Museum of Illusions

Vienna’s Museum of Illusions is one of the Austrian capital’s most innovative and immersive attractions, perfect for families, groups of friends and photography enthusiasts. Located in the heart of the old town at Wallnerstraße 4, this interactive museum offers over 70 installations that challenge perception, deceive the senses and invite visitors to question the reality around them.

Open as part of the international network of Illusion Museums, the Viennese museum stands out for its ability to combine entertainment and education, offering an experience that goes beyond mere observation. Here everything is designed to be touched, experienced and photographed, making every visitor an active protagonist of optical illusions and interactive installations.

The concept behind the museum is simple but effective: to demonstrate how our senses can deceive us and how our perception of reality is often distorted by the way our brains process visual information. Through holograms, stereograms, distorting mirrors and impossible environments, the Museum of Illusions offers a fascinating journey into the world of human perception.

The experience is particularly appreciated for its Instagram-friendly nature: each installation is designed to create spectacular and memorable photos. Museum staff are always on hand to help visitors take the perfect photos, showing the exact spots where to stand (indicated by symbols on the floor) to achieve the most amazing illusionistic effects. The visit lasts an average of 45-60 minutes, making it perfect as an entertaining break while exploring Vienna.

The installations of the Museum of Illusions

The museum houses over 70 interactive installations that challenge perception and create memorable photographic experiences. Highlights include the Vortex Tunnel, a rotating cylinder that creates the illusion of losing balance while walking on a stable surface, demonstrating how sight can deceive the sense of balance. The Upside Down Room is the most photographed installation: fully furnished but upside down, it allows you to take photos that make you appear to walk on the ceiling or defy gravity in impossible poses.

The iconic Head on a Plate uses hidden mirrors to create the illusion of a decapitated head served on a tray, while Chair Illusions demonstrates how context affects perception of size, making two people of the same height appear as a giant and a dwarf. The collection of holograms shows three-dimensional images that tell the story of human evolution through representations that change depending on the angle. The True Mirror offers a surprising experience by showing for the first time how we really appear to others, eliminating the lateral inversion of traditional mirrors. Museum staff are always on hand to help with photos, pointing out the exact spots where to stand for the most spectacular illusionistic effects.

Tickets for the Museum of Illusions

Tickets for the Museum of Illusions can be purchased either online at this link or directly on site at the ticket office. Online purchase is strongly recommended, especially at weekends and during high season, to guarantee entry at the desired time of day and avoid last-minute disappointments due to sold-out seats.

There are reduced rates for children and young people, students and visitors with disabilities, while children up to 4 years of age get in free. For those travelling as a family, family tickets are available which offer savings compared to buying individual tickets. Tickets purchased online are emailed immediately and can be displayed directly on your smartphone at the entrance, without the need to print them out.

Opening hours

The Museum of Illusions is open daily, with different opening hours for weekdays and weekends. From Monday to Friday the museum observes the opening hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., while on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays the opening hours extend until 7 p.m., making it possible to visit the museum also in the late afternoon after a day of exploring the old town.

The last entry is recommended an hour before closing time to allow sufficient time to explore all the installations at leisure and take the desired photos.

To visit the museum completely, experiencing all the installations and taking photos in each room, 45-60 minutes is recommended, although some particularly enthusiastic visitors may spend up to 90 minutes exploring every detail and playing with the various puzzles available.

How to get to the Museum of Illusions

The Museum of Illusions is located at Wallnerstraße 4, in the heart of Vienna’s 1st district, within walking distance of the city’s main attractions. The nearest underground station is Herrengasse on the U3 (orange) line, from which the museum is only a 2-minute walk away. On leaving the underground, just follow the signs for Wallnerstraße.

Alternatively, from the Stephansplatz station (lines U1 and U3), located below St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the museum is a pleasant 5-minute walk through the elegant shopping streets of the city centre. This route allows you to admire the shop windows of the luxury boutiques and the historic architecture of the Innere Stadt.

Tram lines 1, 2, D and 71 stop nearby, with the Schottentor or Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring stations about a 5-7 minute walk away. The museum’s central location makes it perfect to combine with visits to other attractions such as the Hofburg Palace (a 5-minute walk away), St. Peter’s Church (3 minutes away) or the famous Graben, Vienna’s most elegant pedestrian street.

After your museum visit, you can easily continue to the Naschmarkt for a quaint lunch or dinner, or head to the MuseumsQuartier with the Leopold Museum to continue the cultural experience.

The other Museums of Illusions

The Museum of Illusions Vienna is part of an international network of museums in over 40 cities in Europe and around the world. Each location shares the same innovative concept of interactive and educational installations while maintaining its own local identity. Most of the venues are located in Europe, all of them located in historical centres and easily accessible. The most famous are located in major cities such as Berlin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Prague, Budapest, Milan and Rome, as well as locations outside Europe such as New York, Dubai and Toronto.

The success of the format has led to the continual opening of new venues, making this type of interactive museum increasingly popular with families and young travellers looking for a different experience from traditional art museums.