The popular Circus and Clown Museum displays the extraordinary history of domestic and international entertainers, including clowns, artists, wizards, and different human anomalies, among others. Visitors learn all sorts of interesting facts about their places of work, such as the Vienna Prater, circuses, and other establishments. Clowns are an extremely central focal point of the museum, with tons of photos, posters, props, and original and famous costumes. The museum includes 20,000 permanent exhibits and several temporary ones as well consistently offering new and unique content.
(Photo By:Clownmuseum)
The Circus and Clown Museum is a dynamic environment. There is a comprehensive program of events, regular magic shows for adults and children, talks with celebrities, readings, and exciting musical performances. The poet André Heller described the museum as an "archive of real dreams and dreamed realities".
The Viennese Circus Museum started as the private collection of the writer and editor Heino Seitler during the interwar period in the Josefstadt. In 1968, in a hall of the "Leopoldstädter Bezirksmuseum", the extensive collection of the Austrian Circus and Clown Museum was donated to the city of Vienna. Heino Seitler still looked after his work until his passing, when his long-term colleague, curator Prof. Berthold Lang, became his successor. Prof. Lang has enlarged the facilities. He is constantly cultivating the cultural assets entrusted to the museum and adapting the museum to the times. Together with his team, the museum continues to expand and grow. Since 2011, the museum is located at its present location near the Prater.