Uhrenmuseum Wien

About the museum

The decision to set up a dedicated clock museum in Vienna was taken by the municipal council in 1917. The foundation was formed by two private collections: the roughly 8,000 clocks of the Upper Austrian secondary-school teacher Rudolf Kaftan, who directed the museum until his death in 1961, and the precious pocket watch collection of the writer Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, whose purchase was made possible by donations from industrialists. The museum opened on 30 May 1921.

It is housed in Palais Obizzi am Schulhof, one of the oldest buildings in the Innere Stadt, which the City of Vienna had acquired in 1901. Today the museum is a branch of the Wien Museum. The history of the house also includes the Nazi era, when clocks belonging to deported Jewish people entered the collection.

On three floors around 700 timepieces from all over the world can be seen, with thousands more in storage. The largest piece is the tonne-heavy tower clock mechanism of St. Stephen's Cathedral from 1699; there are also commode longcase clocks, Viennese Laterndl clocks and tiny “Zappler” clocks from the Biedermeier period, as well as the astronomical art clock of the monk David a Sancto Cajetano, whose roughly 150 gear wheels display local times, planetary orbits and eclipses. The exhibition thus tells of technology and precision as well as of craftsmanship and social change.

Highlights

• Tower clock mechanism of St. Stephen's Cathedral from 1699
• Astronomical art clock of the monk David a Sancto Cajetano
• Viennese Laterndl clocks from the Biedermeier period
• Tiny “Zappler” clocks
• Pocket watch collection of Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
• AR escape game “Ein geteiltes Geheimnis” (A Shared Secret)

Permanent exhibition

• Uhrensammlung vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart – Over 700 clocks on three floors – from the tower clock mechanism of St. Stephen's Cathedral via commode longcase clocks and Biedermeier Laterndl clocks to pocket watches and astronomical art clocks.

Founded

1917

Operated by

Museen der Stadt Wien – Wien Museum

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission on the first Sunday of every month.

Free admission with an annual pass, ICOM card and the cultural pass “Hunger auf Kunst und Kultur”.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: not available
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Not accessible: ticket desk and shop are up one step, the exhibition rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors can only be reached via spiral staircases of 19 steps each, no lift, no accessible toilet. Entrance door wider than 90 cm, seating on every floor. Nearest disabled parking spaces at Am Hof 5.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly: not available

Prams can be left in the entrance area; the exhibition can only be reached via spiral staircases. The AR escape game is recommended for ages 14 and over. Admission is free for under-19s.

Getting there & parking

There are no bicycle parking spaces nearby.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Small shop at the ticket desk. Wi-Fi via StadtWienHotspot. Payment in cash or by debit card (Bankomat card). Eating and drinking are not permitted in the exhibition rooms.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit