Imperial Furniture Collection (Hofmobiliendepot)

The basics

Housed in two historic buildings connected by a modern ticket office, the Imperial Furniture Collection was commissioned to store the overspill from the Imperial Family’s stockpile of priceless antique furniture. It holds changing exhibitions of Empire and Biedermeier furniture selected from its collection of more than 165,000 pieces, all displayed in elegant paneled or staged rooms.

Highlights include the fabulous Egyptian Cabinet, designed for Empress Maria Ludovica in 1812, and several sets taken from 1950s films about the beloved empress Sisi. Stop in as part of your visit to the Hofburg museums; admission is included with the Sisi ticket or the Vienna Pass.

Things to know before you go

• Biedermeier fans will want to visit the rooms on the 2nd floor, which house the largest collection of Biedermeier furniture in the world.

• Though the collection is massive, the well-organized galleries and information in German and English make visiting a breeze.

• There’s a cloakroom to store large bags and umbrellas that aren’t allowed inside the galleries.

• The exhibition spaces are wheelchair- and stroller-accessible via ramps and elevators.

How to get there

The Imperial Furniture Collection is in the heart of Vienna’s museum district, a quick walk from many of the city’s top art and history collections. You can also visit the museum via the metro (take the U3 line and get off at the Zieglergasse station) or the 13A bus. Parking is scarce in this part of the city, so opt for public transportation.

When to get there

The museum is open daily except Mondays. One of the quietest collections in the city, the Imperial Furniture Collection offers a welcome retreat from the crowds that overrun the city’s A-list museums on the weekends and holidays. The galleries close late afternoon. so begin your visit by mid-afternoon to cover the highlights before closing time.

Exploring Vienna’s Hofburg museums

Hapsburg imperial palace is one of the largest of its kind in the world and houses numerous world-class museums. The most famous include the Albertina art museum, the Imperial Apartments and Imperial Treasury, and Austrian National Library—but there’s also a clutch of charmingly eclectic collections worth visiting. Learn about Austria’s most beloved Empress at the Sisi Museum; admire antiquities from the ancient Greek city of Ephesus at the Ephesus Museum; or check out the Collection of Arms and Armor at the Hofjagd-und Rüstkammer armory.