Desert Experience House

At the Desert Experience House at Schönbrunn, you can see plants and animals from deserts and arid regions and learn fascinating facts about their survival strategies. The highlights include a 70m glass tube labyrinth of naked mole rats and the black-tailed rattlesnakes, which live in the U.S. desert and can reach lengths of up to 1.3 meters. One of the most-popular stations with kids (and adults) is the Dr. Fish tank where you can put your hand in and have it nibbled on by fishes – quite an odd experience indeed. The botanical highlights include a number of cacti and other water-retentive, drought-resistant succulents and plants. To make the exhibition as exciting as possible, three different arid habitats were recreated, namely Madagascar and the deserts of the Old and New Worlds. A selection of the native plants and animals that live in those harsh, extreme conditions, were placed in each of the habitats. A large variety of interesting animals can also be seen, like many free-roaming birds, as well as tortoises, lizards, snakes, and elephant shrews. The Desert House isn´t large – the exhibition portion is about 2,000 square meters and there´s a stroller-friendly path winding its way through all of the fascinating fauna and flora. You will need about 30-40 minutes to complete the tour, or less, depending upon how much time you dedicate to each habitat. The tour will provide you and your children with great insight into a part of the world that isn’t very well documented, yet represents about 35% of the Earth´s land mass. Our tip – purchase a Combo ticket for both the Desert Experience House and the Schönbrunn Palm House, which are located vis-a-vis. For a full Schönbrunn day, we also recommend combining the visit to the Desert Experience House with a visit to the Schönbrunn – Maze & Labyrinth. As a bonus, you will also obtain access to the Labyrinthikon playground, which isn´t very big but is still one of the coolest outdoor playgrounds in Vienna. Another suggestion is to visit the Gloriette, where you can enjoy an amazing view and experience a nice lunch at the Café Gloriette, located inside. To make the Schönbrunn experience even more memorable, for you and your children, we further recommend that you use the Schönbrunn Panorama Train.

Key info

Family Value Rating

Price Level

  • €€ Medium

Age

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  • Babies & Toddlers 0-2
  • Children 2-6
  • For Mamas & Papas
  • Kids 6-10

Location

  • 13., Hietzing

Weather

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  • Any Weather

Accessibility

  • Barrier Free / Wheelchair OK
  • Stroller OK

Group

  • Groups OK
  • School Groups Welcome

Features

Activities:

  • Animal Viewing
  • Educational
  • Exploring Plants

Discounts and Passes:

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  • Big Bus Route
  • Discount with Vienna Card
  • FREE with Flexi Pass
  • FREE with Vienna Pass

TOP Features:

  • No Pre-Registration

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