Museum.ebensee
Museum in the historic salt office in Ebensee on salt, timber, and traditions such as the Glöcklerlauf and the large annual nativity exhibition.
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About the museum
The museum opened in 1974 in the former salt office of 1604, a Renaissance building under heritage protection that once housed the administration of the saltworks. Its main themes are salt production, the history of the saltworks, and forestry. Since the 17th century, salt and wood have shaped life in the town, because brine from Hallstatt was carried through a pipeline of about 40 kilometers, considered the oldest pipeline in the world, to the Ebensee boiling houses.
In 2008 the building was redesigned for the Upper Austrian State Exhibition on the Salzkammergut region. On one floor, the exhibition "Heimat, Himmel und Hölle" on emigration, expulsion, and immigration was kept. Today a dedicated team of volunteers runs the museum and organizes events and special exhibitions.
The permanent exhibition is divided into the areas of traditions, everyday life, migration, and tourism. Four Ebensee traditions, including the Glöcklerlauf, the Fetzenzug, and the Vogelfang, are recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage and are documented with original objects. On the subject of tourism, the museum shows, among other things, the lift pole of the first drag lift on the Feuerkogel. The most valuable part of the collection is the Ebensee landscape nativity scenes, which are displayed on more than 350 square meters between Christmas and Maria Lichtmess (Candlemas).
Highlights
- Oldest pipeline in the world: the brine pipeline from Hallstatt to Ebensee
- Ebensee landscape nativity scenes at the annual nativity exhibition
- Glöckler caps, Fetzenzug, and Vogelfang as Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Lift pole of the first drag lift on the Feuerkogel
- Historic salt office from 1604 with a terrace and a view of the Traunsee
Permanent exhibitions
- Brauchtum, Alltagsleben, Migration und Tourismus – Permanent exhibition on the salt, timber, and industrial history of the Salzkammergut, the Ebensee traditions, migration, and tourism, including the Feuerkogel cable car and the Traunsee boat service.
- Ebenseer Landschaftskrippen – The landscape nativity scenes, the museum's treasure, are shown every year from Christmas to Maria Lichtmess on more than 350 square meters.
- Founded
- 1974
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5.50Seniors, groups, holders of the Salzkammergut-Card |
| Children & teens | €2Reduced admission of €2 for children and pupils up to 15 years old, as well as for students. |
| Seniors | €5.50 |
| Students & apprentices | €2 |
| Groups | €5.50 per personReduced rate for groups; guided tour fee of €1.50 per person. |
| Combined ticket with the Zeitgeschichte Museum Ebensee | €12 |
| Reduced combined ticket with the Zeitgeschichte Museum Ebensee | €8 |
| Guided tour fee | €1.50 |
Reduced admission also with the Salzkammergut-Card; cash payment.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
According to Upper Austria Tourism, limited wheelchair access (some assistance needed; dimensions do not or only partly meet the ÖNORM standard). Lift between the floors; accessible WC in the museum and at the Kirchenplatz. With the parking space at Kirchenplatz, the entrance is reached on level ground.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
Upper Austria Tourism lists the museum as suitable for visits with children; the museum itself does not offer dedicated children's programs.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Ebensee Landungsplatz · 150 m
By train to "Ebensee Landungsplatz" (ÖBB); by boat with the Traunseeschifffahrt Eder to the Landungsplatz landing stage.
By car
Parking available · 150 m to the entrance
Parking at the Salinenplatz at the town entrance. According to Upper Austria Tourism, the spaces around the municipal office up to the Rathauspark are paid, 08:00–18:00 daily; there are only a few spaces at the Kirchenplatz next to the museum.
By car on the B145, exit Ebensee Zentrum.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
The museum offers its rooms, the baroque inner courtyard, and the terrace with a view of the Traunstein for celebrations; inquiries via the contact details.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Tours of the exhibition areas and the nativity exhibition are led by volunteer cultural guides; group tours by phone arrangement. |
