Haus der Musik (House of Music)

Haus der Musik (House of Music) Review

You could spend an entire day at this ultra-high-tech museum housed on several floors of an early-19th-century palace near Schwarzenbergplatz. Pride of place goes to the rooms dedicated to each of the great Viennese composers—Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, and Mahler—complete with music samples and manuscripts. Other exhibits trace the evolution of sound (from primitive noises to the music of the masters) and illustrate the mechanics of the human ear (measure your own frequency threshold). There are also dozens of interactive computer games. You can even take a turn as conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic—the conductor's baton is hooked to a computer, which allows you to have full control over the computer-simulated orchestra. Cantino is the wonderful in-house restaurant with fabulous views of the city.