Haus Der Musik

The Haus der Musik is one of Vienna’s more unusual museums. Although some of the activities and exhibits could be a little more user-friendly, it manages to explain sound in an amusing and interactive way (in English and German) for both children and adults. The 1st floor hosts historical archives of the Vienna Philharmonic. Here you can listen to a shortened version of the world-famous New Year’s concert, and a bizarre interactive tool allows you to compose your own waltz with the roll of a die. The 2nd floor, called the Sonosphere, is where you can delve into the mechanics of sound. This features plenty of engaging instruments, interactive toys and touch screens. Here you can test the limits of your hearing and play around with sampled sounds to record your own CD (€7). Floor 3 covers Vienna’s classical composers and is polished off with the ‘virtual conductor’: a video of the Vienna Philharmonic that responds to a conducting baton and keeps time with your movements. The museum hosts the occasional children’s program – see the website for details.