The Natural History Museum Vienna is one of the most important natural history museums in the world. Its earliest collections are more than 250 years old. Today around 30 million objects are kept there.

This collection, which is constantly growing, has been housed since 1889 in a mighty "palace of natural sciences" on the Ringstraße road running around Vienna city center. The combination of the architecture, sculptures, paintings, furniture, and valuable exhibits make the museum a rare gem of great cultural importance.
 
Famous, irreplaceable objects include the Venus of Willendorf (around 29,500 years old), the Steller’s sea cow (which became extinct more than 200 years ago), huge dinosaur skeletons as well as the world’s largest and oldest meteorite collection on display. These and the many other items are shown in 39 large exhibition halls.
 
The most eye-catching exhibits of historic-cultural importance are listed in the NHM TOP 100 catalogue, which is available in the museum shop and contains detailed descriptions of the objects as well as photos by Lois Lammerhuber.
 
 

Level 1

Department of Mineralogy and Petrography (Halls 1–5)

The collections of the Department of Mineralogy and Petrography are among the most important worldwide, first and foremost thanks to their outstanding alpine minerals and other material from the territory once ruled over by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The systematically categorized mineral collection is at the heart of the items on display, which also include minerals from Austria, building and decorative stones, mining and smelting products, a rock collection as well as a number of precious stones. Highlights include Columbian emeralds, large gold and platinum nuggets, diamonds, the largest opal in Europe, and a topaz weighing 117 kg.
 
The Meteorite Collection (Hall 5) of the Natural History Museum is the oldest of its kind in the world. Shortly after the foundation of the Imperial Natural History Cabinet in 1748, the Viennese Custodians began collecting meteorites in the second half of the eighteenth century. By the end of 2011, around 2,200 meteorite objects had been exhibited in Hall 5 of the Natural History Museum. Thus, the Meteorite Hall of the Vienna Museum houses by far the largest meteorite exhibition in the world. Due to its long history and the efforts of the Custodians, the exhibition collection is particularly rich in historically significant cases and finds. Some of these valuable objects also have a direct connection to the foundation of meteorite science as a scientific discipline. For this reason, the Vienna Collection is very famous worldwide, both among scientists and private collectors.
 

Department of Geology and Paleontology (Halls 6–9)

This section of the collection focuses on the development of life throughout the history of Planet Earth. Starting with the simplest of life-forms, which are similar to modern-day algae and were responsible for creating oxygen in the atmosphere, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey through time covering more than 4 billion years and highlights important developments in the evolutionary chain using outstanding exhibits and reconstructions. Accompanying the exhibition is the book “100 Steps in Earth’s History” with texts explaining how Planet Earth has changed and providing much more information on the objects presented than a usual guide book.
 
The Geology Hall (Hall 6) was reopened on August 10, 2009 to mark the 120^th anniversary of the NHM Vienna's foundation and is dedicated to Planet Earth. It focuses mainly on the "Gaia-sphere" (named after the Greek goddess of the Earth) comprising the lithosphere (the Earth's solid rock shell), the atmosphere (its gaseous envelope), the hydrosphere (the water in the oceans, rivers, and lakes), as well as the biosphere (the part of the Earth home to living beings). The interactions between geological forces, climate, and life have shaped our planet for more than 4 billion years. Interactive stations and impressive animations educate and inform visitors on their journey through time, including a visualization of how our planet was formed as well as a separate exhibit showing the 2,000-year journey of a water droplet as it makes its way through the world's oceans. Using the "volcano pump" visitors can pump up the pressure in a magma chamber and create their own volcano eruption. A model of the Earth measuring two meters in size gives a fascinating view of our planet similar to that enjoyed by astronauts orbiting high above.
 
Hall 7 is all about the early history of Earth (Precambrian) and the following Paleozoic as well as the life forms which existed at the time, in particular the first multicellular organisms of the Ediacara biota and the bizarre Burgess animals. Most representatives of both groups have no surviving modern-day relatives and are therefore hard for us to imagine, though detailed reconstructions are provided to help visitors understand what these creatures would have looked like. Further highlights include a reconstruction of a carbon forest buzzing with giant dragonflies as well as a diorama showing a 420-million-year-old reef from Gotland during the Silurian period. One of the most popular attractions is the "time machine" enabling visitors to embark on a virtual journey through time, watch as the continents move and even look into the future.
 
Hall 8 is dedicated to the Mesozoic – the time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and one of the most exciting periods in the history of our planet. The exhibits are just as diverse as the creatures at this time, ranging from dinosaur skeletons and fossils of ancient birds to huge ammonites, sea lilies, ammonites, petrified coral reefs, and the remains of the first flowering plants. Among the most popular attractions are the highly realistic reconstructions of hairy flying dinosaurs. Fittingly, the exhibition concludes with a simulated meteorite strike similar to that which is believed to have marked the end of the Mesozoic.
 
Hall 9 presents the Cenozoic, the most recent period in Earth's history, which began around 65 million years ago. Exhibits include a number of highly exotic plants and animal fossils, some of which will be familiar to visitors, found in the area around Vienna. Among the highlights are a complete skeleton of a 17-million-year-old Prodeinotherium elephant, an enormous fossilized palm leaf, three evolutionary steps of the horse (including a pygmy horse found in the Messel Pit in Germany), numerous amber fossils, the huge limbs of the Chalicotherium as well as a diorama showing what a coral reef may have looked like 16 million years ago. A "horse machine" animation enables visitors to trace the development of the modern horse from a dog-sized forest dweller living off leaves to the grass-eating steppe animal we are more familiar with today.  
 

Dinosaur Collection (Hall 10)

There is no group of fossils as popular as the dinosaurs. More than 1,000 different species of dinosaur have been discovered so far, among them the largest animals to have ever lived on Planet Earth. Dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and ichthyosaurs ruled the land, air, and oceans respectively during the Mesozoic. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that this collection is among the most visited attractions at the Natural History Museum.
 
The main architectural feature is the central podium giving visitors a 360° view of the large skeletons of Diplodocus, Allosaurus, and Iguanodon. It is brought to life by an animatronics model of an Allosaurus, the most dangerous predator of the Late Jurassic. Measuring over 6 meters in length, this highly realistic moving model is the size of a young allosaurus. Adjacent to it stands the skeleton cast of a 150-million-year-old Allosaurus fragilis from Utah. Cruising above visitors' heads is a lifesize model of a Pteranodon with a wingspan of 7 meters. Further highlights include several pterosaur skeletons, a female ichthyosaur complete with preserved embryos, and the skeleton of Archelon ischyros, the biggest tortoise to have ever lived.

The most important steps in the development of dinosaurs and related reptiles are also presented. One of these important steps, which was essential for reptiles to flourish as they did, was the evolution of the egg. This protected the embryo and gave it the nutrients it needed, therefore meaning it required no external water. Feathers are another major focus of the exhibition. Many dinosaurs had feathers, which experts believe developed at different times and independently from species to species. The lifesize model of a feathered Deinonychus shows how much our ideas of these reptiles have changed. Today we know that modern-day birds are descended from a certain group of dinosaurs who lived during the Jurassic Period, so you could say that the hummingbird is in some ways a tiny dinosaur.

Intricate computer animations bring the skeletons and fossils "back to life" and provide a fascinating insight into where and how many extinct species lived.
 

Prehistory (Halls 11–13, Venus Cabinet & Gold Cabinet)

The Department of Prehistory consists of holdings of the former Cabinet of Coins and Antiquities, (found from Hallstatt, Peschiera, the Swiss pile buildings, the Este Collection), the collections of the Anthropological Society and finds from own excavations. Originally, the Prehistoric Collection was part of the Anthropological-Ethnographic Department founded by Ferdinand von Hochstetter. It was not until 1924 that it was dissolved into three separate departments: an anthropological, a prehistoric and an ethnographic department. The research focus of the Prehistoric Collection ranges from the Paleolithic, Hallstatt and La Tène periods to various periods of the Early Middle Ages in Europe. Especially from the territory of the former monarchy, the holdings are particularly rich.

The showrooms show the Stone Age (in Central Europe: 350,000 to 2,300 BC) with its highlight "Venus von Willendorf" and the Bronze Age (in Central Europe: 2,300 to 800 BC). The Bronze Age was a time of profound social change. For thousands of years, devices, weapons and tools made of stone dominated everyday human life. At the end of the Neolithic period, the metal copper was added as a new material, but it was too soft for many uses. The Iron Age (in Central Europe: 800 to 0 BC.) is transformed into an older stage, the Hallstatt culture (800 to 450/400 BC), and a younger stage, the La Tene culture (450/400 BC to arount the birth of Christ) is structured.

Hall 11 traces the beginnings of human culture, starting with the Neanderthals and early modern humans who lived as hunters and gatherers in the region today covered by Lower Austria. Further milestones in human development include the first farmers of the Neolithic Age, the earliest use of metal during the Copper Age as well as changes in society during the Bronze Age. Visitors can embark on a virtual guided tour of Stone Age caves with their mesmerizing wall paintings as well as a virtual journey to the unique Stone Age pile dwellings in the Alps. 
 
Hall 12 is dedicated to the prehistoric salt mines in the high valley of Hallstatt (Upper Austria). Salt has been mined in this remote mountain valley for 7,000 years. Hallstatt has one of the richest and largest prehistoric cemeteries in Europe and even gave its name to an entire period: the Early Iron Age – from the 8^th to the 5^th century BC – is known today as the "Hallstatt period". The conserving properties of salt mean that many items from the prehistoric mines have been preserved in outstanding condition. Sensational finds such as tools, clothing, food remains, and even the oldest wooden staircase in Europe provide a insight into the world of the prehistoric miners. Precious exhibits include bronze picks, wood chips, carry sacks made from hide, and prehistoric cooking pots found in the mine, while treasures from the burial site include Hallstatt swords and elaborately decorated vessels.
 
Hall 13 shows the cultural developments made in the first century AD, when iron became the most important metal for tools and weapons and the first written documents on the region covered by modern day Austria were created. Just as powerful as the written documents are the images etched into bronze objects, telling us much about the culture and lifestyle of the people living at the time. Further highlights include finds from the ruins of a Celtic temple near Roseldorf in Lower Austria. The exhibition ends with a facsimile of the "Ostarrichi" document (AD 996), in which Austria is mentioned for the first time.
 
The Venus Cabinet provides a fitting backdrop for what is surely the most famous object at the NHM Vienna: the Venus of Willendorf. Dating back 29,500 years, this limestone figurine was found in Willendorf by researchers from the NHM on August 7, 1908 during excavation work. It is shown in a red light to reflect the red chalk which it originally would have been covered with. A new showcase now also houses the 36,000-year-old figurine found in Stratzing, which measures just 7 cm in height and is known as "Fanny" in reference to its ballerina-like pose reminiscent of the famous Austrian ballerina Fanny Elßler. A film shows what the Danube Valley would have looked like during the Stone Age and underline why the earliest settlements in Austria were established in this area. 

The Gold Cabinet contains outstanding gold and silver objects, some of which have been in the vault for over 100 years. Pretioses from several millennia are on display, including Stollhof's 6,000-year-old gold discs, the second oldest gold objects in the world, which not only impress as jewels, but also document the early use of mineral resources. The gold finds of Rothengrub and Michalkow can also be seen in the original for the first time. With the treasure trove of Arikogel on Lake Hallstatt, the NHM Vienna also has one of the most important finds of the Late Bronze Age in Austria.
 

Department of Anthropology (Halls 14–15)

The permanent anthropological exhibition is dedicated to the topic of "Hominid Evolution" and deals with the process of human origin up to the Neolithic period. Two major themes – the upright walk and brain evolution – are dealt with in halls 14 and 15. Starting from our closest living relatives, the path leads across several paleoanthropological themes to the emergence of the cosmopolitan modern man, Homo sapiens, adapted to different natural spaces. Six hands-on stations make the stages of the Incarnation "comprehensible". For example, a virtual skeleton can be determined on the CSI table by means of a microscope, magnifying glass and isotope examination for age, sex and cause of death. At the Morphing Station, visitors have the opportunity to photograph themselves as an original human being and send the images directly. At other stations, the difference between a Neanderthal skull and a Homo-sapiens skull can be felt. The so-called "Footprints of Laetoli" – the oldest evidence of the upright aisle – are embedded in the floor of the museum and lead to the life-size reconstructions of "Lucy" and a male conspecific of Australopithecus afarensis. The Augmented Reality Station vividly replicates the transitional stage from quadrupedalism (i.e., four-legged) to bipedalism (two-legged).

Ice Age children and their world (Hall 16)

The Ice Age is usually described as a world of adults. In the so-called Ice Age children's hall, the perspective is reversed. The focus here is on children's lives. The hall, designed for all generations, invites you to engage in a playful discussion. Large free-standing skeletons of glacial animals and a fireplace in their center give an impression of glacial landscapes. A station with a stylized tent shows how people lived during the Ice Age. The topics of clothing, play, hygiene and health are also covered. Stations on the topics of collecting, hunting and nutrition show, among other things, the role of animals during this period, more precisely how humans used them for tools, jewelry, clothing and food. In an ice age cave, visitors of all ages can go on a discovery tour. In line with the thematic focus, the texts in Room 16 are adapted to children.

Level 2

Invertebrates (Halls 22–23)

Halls 22 and 23 are dedicated to the world of invertebrates (not including insects) and feature everything from XXL models of tiny protozoa (single-cell organisms) to many crustaceans, mussels, snails, corals, worms, arachnids, Nautilus, and Tridacna. Highlights include stunning glass reconstructions of jellyfish, old wax models of worm parasites in humans, and a beautifully decorated shell case.
 

Insects (Hall 24)

In hall 24 visitors can learn about the systematic organization of recent insects while at the same time tracing the evolution of insects from primitive insects all the way to butterflies. There are a number of small dioramas showing insects rarely seen in their natural habitats. The "Lords of Darkness" can be found in a cave, a desert landscape provides the backdrop for a darkling beetle in search of water, and a mimicry display case challenges visitors to find a series of animals which are specialists in camouflage and deception. Further highlights include a number of large dioramas. In an Amazonian river landscape agrias butterflies sit on jaguar excrement and absorb much-needed salt, while a group of leafcutter ants transport fragments of leaf and blossom into their nest as countless Pieridae and Scarce Swallowtail butterflies settle on the damp sand next to the river. Just a few meters away visitors are transported to a wetland landscape in Austria where they can observe swamp tortoises soaking up the sun, pond skaters skipping across the water's surface, buzzing dragonflies in search of food, and tree frogs hiding in the reeds. Every single space in the room is taken up by insects in one form or another, including several oversized models. Giant stag beetles hang from the ceiling, a Copris lunaris beetle settles on a pile of cow dung, a Hercules beetle climbs up the wall, a huge housefly eats cake crumbs, hundreds of monarch butterflies rest after their journey of many kilometers, locusts eat the contents of an entire display case until it is bare, and ants march over cases and up the walls.

Birds (Halls 29–32)

The focus of the exhibition collection is on the representation of the global biodiversity and its systematic order. Almost a quarter of all known bird species on earth can be discovered and experienced up close in four showrooms (halls29–32). The halls resemble three-dimensional identification books – around 2,500 objects of species from Austria, Europe and around the world are on display.

Due to renovation work, the bird rooms are currently not accessible to visitors. The ceremonial reopening of the halls will take place on 29 September 2026.

Mammals (Halls 33–39)

Halls 33–39 present mammals in systematic sequence. The specimens are displayed free-standing, in glass display cases and in dioramas. About 470 dermoplastics in seven display halls illustrate the enormous diversity of mammal species. The vast majority of dermoplastics – the entire collection now comprises between 80,000 and 100,000 specimens – as well as several thousand skins are stored in an underground vault at a constant temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. The collection also contains several thousand alcohol preparations. Apart from material important for biology research – such as numerous type specimens (reference specimens for the naming of a species) – the collection also includes historically precious objects, such as the primates collected by Johann Natterer in the 19^th century in South America.

Level 3

Deck 50

Deck 50 is a unique space combining a modern laboratory, a performance stage with a ten-meter LED wall and a meeting area with seating and multimedia furniture. Visitors are invited to discover, experiment, discuss, learn, ask questions, and contribute ideas. Deck 50 is intended to be a lively place that is constantly developing through an intensive exchange of ideas between museum staff and visitors. Much more than before, we want to offer people the opportunity to play an active role in the museum's activities. Cooperation between external partners and the museum's researchers is particularly important.