Vorau Open-Air Museum

The largest open-air museum in Eastern Styria. More than 20 interesting old farm objects from five centuries with original fixtures and fittings document the working world of Eastern Styria in past centuries and show the life of ordinary people.

All buildings have been preserved in their original condition. Extensive collections of machines, equipment and tools provide an insight into trades that have in some cases already died out: Cooper, wainwright, shoemaker, linen weaver, ropemaker, saddler, …

A medical dispensary with surgical equipment from the Marienkrankenhaus Vorau can be seen in the Jagahaus. These rooms also house a fully equipped dentist’s surgery, a letterpress printing workshop and cinema projection equipment.

In the Marotti smoking room, visitors can experience the hardships and austerity of simple rural life. The school class from the turn of the 19th century shows the school situation at the end of the imperial era. In the open sheds, a variety of farming tools can be seen, arranged thematically. The cozy inner courtyard with a wooden trough invites visitors to rest and reflect. Numerous short films about the craftsmen’s activities provide an insight into the working methods in agriculture in past centuries.

Since 2021, the museum has been home to what is probably the smallest museum in Austria – a replica of the entire museum by a Tyrolean crib maker.