Museum im Ballhaus

About the museum

The Imst Museum Association was founded in 1909 to preserve the region's art and cultural heritage for posterity. In 1910 the first museum was set up in the old town hall on the Stadtplatz, and in 1928 it moved to the new town hall in Ballgasse. In the Second World War the collection suffered heavy losses, especially the nativity scene collection. In 1948 the museum reopened, as the first Tyrolean museum outside the provincial capital. After the association had been dissolved during the Nazi period, the municipality of Imst took over the collection and sponsorship.

Following renovations and reinstallations in 1969 and 1986, the music school left the Ballhaus in 1998 and the carnival figures in 1999; the latter moved to the Haus der Fasnacht. The building was completely refurbished and reopened as the Museum im Ballhaus on 25 October 2003. Architect Konrad Grünwald exposed the original fabric of the building and combined it with modern architecture. The name goes back to a presumed earlier use as a warehouse; in fact the building was only constructed in 1850 as the brewery building of the Gasthaus "Bären".

The tour leads from finds of the Bronze Age and Urnfield period via the Via Claudia Augusta, the granting of market rights in 1282, Imst mining and the guild system to the Baroque art of the Witwer workshop and the bird dealers. Other topics include painters such as Theodor von Hörmann, the early Tyrolean textile industry, and the fire and elevation to town status in 1898; a digital film archive shows the more recent history of the town.

Highlights

• Bronze figurine from the Parzinnspitze, an important testimony of the period around 400 BC
• Finds along the Via Claudia Augusta
• Baroque art of the Imst Witwer workshop
• The Imst bird trade
• Imst mining and the early textile industry
• Digital film archive on the more recent history of the town

Permanent exhibition

• Museumsrundgang durch die Geschichte von Imst – From the Bronze Age and Urnfield period via the Via Claudia Augusta, mining, the guild system, Baroque art and the bird trade to the textile industry and the 19th and 20th centuries.

Founded

1910

Operated by

Stadtgemeinde Imst

Director

Sabine Schuchter

Admission & discounts

Prices as of 1 January 2026. Free admission with the Berg-Erlebnisticket Hoch-Imst, Kulturpass, Gletscherparkcard, Imst Card and for members of the Museumsbund Österreich.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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

Only the ground floor is level and barrier-free; there is no lift.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located in the town centre next to the Stadtplatz.

Amenities & 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