Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) is one of the principal museums in Vienna, Austria. It houses the art collections of the Habsburg dynasty, assembled over several centuries. The museum is located on Maria-Theresien-Platz in central Vienna, opposite the Naturhistorisches Museum and close to the Hofburg Palace. Both museums were commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph I to provide a suitable setting for the imperial collections; the Kunsthistorisches Museum opened in 1891.

The museum contains extensive holdings of European painting, sculpture, decorative arts and antiquities. The picture gallery is notable for its works from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern European schools: Italian artists include Raphael, Titian, Veronese and Caravaggio, and the Netherlandish and Flemish collection includes works by Jan van Eyck, Hieronymus Bosch, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Rembrandt. The museum owns the largest collection of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in the world, including The Tower of Babel and Hunters in the Snow.

In addition to European paintings, the museum holds collections from Ancient Egypt, the Near East, Greece and Rome, with sculptures, sarcophagi, jewellery and everyday objects; the Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection is one of the most important in Central Europe. The Kunstkammer displays the treasures collected by the Habsburgs, including Benvenuto Cellini’s golden salt cellar, the Saliera.

The building itself was designed in a historicist style, with interiors decorated with marble, stucco, and murals. Together with the adjacent Naturhistorisches Museum, it forms part of the monumental Ringstrasse ensemble.

The Kunsthistorisches Museum functions not only as a public exhibition space but also as a research institution. It organizes temporary exhibitions, academic projects, and conservation work. The museum’s library and archives are open to scholars specializing in art history and related disciplines.

Visitor information

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00, and until 21:00 on Thursdays; it is closed on Mondays. In 2026 an adult ticket costs €22 online or €24 at the ticket desk (reduced €19/€20), and visitors under 19 enter free. Since 8 September 2026, entry is only possible with a reserved time slot, so it is best to book online in advance.