Wienerwaldmuseum Eichgraben

About the museum

The roots lie in a small local history museum that the tourism and beautification association Eichgraben opened on 1 May 1991 in one of the oldest houses in the village. The collection went back to suggestions from the 1980s by the then parish priest Gerhard Anderle, who had gathered objects from local history.

In autumn 1999 the present Wienerwaldmuseum followed in the Fuhrwerkerhaus, which was built around 1870. The idea came from Adolf Plank and Wolfgang Kalchhauser. On the ground floor the museum is devoted to the Wienerwald with geology, fossils and mineral raw materials as well as prehistory and early history; on the upper floor is the folklore collection, the former local history museum. In the adjoining barn old crafts are shown, and behind the house stand a reconstructed Roman-era burial mound, a charcoal kiln and the tool shed with tools.

Special features are the “KuMst-Höhle”, an artistically and scientifically designed cave replica, as well as hands-on stations such as microscopes. From April to September, work and demonstrations take place in the crafts barn on the last Sunday of the month, including at the working forge. The museum is run by the association, which also organises special exhibitions and events in the “Kulturtreff im Fuhrwerkerhaus”.

Highlights

• Geology of the Wienerwald with fossils, rocks and mineral raw materials
• Prehistory with finds from the Neolithic to the Roman period
• KuMst cave as a walk-in cave replica
• Folklore collection on the history of Eichgraben and the Wienerwald
• Living crafts with a forge on the last Sunday of the month (April to September)
• Open-air area with a burial mound replica and a charcoal kiln

Permanent exhibitions

• Wienerwald: Geologie und mineralische Rohstoffe – Fossils and rocks from the oldest rock of the Wienerwald to the rocks of the Flysch zone, as well as an overview of economically important raw materials, with the experiment station “Mineralogie aktiv”.
• Archäologie und KuMst-Höhle – Original finds from the Neolithic through the Bronze Age, Hallstatt and Celtic periods to the Roman imperial era; a walk-in cave replica is attached.
• Volkskundliche Sammlung – Two rooms on the history of the Wienerwald and of Eichgraben in the Middle Ages and modern era, with finds from deserted-village research and dioramas, among other things.

Founded

1999

Operated by

Fremdenverkehrs- und Verschönerungsverein Eichgraben

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the Niederösterreich-CARD (not on the “Lebendiges Handwerk” date). Special exhibitions: donation. Group tours: up to 10 people €30 flat rate, from 10 people €3 per person; tours for school groups of up to 20 pupils €20.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly

The KuMst cave, microscopes and the “Mineralogie aktiv” station invite visitors to try things out; hands-on tours and tours for school classes are possible.

Getting there & parking

From the direction of St. Pölten via the S 33 and A1 to Altlengbach, then on the B 19 to Eichgraben (around 8 km); from the direction of Vienna on the A1 to Pressbaum, then on the B 44 (around 6 km).

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Sale of literature, products from the Living Crafts as well as minerals and rocks from the Wienerwald region.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit