Vorarlberger Museumswelt

About the museum

The Vorarlberger Museumswelt is an umbrella association of several museums and museum societies. It uses buildings of the former Ganahl textile works on the Samina river, now known as the Energiefabrik. The Electricity Museum was the first: the museum society of the Frastanz power stations, founded in 1997, wanted to save the hydroelectric power station built around 1900 from demolition and presented the history of electricity in it.

Further museums were gradually added: in 2013 the Provincial Fire Brigade Museum in the brick-built "Wollaschopf" with its vehicle hall, in 2014 the Hunting Museum, in 2017 the Tobacco Museum on Frastanz's tobacco history, in 2018 the Grammophonicum with early sound reproduction devices, in 2019 the Museum Cinema and in 2021 the Photography Museum. The Blaulichtmuseum (Emergency Services Museum) goes back to the Rescue Museum founded in Hohenems in 1994 and was extended with a Police Museum in 2026.

On more than 2,500 square metres of exhibition space, the Museumswelt aims to make the fundamentals of natural science and technology and their historical development tangible. It is run by a team of volunteers, and the individual collections are looked after by the respective societies and collectors. The Electricity Museum is currently being redesigned.

Highlights

• Provincial Fire Brigade Museum with a staged fire brigade operation and vehicle hall
• Electricity Museum in the historic hydroelectric power station
• Grammophonicum with over 70 phonographs and gramophones
• Tobacco Museum on Frastanz's tobacco history
• Museum Cinema with fittings from historic cinemas
• Hunting, Photography and Emergency Services Museum with Police Museum

Permanent exhibitions

• Landesfeuerwehrmuseum – Staged fire brigade operation with smoke, blue lights and lighting effects in the Wollaschopf; historic vehicles and equipment stand in the depot hall.
• Elektromuseum – The history of electricity from generation to consumer, in the old hydroelectric power station of the Ganahl textile factory.
• Grammophonicum – Over 70 phonographs and gramophones as well as sound carriers from the early days of mechanical music reproduction, presented in a circular display building.

Operated by

Vorarlberger Museumswelt (Dachorganisation mehrerer Museumsvereine)

Admission & discounts

50% discount with the Vorarlberger Familienpass and for members of the museum society of the Frastanz power stations and of the Verein für Brandschutz- und Feuerwehrgeschichte in Vorarlberg. Free admission with the V-CARD, MOE-Card and Lehrer-Card.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

The vehicle hall of the Provincial Fire Brigade Museum in particular is regarded as an experience for the whole family; kindergarten and school groups have their own rate.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The event hall and the Museum Cinema can be hired.

Plan your visit