Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz

About the museum

The roots of the Lentos lie in the Neue Galerie, which opened on Linz's Hauptplatz in 1946. Its foundation was the private collection of the Berlin art dealer Wolfgang Gurlitt, which he initially lent to the city and looked after on a voluntary basis. In 1953 Linz purchased a large part of it and from then on ran the house as a municipal museum of modern art under the name Neue Galerie der Stadt Linz – Wolfgang-Gurlitt-Museum.

In 1979 the gallery moved to the Lentia 2000 shopping centre in Urfahr. It was not until 2003 that the collection got a building of its own: the Zurich firm Weber & Hofer designed an elongated glass-clad cuboid on the Danube bank between the Nibelungenbrücke and the Brucknerhaus, which glows in colour at night and quickly became a landmark of the city. The name Lentos goes back to the Celtic term from which the Roman Lentia and eventually Linz developed.

The collection extends from nineteenth-century painting through Expressionism and Classical Modernism to the present day and comprises several thousand paintings and sculptures, around 16,000 works on paper and a photography collection. Its focal points are groups of works by Herbert Bayer, VALIE EXPORT and Haus-Rucker-Co. In 2015 the VALIE EXPORT archive came into municipal ownership, and in 2024 the Linz entrepreneur Erwin Hauser donated his roughly 3,000 works of Austrian art. Since 1998 the provenance of the holdings has been systematically researched, and several works have been restituted. The collection is presented in a chronological display, supplemented by changing exhibitions of contemporary art.

Highlights

• Classical Modernism by Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka and Corinth
• Groups of works by VALIE EXPORT and Herbert Bayer
• Maria Lassnig's “Self-Portrait with Telephone”
• Exhibition hall on the upper floor, one of the largest museum spaces in Austria
• Glass façade that glows at night and Danube terrace

Permanent exhibition

• Die Sammlung – A chronological tour of art from the nineteenth century to today, with a focus on artists with a Linz connection such as VALIE EXPORT and Herbert Bayer.

Founded

1946

Operated by

Museen der Stadt Linz GmbH

Director

Hemma Schmutz

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Tuesdays from 3 p.m. for seniors aged 65 and over; free admission for families in August (up to two adults with children up to 18).

Free admission with the Linz Card, LINZ KULTURCARD 365, the Kulturpass “Hunger auf Kunst & Kultur” and the ICOM card. Linz AG Sunday: every Sunday “Two for One” (the second person is free, children up to 12 free). The OÖ Familienkarte also applies to grandparents with registered grandchildren. Combination with train travel via ÖBB Plus is possible.

Accessibility

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

Level main entrance with automatic sliding doors, passenger lift to the lower and upper floors; all museum rooms are barrier-free. Accessible toilet on the lower floor. Loan wheelchair at the ticket desk, seating in the galleries. Two paid disabled parking spaces in the Lentos underground car park with a lift to the museum. Regular tours in Austrian Sign Language, tours for visually impaired visitors on request, gallery leaflet for the collection in Easy Read. Animals are only allowed as registered assistance dogs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

“Schau Genau” children's leaflet as a puzzle trail through the collection (free at the ticket desk). Family Sunday with a creative afternoon in the Donauatelier on the first Sunday of every month, plus Lentos Atelier (ages 6–12), Los Lentoniños (ages 4–6), Atelier für alle, baby tours and children's birthday parties for up to 12 children aged 6 and over.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A1 and A7, exit Linz-Hafenstraße, then along the Untere Donaulände. Bicycle racks and City-Bike rental directly in front of the museum, Danube Cycle Path nearby; boat landing stage in front of the building.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Lentos Café-Bar-Restaurant with terrace and views of the Danube (separate access); museum shop in the entrance area; cloakroom and library on the lower floor.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 250 guests.

Auditorium (about 250 m², 250 seats) with a 45-metre-long panoramic window onto the Danube, plus the Donauatelier and – outside opening hours – the foyer; for conferences, lectures, receptions and gala evenings, with an exhibition tour on request.

Plan your visit