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Free Museums in Vienna: Always Free & Special Free Days

ByTina Riegelnegg Updated on

Vienna is an amazing city, but it can be pricey, trust me, I live here! Luckily, there are plenty of ways to enjoy its cultural scene without spending a fortune. Visiting free museums is one of the best things to do in Vienna on a budget.

There are a few free museums in Vienna, but too be honest not that many are always free, more are free on special days, or during specific times.

This information isn’t always easy to find online, often, it’s only advertised at the museums themselves. But I’ve done the legwork for you, uncovering the best opportunities to explore Vienna’s art and history for free.

Always Free Museums in Vienna

Wien Museum

A museum exhibit featuring a historic black carriage with gold embellishments and intricate red fabric accents, displayed alongside a large suspended whale sculpture. The exhibit contrasts the grandeur of the carriage with the whimsical presence of the whale, creating a visually striking installation.
I love that they have so many different exhibits
A smiling person wearing glasses and a silver chainmail headpiece, standing in front of a museum exhibit. The background includes stone carvings and informational plaques, adding a historical context to the playful pose.
I got to try on a chain helmet!
A framed painting by Gustav Klimt depicting a woman in a long, ornate dress with a vibrant blue and green geometric pattern. The woman stands confidently with her hand on her hip against a muted background, typical of Klimt’s intricate and symbolist style. A nearby plaque provides context about the artwork.
You can even see some painting from Klimt for free

The Wien Museum Karlsplatz is the only major museum in Vienna with a free permanent exhibition. It explores Vienna’s history, from its Roman roots to modern development. The exhibits include artifacts, maps, and art.

I love how you get to see so many exhibits from different time periods and you even get to try a few things out, like trying on a chain helmet. It’s definitely one of the best places to visit in Vienna for free.

Wien Museum musa

The striking facade of Wien Museum MUSA, a cultural and contemporary art museum in Vienna, housed in a historic stone building with arched windows and a green rooftop. Large white letters spell out the museum's name above the entrance, while colorful banners decorate the lower part of the building. A city street with cars, traffic lights, and overhead pipes runs in front of the museum, adding to the urban atmosphere.
A modern art exhibition inside Wien Museum MUSA, featuring a geometric metal sculpture with dark, aged panels mounted on a white platform. In the background, a vibrant pop-art painting depicts a United Nations meeting scene labeled 'IAEA,' with other framed artworks and sculptures displayed throughout the gallery. The space is well-lit with overhead track lights, creating a contemporary and minimalist setting.

The Wien Museum Musa is a contemporary art museum that’s always free to visit. It features changing exhibitions focused on modern and contemporary art, often highlighting local Viennese artists.

Honestly, it’s not my favorite modern art museum in Vienna. It’s small, and some installations with sound became annoying over time. If you love modern art, I’d suggest visiting one of Vienna’s other great museums instead.

Snow Globe Museum

Werkstattähnlicher Raum mit einer großen alten Drehmaschine, umgeben von Werkzeugen, gerahmten Fotos, Urkunden und dekorativen Objekten an den Wänden sowie einem kleinen Schreibtisch mit Lampe und Stuhl.
Schneekugel mit einer detailreichen Miniaturkirche, umgeben von künstlichem Schnee, daneben weitere Schneekugeln mit Figuren wie einem roten Charakter und einem kleinen Turm, ausgestellt zwischen Tannenzweigen.

The Snow Globe Museum is a bit outside the center, and it’s quite small. It’s easy to miss, it looks like a normal apartment building and you have to ring the bell to be let in. The museum is on the ground floor and the shop on the first floor (no elevator).

You get to see the historic machines used to make snow globes, learn why they were invented in the first place (for medical purposes!) and see lots of unique snow globes, many with Vienna themes.

Circus & Clown Museum

A smiling woman sits on an ornate golden throne surrounded by circus-themed mannequins in elaborate costumes, including a clown, a ringmaster, and a showgirl. The mannequin to the left holds a sign that reads "Circus & Clown Museum Wien," placing the scene in the Vienna-based museum filled with vibrant circus memorabilia.

The Circus & Clown Museum is a tribute to the world of circus arts and clowning. This museum showcases costumes, props, and memorabilia that tell the story of circus history in Austria and beyond.

The opening times are extremely limited, with the museum only open for three hours per week. It’s a very small museum, so, in my opinion it’s not worth going out of your way to get there, but it might be a nice, quick stop if you’re in the area anyway.

Museums Free to Visit Every First Sunday of the Month

Ornate Baroque room featuring red velvet chairs, gilded furniture, and large mythological paintings on the walls, with a dramatic ceiling fresco depicting figures in a chariot drawn by leopards amid clouds. The space is richly decorated with floral borders and gold detailing.
Hermesvilla
Large leafy tree growing at the center of a cobblestone courtyard surrounded by white-walled buildings and staircases, with directional signage and natural light creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Beethoven Museum
Ornate antique figurine clock showing a gold-painted rider in a feathered helmet seated on a black horse, with a round clock embedded in the base, displayed on a wooden table in a museum room with wall clocks behind it. A small label in front reads "Figurenuhr Augsburger, Österreich, um 1820" and "Figural clock (moving-eye clock), Austria, about 1820".
Clock Museum

All museums from the Wien Museum group can be visited for free on the first Sunday of each month:

  • Museum of Military History (Heeresgeschichtliches Museum): Austria’s oldest museum, with exhibits covering military history, including the car in which Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.
  • Uhrenmuseum (Clock Museum): A fascinating collection of clocks from various periods, including intricately designed historical pieces.
  • Römermuseum: Step back into Roman Vienna and discover what life was like in the ancient settlement of Vindobona (that’s what Vienna used to be called).
  • Pratermuseum: Dive into the history of Vienna’s famous Prater amusement park with vintage photographs, memorabilia, and exhibits.
  • Neidhart Festsaal: A hidden gem featuring the oldest secular wall paintings in Vienna, showcasing medieval life and celebrations.
  • Virgilkapelle: A 13th-century chapel preserved beneath Vienna’s streets, which can be entered through the Stephansplatz subway station.
  • Otto Wagner Pavilion Karlsplatz: A beautifully restored Art Nouveau pavilion designed by Otto Wagner, showcasing his architectural genius. Closed in winter.
  • Otto Wagner Hofpavillon Hietzing: Once an imperial train station for Emperor Franz Josef, this pavilion is another gem of Otto Wagner’s work. Closed in winter.
  • Hermesvilla: Known as the “Palace of Dreams,” this romantic villa was a gift from Emperor Franz Josef to Empress Sisi, now featuring exhibits on her life and times. It’s the only palace in Vienna you can see for free. Closed in winter.
  • Apartments of Famous Musicians and Composers: Visit the former homes of legendary composers, now turned into music museums:
    • Beethoven Pasqualatihaus: Explore Beethoven’s apartment where he finished “For Elise” with displays of his life and work.
    • Beethoven Museum: Learn about Beethoven’s struggles with hearing loss at his retreat in Heiligenstadt. This is the best museum if you want to learn about Beethoven’s time in Vienna.
    • Haydnhaus: Step into the final residence of composer Joseph Haydn, featuring exhibits on his life and music.
    • Schubert Geburtshaus: Visit the house where Franz Schubert was born, now a small museum about his life.
    • Schubert Sterbewohnung: See the apartment where Schubert spent his final days, now a small museum about his life.
    • Johann Strauss Wohnung: Explore the home of the “Waltz King,” where Strauss composed the famous Blue Danube.

Special Free Times and Days

Leopold Museums – Every First Thursday of the Month in the Evening

This artwork combines a bust-style sculpture of a human head in muted tones in the foreground with a colorful, abstract portrait of a face in the background. The contrast between the realistic texture of the sculpture and the playful, childlike style of the painted portrait creates a layered, thought-provoking composition.
I really liked this painting
This painting features a striking juxtaposition of a group of intertwined, vibrant human figures on the right, representing life, against a skeletal figure shrouded in dark patterns on the left, symbolizing death. The intricate patterns and use of color emphasize the contrast between vitality and mortality in a powerful visual narrative.
“Death and Life” by Gustav Klimt
This painting depicts an ethereal scene of women in flowing dresses dancing in a lush, open landscape under a vivid blue sky. The energy of the swirling garments and the serene outdoor setting evoke a sense of freedom and harmony with nature.

The Leopold Museum, one of Vienna’s top art museums, offers free entry every first Thursday of the month from 6 PM to 9 PM (normally, the museum closes at 6 PM). I discovered this by chance during a visit, as the free evening isn’t advertised online.

It’s the perfect chance to explore their impressive collection of modern Austrian art, including works by Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt, without paying an entrance fee.

Secession – Every First Wednesday of the Month

Front view of the Vienna Secession Building at sunset, featuring its signature golden dome of laurel leaves and the motto “Der Zeit ihre Kunst, der Kunst ihre Freiheit” above the entrance, with a few people walking by and warm light reflecting off the white and gold facade.
Even the outside is beautiful
A museum gallery with high ceilings and a large illuminated skylight. Visitors sit and stand on a curved bench in the center of the room, some looking at their phones. Along the upper walls, a continuous mural with gold accents and symbolic figures wraps around the space.
Close-up view of a section from Gustav Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze, showing richly detailed golden figures with stylized faces and robes, set against a textured gray background in the Vienna Secession building.

The Secession is free to visit on the first Wednesday of every month. The exhibitions upstairs focus on contemporary art, so I think this can be a bit hit or miss depending on what’s on when you visit.

But even if modern art isn’t really your thing, there’s still a very good reason to go. The Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt is in the basement, and for Klimt fans in Vienna, this is an absolute must-see.

Seeing it on a free day is perfect if you mainly want to visit the frieze and are less interested in the changing exhibitions upstairs.

Haus der Geschichte Österreich – Every Thursday Evening

This exhibit presents a chronological timeline with suspended neon-lit years, starting from 1958. Informational panels, posters, and multimedia displays on both sides of the corridor highlight key historical moments, providing an immersive walkthrough of modern Austrian history.
The top highlights of each decade
This display features a golden, intricately designed gown with floral embroidery, reminiscent of stage glamour. Surrounding the dress are various symbolic items, including a doll dressed similarly and decorations representing Eurovision and Austrian pride, with a "UNSTOPPABLE" sign in reflective letters in the background.
The year Austria won the European Song Contest

You can visit the Haus der Geschichte Österreich for free every Thursday from 6 PM to 8 PM.

I actually really like this museum, especially if it’s your first time in Vienna. It gives you a clear and quick overview of Austria’s history, from the end of the monarchy to the present day.

What makes it stand out is that it doesn’t just focus on the distant past. It also covers more recent history, which I think is often missing in other museums in Vienna.

Kunsthalle Wien – Every Thursday Evening

The Kunsthalle Wien is a modern art museum with two locations, one at Karlsplatz and the other in the MuseumsQuartier. Both venues focus on changing exhibitions that showcase contemporary art.

Every Thursday from 5 PM to 8 PM, they offer a “pay what you can” admission. While it’s not officially free, it can be if you choose not to pay for entry.

Free Museum Entry on the 26th of October

The grand interior of the Austrian National Library, featuring high ceilings adorned with intricate frescoes and golden details. The space is filled with towering bookshelves, classical columns, and statues, with visitors exploring the opulent architecture and historic ambiance.
State Hall of the Austrian National Library
Antique celestial globe with illustrated constellations and mythological figures displayed inside a glass museum case, with several similar globes arranged on shelves in the background. The globe is mounted in a wooden stand with a circular meridian ring and sits on a polished floor in a softly lit exhibit space.
The year Austria won the European Song Contest

Lots of different museums used to be free every year on October 26th, unfortunately most museums don’t participate anymore. Now you can only enter the museums of the Austrian National Library for free:

  • State Hall (Prunksaal): A breathtaking baroque library filled with historic books.
  • Globe Museum: The only museum in the world dedicated entirely to globes.
  • Papyrus Collection: Showcasing ancient manuscripts and papyrus texts.
  • Esperanto Museum: Focused on the history and use of the Esperanto language.
  • Literature Museum: Exploring Austria’s literary history through manuscripts, books, and multimedia displays.
  • House of Austrian History (HdGÖ): Covers Austria’s modern history, including key events from the 20th century.

Best Way to Save Money on Vienna Museums

If the free visiting times don’t align with your trip to Vienna, don’t worry, there are other ways to save money when visiting multiple museums. Here are some of the best options:

  • Vienna City Pass: The Vienna City Pass includes access to most major museums and attractions. It’s available for 1, 2, 3, or 6 days. It’s not the cheapest, but it can be a great deal if you plan to visit many museums.
  • Annual Ticket for Bundesmuseen: For €99, you can get an annual pass that grants access to all federal museums. Single tickets for these museums usually cost €15–20, so this pass is great if you plan to visit several. You can purchase it online or at any participating museum (I recommend buying it at a smaller museum to avoid the long queues).
  • Annual Ticket for Wien Museums: For just €29, this pass gives you unlimited access to all Wien Museums (the ones that are free on the first Sunday of the month). With single tickets usually priced around €5, this is an affordable option, especially for locals or those staying in Vienna longer.
  • Annual Niederösterreich Card: For €89 you get free entrance to not only lots of attractions in Lower Austria, but also free entry to several museums in Vienna, like Upper Belvedere, Freud Museum, Josephinum, and Globe Museum. I think this one is often overlooked, but it can actually be great value.
  • Check for Discounts: Many museums offer discounts for people like Vienna City Card holders, students, or the unemployed.

💸 Visit a LOT of museums and save money with the Vienna City Pass!

More Free Things to Do in Vienna

Museums are just one part of what you can experience in Vienna without spending money. Some of my favourite moments in the city don’t cost anything at all.

You can wander through beautiful streets in the historic centre, relax in one of Vienna’s many parks, or visit places like churches and viewpoints that are completely free if you know where to go.

If you want more ideas beyond museums, I’ve put together a full guide with my favourite free things to do in Vienna, including some lesser-known spots you might otherwise miss.

Read more about Vienna:

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A promotional graphic for free museums in Vienna, featuring two images of museum interiors. The top half showcases a gallery with classic European paintings in ornate gold frames on dark green walls, with plush seating in the center. The bottom half displays an opulent historical carriage with intricate gold detailing and red velvet trim in a museum setting. Bold text in green and yellow reads 'FREE MUSEUMS VIENNA - Always Free & Special Free Days,' with the website 'AustrianVeganwanderlust.com' at the bottom.
Free Museums in Vienna First Sunday of the Month & Other Free Days

Tina Riegelnegg is the founder of Austrian Veganderlust. After travelling the world and documenting her adventures on Veganderlust, she created this blog to share the beauty of her home country, Austria. Tina now focuses on helping travellers discover the best spots in Austria, including where to find the most delicious vegan food.