Natural History Museum, Vienna, Natural history museum in Maria-Theresien-Platz, Vienna, Austria
The Natural History Museum sits on Maria-Theresien-Platz and houses an extensive collection spanning minerals, fossils, human origins, and animal life. The exhibitions are spread across multiple levels and rooms organized by scientific discipline.
The museum began when an 18th-century emperor purchased a private natural history collection and opened it to the public. This acquisition formed the foundation of what became one of Europe's major natural science collections.
The collections reveal how people have understood and organized knowledge about the natural world across different periods and societies. You can see this reflected in the way specimens are grouped and displayed throughout the rooms.
The museum opens in the morning most days of the week, with extended evening hours on one particular day. It helps to check which sections are accessible before planning your route through the building.
A striking ceiling mural in the main staircase depicts life on Earth in an artistic way, created by a 19th-century painter. This large artwork forms an unexpected visual centerpiece as you move through the building.
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