Universalmuseum Joanneum

The Universalmuseum Joanneum in Graz is the oldest and second-largest museum organization in Austria and the largest universal museum in Central Europe. Named after Archduke Johann, who founded the institution in 1811 as a museum and school, the group today comprises twenty museums and a zoo across Styria. The history of the institution is closely tied to science: distinguished researchers worked here, including Friedrich Mohs, who developed his famous hardness scale for minerals. Originally housed in historic buildings such as the Lesliehof and the later Neues Joanneum, built in the Viennese Neo-Baroque style, the institution was modernized in the 21st century. Since 2011, the Joanneumsviertel (Joanneum Quarter) has been its new centerpiece, where the Altes Joanneum and Neues Joanneum were connected underground and extensively renovated.

Visitors experience a unique blend of historic splendor and modern presentation. One highlight is Schloss Eggenberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that impresses with its Planetary Hall and the Alte Galerie, which displays European masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. The Archaeology Museum in the palace park is home to the world-famous Strettweg Cult Wagon from the Hallstatt period. The Landeszeughaus, the largest surviving historic armory in the world, conveys the atmosphere of a 17th-century arsenal with tens of thousands of exhibits. Contemporary art is the focus of the Neue Galerie Graz in the Joanneumsviertel, which presents important holdings from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as current artistic positions.

Beyond its city locations, the museum network extends into rural areas. The Austrian Open-Air Museum in Stübing presents historic village and farmhouse landscapes from all of Austria's federal states, while the Hunting Museum and the Agricultural Museum in Schloss Stainz document the region's traditional way of life. The Natural History Museum in the Joanneumsviertel also invites you to discover the diversity of living and non-living nature in a modern exhibition. With more than four million objects in its collections, the Universalmuseum Joanneum covers a broad spectrum of history, art, culture, and natural science, and remains a central place for research and education in Styria.