Strauss Museum

The Museum of the Johann Strauss Dynasty stands in Vienna’s ninth district, in a quiet street called Müllnergasse. It is the only museum devoted entirely to the Strauss family—Johann I, Johann II, Josef, Eduard and Johann III. The building houses seven rooms, each arranged to show how the family shaped Vienna’s musical life. A private association called Kulturverein Wiener Blut opened the museum in March 2015 after gathering items from its own collection and from the Strauss family.

Inside, visitors find listening stations in every room. These allow people to hear the waltzes, polkas and quadrilles that made the Strauss name famous. Photographs, letters and original instruments show how the brothers worked and how Vienna changed around them. The displays explain not only the family’s biography but also the wider society of the 19th century. Items on loan from the Strauss family add personal touches to the exhibition.

The rooms are arranged chronologically, beginning with Johann I and ending with Johann III. Each space has its own colour scheme and lighting to match the mood of the music featured there. Large wall texts give dates and short stories, while smaller labels describe individual objects. The final room offers a quiet corner where visitors can sit and listen to a full suite of Strauss pieces. Outside, the street remains calm, letting the music inside stand out all the more.