The Best Museums to Visit in Graz, Austria

Come to the Archaeology Museum and encounter finds from the Egyptian empire, classical Greek and Roman eras and treasures from Styria. Workshops are available for kids, and allow them to uncover objects of interest before examining, measuring and drawing them, just as real archaeologists do. This museum is a great (and practical) way to discover the lives of our ancient ancestors.

Designed especially for younger ones, FRida and freD is an exciting place for children aged 3 to 12. Take time to explore the enchanting exhibitions and stage plays right in the middle of the relaxing Augarten. Make yourself at home and leave your shoes at the counter, then slip around the museum in your socks or slippers. Workshops take place at 2pm every Saturday, along themes of the current exhibition.

Hans Gross is considered the father of modern criminology, and by the end of his career he had assembled a vast collection of crime-related artefacts, which he used to educate lawyers and policemen. Now, you too can glance into his captivating world, and experience real-life criminal cases from the perspective of the investigators. Peer into the minds of both culprits and victims, and gather all available clues to solve the case in the Criminology Museum.

Whoever said, “Architecture is frozen music”, was clearly thinking about Graz’s House of Architecture. In the spacious exhibition area you’ll be blindsided by the architectural ingenuity and scale of human endeavour. Offering themed workshops, guided tours, talks and excursions, HDA’s programme of events gives you multiple opportunities to learn about the building process, and to spend time with like-minded design nerds.

Slightly unbelievably, this museum claims to house Austria’s only audiovisual exhibition, illustrating the past century’s scientific developments in a laboratory-style environment. The guided tour is guaranteed to increase your understanding of space, planet Earth, astronauts, electricity, and all things technological. Bring your brains.

At the Natural History Museum come face to face with the wonders of the natural world; admire the speed of the cheetah, and the explosive energy of volcanoes. You can wander through the permanent exhibition, and learn about the diversity of botany, geology and zoology. A fun day out for all the family, young ones and grown-ups will enjoy the range of delights on offer.

Engage all your senses at the Museum of Perception where you can learn to ‘see’ with your skin, and find out exactly how the human eye works. Continue the adventure with a pre-booked Samadhi Bath, and float in salt water in complete darkness, in the basement of the museum. It sounds terrifying, but it’s deeply relaxing. Just don’t fall asleep and forget to go home.