Card and Graz Card are valid. Free admission with the cultural pass "Hunger auf Kunst & Kultur". Three KulturSonntag: on Sundays, two tickets for the price of one.

Accessibility

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

Step-free entrance on Herrengasse and a lift to all exhibition floors; the routes inside are threshold-free, but the old wooden floors of the upper storeys are partly uneven. The accessible toilet on the ground floor is behind a ramp with a gradient of almost 7% (assistance may be needed). Free loan wheelchair at the ticket desk. On request, tours for blind and visually impaired people with tactile elements as well as tours in plain language (inklusion@museum-joanneum.at).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Children's tour "Landeszeughaus für Groß und Klein" every 2nd Sunday with monthly changing themes (children €3 with free admission, adults €3 in addition to admission); registration on site, at +43 316 8017-9810 or info-zh@museum-joanneum.at.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Lockers

Free companion booklets and publications at the ticket desk.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit