Panorama
Wheel of time.
For almost 130 years, the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel has been turning high above the rooftops, offering a unique view of the Austrian capital on the Danube. For Viennese locals and visitors from around the world alike, it is an unmistakable landmark.
At the foot of the wheel, the wheel of history turns – our Panorama Museum – bringing to life the story of the world-famous Prater and the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel in eight lovingly designed miniature cabin worlds.
In eight cabins, the Panorama Museum takes you on a journey through 2,000 years of Viennese history and stories of the Prater, brought to life through impressive artistic and technical installations. Not a traditional museum – but a vibrant stage of history.
Wheel of time.
Roman Age
Vindobona emerges. Marcus Aurelius rides in a horse-drawn carriage through the landscape when the Prater meadows were still a wild river landscape.
Middle Ages
The Prater connects, the city grows, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral takes shape. While the city center is forming, the Prater still lies far beyond the city gates.
Turkish wars
The Prater as a battlefield: In 17th-century Vienna, the Polish cavalry of Jan Sobieski attacks from the Kahlenberg.
Age of Enlightenment
In 1766, Emperor Joseph II opened the Prater to the public. The imperial hunting grounds became one of Europe’s most popular amusement destinations.
Biedermeier
The Prater as the realm of the common people. Dance and music mark the first half of the 19th century. Yet the political conflicts spreading across Europe spare Vienna no more than anywhere else.
World Exposition & Venice in Vienna
For the 1873 World Exposition, the amusement park “Venice in Vienna” was created at the entrance to the Prater. Of all the attractions, only the Ferris wheel has stood the test of time.
Turn of the century
The Prater as a literary setting and stage of the turn of the century: the first car races on the Hauptallee, loud entertainment, and secret adventures in Vienna.
From the Roaring Twenties to the World War
The idyllic world of the Prater and its shattering. Yet one certainty remains: the Ferris wheel keeps turning.