A Tour through the Technology Temples of Europe

From the first automobile to the horse-drawn railway up to exceptional flying machines and submarines: Europe’s museums lure with a variety of technological achievements. We have compiled the most exciting technology temples for you.

Technical Museum in Vienna. Photo: Technisches Museum Wien

Technical Museum in Vienna. Photo: Technisches Museum Wien

Denmark

Danmarks Tekniske Museum – Helsingor

Danmarks Tekniske Museum in Helsingor. Photo: Danmarks Tekniske Museum

Danmarks Tekniske Museum in Helsingor. Photo: Danmarks Tekniske Museum

This museum of technology in Helsingor offers visitors collections of the first technical inventions, including several large exhibits from the 1888 Industrial Exhibition in Copenhagen and the old polytechnic college.

Highlights: Andreas Mogensen’s space capsule, a 1950s Air France Caravelle

Admission: Adults: 90 DKK, Kids (0-18): Free

tekniskmuseum.dk

Vikingeskibsmuseet – Roskilde

Port of Roskilde overlooking Viking Museum. Photo: Fotolia - Dan Race

Port of Roskilde overlooking Viking Museum. Photo: Fotolia – Dan Race

The Viking Museum is a Danish museum dedicated to ships, seafaring and boatbuilding culture, as well as medieval maritime craft. The museum exhibits five world-famous Viking ships and also operates its own boatyard.

Highlights: Visits to the five Viking ships, a Nordic Viking kitchen, film shows on the big screen

Kids will love: Boat trips, workshops on wooden sign painting, and silver coin minting

Admission: Adults: from 110 DKK, Kids (0-17): Free

vikingeskibsmuseet.dk

Germany

Deutsches Technikmuseum – Berlin

German Museum of Technology in Berlin. Photo: Kirchner

German Museum of Technology in Berlin. Photo: Kirchner

The German Museum of Technology showcases technology old and new in the areas of aviation and shipping, rail and road transport as well as photography technology. An extensive library rounds out what’s on offer.

Highlights: Replica of the Leibniz calculator from 1695, more than 40 railway vehicles

Kids will love: Free play-along booklet, family workshops, children’s tours, printing press training for children 10 and above

Admission: Adults: 8 EUR, Kids: 4 EUR, free for children under 6, under-18s and those still enrolled in school education enter free from 3.00 p.m.

www.sdtb.de/technikmuseum

Deutsches Museum – Munich

Deutsches Museum in Munich. Photo: Deutsches Museum

German Museum in Munich. Photo: Deutsches Museum

Awaiting visitors is an extensive collection of natural history and technology. The German Museum has more than 100,000 artifacts, of which only around a quarter are on public display. Until 2020, some areas will remain closed due to renovations.

Highlights: first automobile from Carl Benz, the U1 submarine and the Z3 Computer by Konrad Zuse

Kids will love: Numerous experimental exhibits for tinkering and testing

Admission: Adults: 14 EUR, Kids (6–17): 4.50 EUR

www.deutsches-museum.de

Technik Museum – Sinsheim

Technical Museum in Sinsheim. Photo: Technik Museum Sinsheim

Technical Museum in Sinsheim. Photo: Technik Museum Sinsheim

The Technical Museum in Sinsheim presents visitors key milestones in the history of technology, vintage cars, aircraft, locomotives, Formula 1 and motorsport installations, and much more.

Highlights: Supersonic jets Concorde and Tupolev TU-144, historic race cars, tractors and traction engines.

Kids will love: Museum quiz, drawing books, birthday parties

Admission: Adults: 16 EUR, Kids: 13 EUR, free for under-5s

www.sinsheim.technik-museum.de

Mercedes-Benz Museum – Stuttgart

Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Photo: Daimler

Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Photo: Daimler

The Mercedes-Benz Museum presents automotive and contemporary history since 1886 – from the world’s very first patented car to the hydrogen-powered vehicles of this millennium.

Highlights: Comprehensive presentation of 130 years of automotive history – globally unique virtual tour

Kids will love: Children’s tours for children over 4, weekend interactive exhibitions, free explorer book

Admission: Adults: 10 EUR, Kids: 5 EUR, Under-15s: Free

www.mercedes-benz.com/de/mercedes-benz/classic/museum/

France

Musée Européen de l’Aviation de Chasse – Montélimar

Musée Européen de l'Aviation de Chasse in Montélimar. Photo: GM MEAC

Musée Européen de l’Aviation de Chasse in Montélimar. Photo: GM MEAC

For over 30 years, milestones of modern aviation have been exhibited at the Musée Européen de l ‘Aviation de Chasse. Exhibits are predominantly in the military sector with a total of 66 exhibits.

Highlights: Combat aircraft of different eras, mainly jets

Kids will love: School tours

Admission: Adults: 7.50 EUR, Kids (7-12): 5 EUR, Kids (0-6): Free

www.meacmtl.com

Cité de l’Automobil – Mulhouse

Cite de l'Automobil Museum in Mulhouse. Photo: S. Lloyd

Cité de l’Automobil Museum in Mulhouse. Photo: S. Lloyd

The Cité de l’Automobil Museum represents the largest automobile museum in the world. Various vintage cars can be driven or ridden on the racetrack from April to October.

Highlights: Insights into the engine development and restoration of vintage cars, collection of hood ornaments, collection of extraordinary sports cars

Kids will love: Kart track, hands-on repair shop

Admission: Adults: 14 EUR, Youth (7-25): 10 EUR, Kids (0-6): Free

citedelautomobile.com

Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie – Paris

Cité des Sciences et de l'industrie in Paris. Photo: Ph Levy

Cité des Sciences et de l’industrie in Paris. Photo: Ph Levy

This science museum features exhibits on the topics of robotics, high-speed trains, the human body and sport, as well as technical exhibits on energy and satellite technology.

Highlights: Time travel through the development of technology with interactive exhibits, planetarium, cinema

Kids will love: Cité des Enfants for kids between 2-7 and 5-12, in which they explore and experiment in the museum themselves.

Admission: Adults: 12 EUR, Kids 9 EUR

cite-sciences.fr

Musée des Arts et Métiers – Paris

Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. Photo: Musée des Arts et Métiers

Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. Photo: Musée des Arts et Métiers

The most significant innovations from the world of technology are exhibited in an impressive manner. A showcase of technical innovations that revolutionized the world.

Highlights: Blériot XI aircraft von 1909, Arsenius’ Astrolabe from 1569, Marie Antoinette’s Tympanon music box from 1784

Kids will love: Quizzes and family workshops

Admission: Adults: 8 EUR, Kids (0-17): 4 EUR, free admission on the first Sunday each month

www.arts-et-metiers.net

Cité de l’Espace – Toulouse

Cité de l'espace in Toulouse. Photo: Cite de l'espace

Cité de l’espace in Toulouse. Photo: Cite de l’espace

In the park-like museum of the Cité de l’Espace, visitors learn all there is to know about space travel. This includes various attractions such as a planetarium and replicas of rockets and satellites.

Highlights: Ariane 5 rocket, accurate replica of MIR Space Station, Soyuz Capsule, planetarium

Kids will love: Astronaut corner with children’s space station

Admission: Adults: 21 EUR, Kids (5-18): 15.50 EUR, Kids (0-5): Free

cite-espace.com

Great Britain

Riverside Museum – Glasgow

Riverside Museum in Glasgow. Photo: Fotolia - Gordon

Riverside Museum in Glasgow. Photo: Fotolia – Gordon

The Riverside Museum exhibits various modes of transport and movement. More than 3,000 objects are on show, from skateboards to locomotives, paintings, strollers and cars to Stormtroopers!

Highlights: An original “Spitfire” fighter plane from 1947, various old locomotives, historic omnibuses, old double-decker trams

Kids will love: Skate park, outdoor wildlife trail

Admission: Free

www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/venues/riverside-museum

Science Museum – London

Science Museum in London. Photo: Science Museum Group

Science Museum in London. Photo: Science Museum Group

The Science Museum in London provides world-class collections of scientific, technological and medical advances from around the globe.

Highlights: More than 250,000 exhibits, Leo, the world’s first business computer from 1951, wireless telegraph, Iron Lung by Philip Drinker

Admission: Free

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Science and Industry Museum – Manchester

Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. Photo: Fotolia - coward lion

Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. Photo: Fotolia – coward lion

This museum allows visitors to get up close and personal with the history of the birthplace of the industrial revolution with more than 20,000 articles in diverse collections from across the industrial revolution. The museum also provides a tribute to the history of the textiles industry.

Highlights: Stephenson’s Rocket – the 1829 steam locomotive (on display until September 2019), first steam-powered spinning machine from 1775, numerous rare artifacts from the weaving and spinning industries

Kids will love: Interactive shows and workshops

Admission: Free

www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk

Italy

Museo Galileo – Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza – Florence

Museo Galileo in Florence. Photo: Sabina Bernacchini

Museo Galileo in Florence. Photo: Sabina Bernacchini

The exhibitions in the Museo Galileo deal mainly with the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei, anatomy, machines and nature. There is also a section on the history of the bicycle.

Highlights: Connected library with about 170,000 works on the history of science

Kids will love: various workshops and guided tours for school classes

Admission: Adults: 10 EUR, Kids: (6-18): 6 EUR, Kids (0-5): Free

www.museogalileo.it

Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile – Turin

Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile in Turin. Photo: Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile

Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile in Turin. Photo: Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile

This museum provides a tour through Italian automobile history with an exhibition of around 200 vehicles from 80 brands. The museum’s Documentation Center is considered one of the most valuable in Europe.

Highlights: Reconstruction of the self-propelled car of Leonardo da Vinci, Carozza di Bordino steam-powered vehicle from 1854, Benz Victoria of 1893

Admission: Adults: 12 EUR, Kids (6-18): 5 EUR, Kids (0-5): Free

www.museoauto.it

Netherlands

NEMO Science Museum – Amsterdam

The NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam. Photo: NEMO Digi Daan

The NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam. Photo: NEMO Digi Daan

Welcome to the Netherlands’ world of technology and science. On show is a historic technology collection of approximately 17,000 artifacts. Main collection: lighting, electrical engineering, energy and home technologies.

Highlights: Willem Smit’s direct current dynamo from 1896, AEG electrical oven and stovetop from 1930, Edison lightbulb from 1883 (see right)

Kids will love: Test laboratories for chemistry experiments, an adventure through the universe

Admission: Adults: 17.50 EUR, Free for Kids under 4

www.nemosciencemuseum.nl

Louwman Museum – The Hague

The Louwman Museum in The Hague. Photo: Fotolia - JP website

The Louwman Museum in The Hague. Photo: Fotolia – JP website

The Louwman Museum is considered the world’s oldest private collection of passenger cars, assembled by two generations of the Louwman family. The museum now has more than 250 classic cars and numerous exhibits from the early history of the automobile.

Highlights: Benz motorcar from 1886, Mercedes SSK from 1929, cars of various celebrities including Elvis Presley, Winston Churchill and many others.

Admission: Adults: 16 EUR, Kids (5-12): 6 EUR, Kids (13-18): 8 EUR, Kids (0-4): Free

www.louwmanmuseum.nl

Marinemuseum – Den Helder

Naval Museum in Den Helder. Photo: Fotolia-Svensen

Naval Museum in Den Helder. Photo: Fotolia-Svensen

Here, at the museum of the Dutch Navy, the visitor learns everything about the history, ships and other vessels of the Dutch Navy, from the historic sailboat to the steamer.

Highlights: Accessible submarine in open-air section, interactive exhibits

Kids will love: Maritime hero trail, museum adventure, children’s loft

Admission: Adults 10 EUR, Kids (4-12): 6.50 EUR, Kids (0-3): Free

Marinemuseum.nl

Norway

The Fram Museum – Oslo

The Fram Museum in Oslo. Photo: T. Storm Halvorsen

The Fram Museum in Oslo. Photo: T. Storm Halvorsen

The Fram Museum is named after the famous polar expedition ship Fram. The ship is the crowning glory of this museum, which also illustrates the early polar expeditions and the lives of researchers with many interactive elements.

Highlights: Expedition ships Fram and Gjøa

Admission: Adults 120 NOK, Kids: 50 NOK

Frammuseum.no

Norsk Teknisk Museum – Oslo

Norsk Tekniske Museum in Oslo. Photo: Fotolia BillionPhotos.com

Norsk Teknisk Museum in Oslo. Photo: Fotolia BillionPhotos.com

The Oslo Technical Museum offers a variety of contemporary exhibits ranging from musical instruments to oil exploration, medicine and automobiles.

Highlights: Planetarium, interactive space travel, historic vehicles, locomotives

Admission: Adults 150 NOK, Kids (4-17): 100 NOK

Tekniskmuseum.no

Austria

Technisches Museum – Vienna

Technical Museum in Wien. Photo: Technisches Museum Wien

Technical Museum in Wien. Photo: Technisches Museum Wien

Embark on a journey through time through Man’s technological advancement with interesting links to modern life. One of the oldest technical museums in the world, this museum exhibits items from daily life, showing progress in terms of technical achievements.

Highlights: Horse-drawn railway, astronomical clock

For children: Special tours and workshops

Admission: Adults: 14 EUR, free for Under-19s

www.technischesmuseum.at

Sweden

Nobel Prize Museum – Stockholm

The Nobelpreismuseum in Stockholm. Photo: Hans Nilsson

The Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm. Photo: Hans Nilsson

All public activities around the Nobel Prize are documented and collected at the Museum in Stockholm. Interesting facts about Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prize winners from 1901 to today are found here, ready to be absorbed!

Highlights: Special exhibitions on the current Nobel Prize winners

Kids will love: Bubble Chamber (all about Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prize topics for children from 3 to 11 years)

Admission: Adults: 120 SEK, Kids (0-18): Free

Nobelprizemuseum.se

Spain

Museu de la Ciéncia i de la Técnica de Catalunya – Barcelona

Museu de la Ciéncia i de la Técnica de Catalunya –in barcelona. Photo:

Museu de la Ciéncia i de la Técnica de Catalunya –in Barcelona. Photo: mNACTEC

This museum exhibits everyday innovations that have led to societal change in Catalonia. Receive insights into the topic of industrialization, and its dramatic impact on what was once a very rural region.

Highlights: Everyday items such as gramophones (see left), flying machines, industrial culture

Kids will love: Excursions through an old textile factory from 1909

Admission: Adults: 4.50 EUR, Kids: 3.50 EUR, free for Under-8s

www.mnactec.cat

Russia

Museum of Cosmonautics – Moscow

Cosmonaut Museum in Moscow. Photo: Fotolia - lexaarts

Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow. Photo: Fotolia – lexaarts

This museum is a tribute to the heroes of space travelboth those of the former Soviet space program and modern-day cosmonauts.

Highlights: Original spacesuits, satellites, explorable training simulator of a space station, astronaut food and rocket technology

Kids will love: Visits to the Flight Control Center

Admission: Adults: 250 RUB, Kids: Free

www.kosmo-museum.ru

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