Kriminalmuseum Schloss Scharnstein
Renaissance palace in the Almtal with a Crime and Gendarmerie Museum and a Contemporary History Museum on 20th-century Austrian history.
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About the museum
After a fire at the medieval Scharnstein Castle, a new bailiff's residence was built from 1538 on the opposite bank of the Alm. In 1584 the imperial court chamber president Helmhard Jörger acquired the lordship and began building a new palace, which his son Georg Wilhelm completed around 1606. Painted wooden ceilings, stucco and the alliance coats of arms of the Jörger and Polheim families bear witness to the rich Renaissance furnishings.
From 1584 to 1848 the district court sat in the palace's vaults. In 1625 the palace passed to Kremsmünster Abbey, which owned it until 1967. The historian Harald Seyrl then acquired the badly dilapidated building and had it restored in the 1980s.
Today, in more than 20 exhibition rooms, the house shows the Austrian Crime Museum with the judicial system, torture, penal system, forensic medicine and well-known criminal cases, as well as the history of the gendarmerie since 1849. A Contemporary History Museum on more than 800 square metres covers Austria in the 20th century, from the late monarchy to the turn of the millennium. Part of the palace is privately inhabited and can be visited on combined tours.
Highlights
- Original torture chamber in the vaults of the former district court
- More than 20 exhibition rooms on justice, penal system and gendarmerie
- Contemporary History Museum on over 800 m² on the 20th century
- Renaissance palace with painted wooden ceilings
- Combined tour through the museum and privately inhabited palace rooms
Permanent exhibitions
- Kriminal- und Gendarmeriemuseum – Justice, torture and the penal system from the days of the district court to the present, gendarmerie history since 1849, forensic medicine and well-known criminal cases.
- Zeitgeschichte Museum – Tour through Austria in the 20th century, from the monarchy through both world wars and the First Republic to the Second Republic.
- Operated by
- Seyrl OEG (Mag. Harald Seyrl)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €12 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €10Students under 26, people with special needs and their companions, military and civilian service personnel |
| Children & teens | €7Children up to and including 16 years. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €10People with special needs and their companions pay the reduced price. |
| Students & apprentices | €10Students under 26. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €9 per personGroups of 10 or more. |
| Guided tour for groups of up to 14 people (flat rate) | €180by arrangement, also outside opening hours |
| Guided tour for 14 or more people (per person) | €15 |
| School tour for up to 24 pupils (flat rate) | €140Compulsory-school pupils up to and including 16 years |
| School tour for 25 or more pupils (per pupil) | €7 |
| Combined tour of museum and private rooms, groups of up to 14 people (flat rate) | €180 |
| Combined tour of museum and private rooms for 14 or more people (per person) | €14 |
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By car via the A1 (exits Regau, Steyrermühl or Vorchdorf) or via the A9 (exit Sattledt), in each case continuing on the B 120.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
Event rooms in the palace; enquiries by phone to the palace operator.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours and combined tours (museum plus privately inhabited palace rooms) last 1 to 1.5 hours and are to be arranged by email or phone. |
