Museums in Steyr

Museum Arbeitswelt

Austria’s museum of work and industry opened in 1987 with the Upper Austrian state exhibition “Arbeit Mensch Maschine”. It occupies two listed 19th-century factory buildings in the Wehrgraben and shows changing exhibitions on work, life and society.

The museum also runs the Stollen der Erinnerung (“tunnel of remembrance”), a permanent exhibition in a 140 m air-raid tunnel dug by concentration-camp prisoners in 1943, on Steyr under National Socialism, forced labour and the arms industry. Inside it is 8–12 °C; recommended from age 14; advance registration required.

Stadtmuseum Steyr (Innerberger Stadel)

The Innerberger Stadel was built around 1612/13 as a granary with butchers’ stalls and bought in 1628 by the Innerberger Hauptgewerkschaft, the iron-trading company. A museum since 1913, it tells more than 1,000 years of the iron town’s history and shows the Steyrer Kripperl nativity puppet theatre from Advent to Epiphany. Until December 2026 it hosts the multimedia show “UN#ERHÖRT, dieser Bruckner!”.

Eisenuhrenmuseum Schmollgruber

A private collection of antique iron clocks with a working clockmaker’s workshop, recalling a clockmaking tradition in Steyr that goes back to the 14th century. Guided visits by appointment only.

Nativity scenes in Christkindl

In the parish hall of Christkindl: Karl Klauda’s mechanical nativity with nearly 300 moving figures carved in linden wood, and Ferdinand Pöttmesser’s nativity of about 200 m² with more than 700 figures. In Advent, a nativity exhibition is also shown in the Palmenhaus near Schloss Lamberg.

Sources: oberoesterreich.at (Arbeitswelt) · oberoesterreich.at (Stollen) · upperaustria.com (city museum) · upperaustria.com (Schmollgruber) · oberoesterreich.at (nativity scenes)