Natural History Museum Vienna Collection of Anatomical Pathology
Spitalgasse 2, Vienna, Vienna, 1090
Part of the Natural History Museum Vienna, the Collection of Anatomical Pathology is an offbeat museum that covers medical history and pathology, and gives a glimpse into an era when mental illness was treated very differently. The weird, wonderful, and macabre exhibits are showcased in the Narrenturm (the Fool’s Tower or Mad House), a tower used until the mid-19th century to house Vienna’s mentally ill.
The basics
You can visit the collection at the Narrenturm independently, browsing the public exhibition on the ground floor. Otherwise, there are guided tours in German or English that also include the study collection on the first floor. While it’s not possible to book these tours online, you can find out times by calling in advance; tours typically last between 30 and 90 minutes.
Things to know before you go
Children under 19 years can visit for free, although this isn’t a museum made with kids in mind. Some displays could be disturbing for younger children.
While the collection will pique the interest of any curious visitor, the site will particularly appeal to people working or studying in the medical profession.
Following a renovation of the Narrenturm in 2020, display information is now in both German and English.
A small admission fee is payable when you enter, or you can visit for free if you have a Vienna Pass or Kulturpass.
Photos aren’t allowed, and cameras and phones should be left in a locker before you enter the exhibition space.
There’s a gift shop at the end of the exhibition that sells unusual mementos.
How to get there
While the Narrenturm is part of the Natural History Museum Vienna, it’s actually located off-site in Vienna’s 9th district (Alsergrund) at the University of Vienna campus. By public transit, trams #5 and #33 can take you to the closest stop of Lazarettgasse. From here, you can enter the University of Vienna campus from Van-Swieten-Gasse to visit the museum.
When to get there
Opening hours are Wednesday mid-morning until early evening; Thursday and Friday mid-morning until mid-afternoon; and Saturday lunchtime until early evening, and the site is open year-round apart from Austrian public holidays. As it’s a quirky site that’s off the tourist trail, it doesn’t attract the downtown tourist crowds and rarely feels busy. If you visit the exhibition independently, plan for up to an hour of browsing.
Niche museums in Vienna’s 9th District
If you’ve ventured out to the Alsergrund to visit this exhibition, there are some other nearby sights that have a similar appeal. The Josephinum Vienna is home to a vast collection of historical medical artifacts with finds such as anatomical wax models and the world’s first endoscope. There’s also the Sigmund Freud Museum, with exhibitions about the development of psychoanalysis in the former home of Sigmund Freud himself.
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