The Funeral Museum (Bestattungsmuseum) is a special museum in Vienna´s museum landscape. It´s a small, niche museum situated on the world-famous Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna´s 11th district, Simmering. While both modern and interactive (yes, interactive!), it addresses the sensitive topic of death and the ceremony that celebrates it. While it may seem morbid, it isn´t. Don´t expect any shocking displays that are unsuitable for kids. Quite the opposite, the Funeral Museum actually offers guided tours for schools and children’s groups. This is definitely a museum you should consider visiting with your children, perhaps when they start asking you difficult questions about death, which is inevitable (both death and the fact that children will ask questions about it). There are 250 exponates, photographs and videos in 30 different stations on display, documenting the “Viennese Cult of the Dead”, the Viennese funeral service, and how the funeral industry has changed in Vienna from the end of the 18th century to the present. For centuries, both emperors and simple folk in Austria have been obsessed with the burial ceremony. The bottom line is that since death is inevitable, let´s celebrate it. As a result, the “beautiful corpse” (“schöner Leichnam”) is not only an ostentatious funeral, but also an expression of a certain quality of life. Many of the objects you will find at the Funeral Museum are bizarre, such as the heart palpitation knife and life-saving clock from times when people feared being buried alive. There is also the famous foldaway coffin, which Emperor Joseph II used to be able to recycle coffins, as well as an original “Fourgon” (i.e. coach for transporting bodies) from around the year 1900. We recommend that you Combone the visit to the Funeral Museum with a long walk in Central Cemetery and a visit to some of the famous memorials located there.
Funeral Museum
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Key info
Family Value Rating
Price Level
- €€ Medium
Age
- For Mamas & Papas
- Kids 6-10
- Older Kids 10-12
- Teens 12+
Location
- 4., Wieden
Accessibility
- Barrier Free / Wheelchair OK
- Stroller OK
Group
- Groups OK
- School Groups Welcome
Features
Activities:
- Cultural
- Educational
Discounts and Passes:
- Discount with Vienna Card
TOP Features:
- Holiday Activities for Children
- No Pre-Registration
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