House of Strauss:
There’s More Than Just Music Inside!

Ever played a role in an operetta? Conducted a large orchestra? Or measured your own “waltz pulse”? If not, it’s time for a visit to Döblinger Hauptstraße 76!
Surrounded by magnificent Art Nouveau buildings and within sight of Vienna’s vineyards, the House of Strauss opened its doors here last year. The historic Casino Zögernitz, dating back to 1837, serves as the stylish and dignified setting. Once a gathering place for Vienna’s high society, visitors today stroll through meticulously restored grand rooms, immersing themselves ever deeper into the lives and work of the Strauss family. Multimedia installations with animated visuals, video walls, andsculptures as projection surfaces transport visitors not only to the Blue Danub or into the realm of the Gypsy Baron, but also provide glimpses of the composer’s daily life. For instance, one can discover how many hours Johann Strauss Senior spent sleeping, composing, and performing each day.
Guiding visitors through the tour as the “man in the ear” – or more accurately, as the voice narrating the museum app – is none other than the great-great-grandson of the renowned bandmaster and head of the Vienna Institute for Strauss Research. Like House of Strauss founder Herman Rauter, Prof. Dr. Eduard Strauss was deeply committed to honoring the family’s legacy. The duo received support from various museums, the Austrian National Library, and the Brückner Studio, which previously made waves with its concept for the Museum of the Future in Dubai.
At the heart of the building is the Strauss Hall, renowned for its exceptional acoustics, where an avatar of the composer guides visitors through a 15-minute LED show. Twice a week, concerts by the House of Strauss Orchestra take place here, under the shimmering glow of impressive crystal chandeliers. Our tip: Enhance your musical experience with a prior museum visit and a dinner afterward at the “Casino Kulinarium,” where Michelin-starred chef Stefan Glantschnig has included two of Johann Strauss’s declared favorite dishes on the menu: Braised Veal Cheeks and Apple Schmarren with Lingonberry Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream. In the winter months, guests dine amidst flower-painted walls on vividly colored armchairs, while from spring through autumn, one of Vienna’s most beautiful garden terraces, complete with mature trees and a bubbling fountain, beckons.
No wonder, then, that even the prestigious New York Times lists the House of Strauss as a “must-see” attraction in Vienna, and news network ntv described the visit as “as intoxicating as a
Strauss waltz”…