MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art
MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art
MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Discover the fascinating era of “VIENNA 1900” in the grand museum building on Vienna’s Ringstraße with art nouveau masterpieces of the Wiener Werkstätte by Gustav Klimt, Josef Hoffmann, or Koloman Moser. Inaugurated in 1871, the building by Heinrich von Ferstel is one of the grandest works of architecture on Vienna’s Ringstraße. Today the MAK, originally founded as the “Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry”, accommodates a unique collection of precious art and craftwork from the fields of furniture, glass, porcelain, silver, and textiles from the middle ages to today. With more than 1 million objects and printed works it is one of the most important museums of its kind in the world. The spacious exhibition rooms were designed by contemporary artists and show selected highlights of the MAK Collection as well as temporary exhibitions in the field of design, art and architecture.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Top ways to experience MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Inner City
In Vienna's best-known district, pedestrian boulevards Kärntner Strasse and Graben connect you with landmarks such as the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera), Vienna’s iconic Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral) and the vast compound of Hofburg, the Habsburgs’ former Imperial Palace. Peek down side streets such as Annagasse and Weihburggasse, and Graben’s Seilergasse and Habsburggasse, to get a feel for the centre. The Imperial Apartments and the refreshingly demystifying Sissi Museum are must-dos at Hofburg. Spacious squares such as Am Hof and Freyung often host beautiful seasonal and antiques markets.
How to get there
- Stubentor • 2 min walk
- Landstraße • 4 min walk
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4.5
609 reviews
Excellent
337
Very good
169
Average
73
Poor
21
Terrible
9
Leopold Bloom
It's a state of mind.49 contributions
Dec 2022
When I was in the museum, I wanted to eat a snack so I went to the museum cafe. Although the restaurant was almost empty, no one came to ask for my order. So my family and I left. Then, in the museum shop, I wanted to buy an expensive gift, but no one assisted me. I couldn't get anyone to help me with selection, and then I couldn't get anyone to ring me up at the register.
The Germans have a word for such bad service: Servicewüste ("customer service desert"). I was shocked that a famous museum and tourist destination seems not to care about its visitors, especially when they want to spend more money.
(By the way, the permanent exhibition of the museum is beautiful, but very small and focused almost entirely on Vienna around the year 1900. And the entrance fee is quite expensive: €15.)
The Germans have a word for such bad service: Servicewüste ("customer service desert"). I was shocked that a famous museum and tourist destination seems not to care about its visitors, especially when they want to spend more money.
(By the way, the permanent exhibition of the museum is beautiful, but very small and focused almost entirely on Vienna around the year 1900. And the entrance fee is quite expensive: €15.)
Written 2 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ghazal
Düsseldorf, Germany639 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
I was there with my brother. The building is designed nice and it has many rooms. But I am not fan of modern art. Most of the works are modern.
Written 26 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nigel W
Chertsey, UK9 contributions
Sept 2016 • Couples
Being a frequent traveller to Vienna, and a dedicated museum visitor, I at last decided to visit MAK with my wife on 3 September. Reviewing this museum is a more complex task than usual. I'm a former museum official myself - and in the context of the applied and industrial arts, it is impossible for me not to compare any design museum with the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The standard against which I judge such museums is, therefore, very high indeed. Having said that, the other Viennese museums I have visited are outstanding, whether dealing with the visual arts or the sciences.
Externally, the museum-building is a beautiful example of Hapsburg decorative neo-classical architecture. In fact the building itself repays sustained scrutiny. It is an architectural gem. On entering the main hall I was, by contrast, disappointed by the way in which this splendid interior space was given over to numerous utilitarian tables and chairs - the sort of thing one might encounter in a village hall or school dining-room - with various indeterminate bits & pieces left on the tables, presumably remnants of some 'activity session'. I understand, of course, that MAK conducts a programme of talks and activities, and that it has to allocate space for this purpose. But in the main hall, littered with tables and chairs? Shouldn't the main hall instead be given over to a splendid display of items from the collection, whether a permanent installation or a rolling progamme of temporary displays? This museum is gifted with such a beautiful, spacious front hall that it seems a pity not to utilise it for instilling in visitors a degree of artistic 'shock & awe' as their introduction to the rest of the museum.
Another general point:- there is relatively little on display. Yes, there are some fine East Asian ceramics and artefacts to be seen, though subordinated to a guest-artist's gallery installation in which the conceptual structure overwhelms the objects themselves. The irony is that the objects from the collection are of superb quality and do not need to be shoe-horned into a structure which is alien to them. I'm thinking also of the absolutely beautiful 18th century room from Brno - a room within a room - of breath-taking quality which should be allowed to speak for itself in its own 18th century context.
There are other highlights. The collection of European lace, for example. The examples on show are quite outstanding - wonderful objects of obsessive intricacy, beautifully displayed against black backgrounds.
And there are other strong points. But the fundamental issue is that there is insufficient on display. There is little or no jewellery. Although there is currently an exhibition of prints and graphic items on the history of European costume, there are no actual examples of costume on show. Jewellery & costume are two of the principal contexts for applied art & design, and I find it difficult to believe that nothing is available from Austro-Hungarian jewellery, fashion and court-dress to put on display - perhaps in the otherwise wasted front hall. Could it be that these things are allocated to other museums?
There is currently a well-curated exhibition of the work of the innovatory architect and designer, Friedrich Kiesler, perhaps best known as a member of the Guggenheim/Max Ernst/Dorothea Tanning set. The exhibition indicates that there is far more to Kiesler than that. But one can't help contrasting the very generous space given to this exhibition with the relative paucity of that given over to the permanent displays.
On another note, I must say that the cafe-restaurant is delightful. The waiter on 3 September was engagingly courteous and helped to ensure that our experience was as pleasant as possible.
To sum up:- this is an interesting museum, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. But I am left with an abiding sense of unrealised potential.
Externally, the museum-building is a beautiful example of Hapsburg decorative neo-classical architecture. In fact the building itself repays sustained scrutiny. It is an architectural gem. On entering the main hall I was, by contrast, disappointed by the way in which this splendid interior space was given over to numerous utilitarian tables and chairs - the sort of thing one might encounter in a village hall or school dining-room - with various indeterminate bits & pieces left on the tables, presumably remnants of some 'activity session'. I understand, of course, that MAK conducts a programme of talks and activities, and that it has to allocate space for this purpose. But in the main hall, littered with tables and chairs? Shouldn't the main hall instead be given over to a splendid display of items from the collection, whether a permanent installation or a rolling progamme of temporary displays? This museum is gifted with such a beautiful, spacious front hall that it seems a pity not to utilise it for instilling in visitors a degree of artistic 'shock & awe' as their introduction to the rest of the museum.
Another general point:- there is relatively little on display. Yes, there are some fine East Asian ceramics and artefacts to be seen, though subordinated to a guest-artist's gallery installation in which the conceptual structure overwhelms the objects themselves. The irony is that the objects from the collection are of superb quality and do not need to be shoe-horned into a structure which is alien to them. I'm thinking also of the absolutely beautiful 18th century room from Brno - a room within a room - of breath-taking quality which should be allowed to speak for itself in its own 18th century context.
There are other highlights. The collection of European lace, for example. The examples on show are quite outstanding - wonderful objects of obsessive intricacy, beautifully displayed against black backgrounds.
And there are other strong points. But the fundamental issue is that there is insufficient on display. There is little or no jewellery. Although there is currently an exhibition of prints and graphic items on the history of European costume, there are no actual examples of costume on show. Jewellery & costume are two of the principal contexts for applied art & design, and I find it difficult to believe that nothing is available from Austro-Hungarian jewellery, fashion and court-dress to put on display - perhaps in the otherwise wasted front hall. Could it be that these things are allocated to other museums?
There is currently a well-curated exhibition of the work of the innovatory architect and designer, Friedrich Kiesler, perhaps best known as a member of the Guggenheim/Max Ernst/Dorothea Tanning set. The exhibition indicates that there is far more to Kiesler than that. But one can't help contrasting the very generous space given to this exhibition with the relative paucity of that given over to the permanent displays.
On another note, I must say that the cafe-restaurant is delightful. The waiter on 3 September was engagingly courteous and helped to ensure that our experience was as pleasant as possible.
To sum up:- this is an interesting museum, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. But I am left with an abiding sense of unrealised potential.
Written 6 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dazgemo
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK79 contributions
We planned to visit this museum to see the Seven Princesses panels by MMM. When we arrived at the museum there was an event on therefore our entrance was free that evening. However I would gladly have paid the price of entry to see a truly magnificent piece of art by one of Scotland's least known artists. Margaret and her husband were more appreciated by the secession movement in Vienna.
If you visit this museum you simply must spend time to explore the panels.
If you visit this museum you simply must spend time to explore the panels.
Written 31 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GettinOn
Bronx, NY103 contributions
Oct 2019
I find museums devoted to design somewhat tricky to value. There is so much detail and theory to appreciate that they tend to be sites for the initiate and a bit dehydrated, if not downright dry, for most.
Not so the M.A.K.
It is awesome from the first step into the entry hall. And runs the gamut from sparkling to ethereal in each distinct nook and exhibition passage.
I wanted to see this institution because I love the art nouveau approach and expected to be enchanted, but hadn't realized the extent of its application before. Here is a display of how it could permeate lifestyle. Along with furniture, in inlays, fabrics, silhouette and shape, the styling extended to accessories and surroundings in wallpaper and carpeting designs and utilities so that every aspect of residency provided inspiration.
While elements of the late 19th and early 20th century dominate the collection, there are other displays the present a variety of artistry, oriental ceramics, lace, recyclable applications among those on view during our visit.
One of the great thrills was an augmented reality showpiece that expands a Gustav Klimt fantasy garden into a 3-D tour when you don the goggles and handle the remote.
In all, this is a place that embraces elegance and uplifts even the uninitiated.
Then there is the spectacular gift shop which leads to a fabulous cafe.
Exquisite museum for an ethereal world that was.
Not so the M.A.K.
It is awesome from the first step into the entry hall. And runs the gamut from sparkling to ethereal in each distinct nook and exhibition passage.
I wanted to see this institution because I love the art nouveau approach and expected to be enchanted, but hadn't realized the extent of its application before. Here is a display of how it could permeate lifestyle. Along with furniture, in inlays, fabrics, silhouette and shape, the styling extended to accessories and surroundings in wallpaper and carpeting designs and utilities so that every aspect of residency provided inspiration.
While elements of the late 19th and early 20th century dominate the collection, there are other displays the present a variety of artistry, oriental ceramics, lace, recyclable applications among those on view during our visit.
One of the great thrills was an augmented reality showpiece that expands a Gustav Klimt fantasy garden into a 3-D tour when you don the goggles and handle the remote.
In all, this is a place that embraces elegance and uplifts even the uninitiated.
Then there is the spectacular gift shop which leads to a fabulous cafe.
Exquisite museum for an ethereal world that was.
Written 17 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MeFawlty
Copenhagen, Denmark35 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
Very well pland out museum, with really good descriptions off every item. If you are into art nouveau it's a must.The "Wien 1900" collection is quite unique.
Also really excellent staff. Very welcomming and knows alot about the museum and the collection.
Also really excellent staff. Very welcomming and knows alot about the museum and the collection.
Written 18 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SeeingTHEworld2012
Victoria, Canada855 contributions
Jun 2019 • Solo
What a great surprise
Went for the gift shop but the museum is breathing
The collections, biennale, VI exhibit just WOW.
Definitely recommended. Exceptional museum.
Went for the gift shop but the museum is breathing
The collections, biennale, VI exhibit just WOW.
Definitely recommended. Exceptional museum.
Written 12 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Allan H
79 contributions
May 2019 • Solo
I attended the first full day of the new exhibit on artificial intelligence. Although a few of the exhibits were not complete, it was a very engaging, though-provoking exhibit that raises important issues about this vital topic.
Written 6 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnnaCPass
Washington DC, DC185 contributions
Jan 2019 • Solo
My first trip to Vienna everything I read said go to MAK. I was willing to pay the admission price in hopes of seeing some great Klimt, but I was fairly disappointed. There were some small Klimt pieces and one large tapestry but none of the lively gold pieces. Additionally, was an interactive exhibit on "Beauty" that involved voting with chips I was given with admission ticket but I personally couldn't interact as not a single bit was written in English. I understand German is the spoken language in Vienna but surely people who setup exhibit must acknowledge tourists who speak other languages are a good chunk of the paying crowd. Finally there rest of the museum felt mis-mashed. There is a ton of furniture which as an Interior Designer I loved but it was numbered and often had no caption. If there was supposed to be a booklet nearby it wasn't clear/available. Considering lots of museums in the US/United Kingdom are free I'm disappointed for the money I spent.
Written 27 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zamicruiser
Munich, Germany94 contributions
Sept 2018
The MAK by itself is worth a visit with its many interesting interior design and handicraft showings from porcelain to fabric to furniture etc.
Currently, celebrating his 100 years of death there is a sizable exhibition on the famous architect of Jugendstil, Otto Wagner. He lived a long life and although very much disliked (especially by the Habsburgs and the establishment of the turn of the century) and questioned at his time he still left a major footprint on Vienna. You still can see today his contributions when rearranging the Danube (little water taxi houses and bridge ornaments), when building the first tramway (his tram booths in Jugendstil), his apartment buildings (like the Majolika house along the Wienzeile), his office building (like the post savings bank building) and last but not least his church (pure Jugendstil this church situated in the mentally ill hospital Steinhof can still be visited today twice a week with a guided tour). The exhibition shows lots of interesting details about his life, his marriage, his influence as a professor at the technical university Vienna, him being influenced by Ringstrassen architects like Theophil Hansen and the many protests against his work at the time.
Part of the exhibition and to be visited with the same MAK ticket is in the Post Savings Bank "Postsparkasse" just a few steps away from the MAK and another of his still existing and still in use buildings which have been designed by him to the very last detail. It is a wonderful experience to see all this while in Vienna.
Next there will be, by the way, from 19.Dec 2018 to 22.April 2019 an exhibition of Koloman Moser - he designed a lot of glass windows and other special Jugendstil elements as a painter and handicraft expert at the time of Otto Wagner, Jugendstil and Wiener Werkstätten.
Currently, celebrating his 100 years of death there is a sizable exhibition on the famous architect of Jugendstil, Otto Wagner. He lived a long life and although very much disliked (especially by the Habsburgs and the establishment of the turn of the century) and questioned at his time he still left a major footprint on Vienna. You still can see today his contributions when rearranging the Danube (little water taxi houses and bridge ornaments), when building the first tramway (his tram booths in Jugendstil), his apartment buildings (like the Majolika house along the Wienzeile), his office building (like the post savings bank building) and last but not least his church (pure Jugendstil this church situated in the mentally ill hospital Steinhof can still be visited today twice a week with a guided tour). The exhibition shows lots of interesting details about his life, his marriage, his influence as a professor at the technical university Vienna, him being influenced by Ringstrassen architects like Theophil Hansen and the many protests against his work at the time.
Part of the exhibition and to be visited with the same MAK ticket is in the Post Savings Bank "Postsparkasse" just a few steps away from the MAK and another of his still existing and still in use buildings which have been designed by him to the very last detail. It is a wonderful experience to see all this while in Vienna.
Next there will be, by the way, from 19.Dec 2018 to 22.April 2019 an exhibition of Koloman Moser - he designed a lot of glass windows and other special Jugendstil elements as a painter and handicraft expert at the time of Otto Wagner, Jugendstil and Wiener Werkstätten.
Written 28 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I can't remember exactly, but it was less than €10 each (concession for coffin-dodgers like me)... but worth the money - have a look at the website; I'm sure there'll be a list of entry fees featured..
Written 28 September 2017
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