Short info:
- Where is the Haus des Meeres? Fritz-Grünbaum-Platz 1, in the 6th district in Vienna (in the Esterházypark)
- What is the Haus des Meeres? An Aqua Terra Zoo and Tiergarten in the heart of Vienna
- How much time should I plan for a visit? At least 2.5 hours
- Does it cost entry? Yes, you can find the price list and opening hours here
- What used to be in the building? The building is a former flak tower from World War II
- How many animals live there? 10,000
You can find our detailed field report here
General:
The Haus des Meeres is one of three zoos in Vienna, along with the Schönbrunn Zoo and the Lainzer Tiergarten. On 11 floors and almost 50 meters high, the former flak tower is home to over 10,000 animals, mainly consisting of sea aquariums and terrariums.
The first seawater aquarium in Austria is home to animals from the Mediterranean Sea and from tropical freshwater and seawater habitats such as piranhas, sea turtles and corals over an area of 5,000m².
There is also a terrarium section and a glass-walled tropical house with birds, flying foxes and monkeys, although these don’t live behind bars but can roam freely. As a visitor, you experience the animals up close – sometimes maybe even closer than you would like 😉
Crocodiles, turtles, fish, monkeys and birds can be seen in the crocodile park above the entrance hall.
One of the highlights is – in addition to the 300,000 l two-storey shark tank – the surf reef. Here you can experience an impressive sea surf, in which countless colorful tropical fish cavort between corals. It is particularly exciting for children, as they can go inside using a glass tube.
Of course there is also a section dedicated to local fish species.
Areas are constantly being expanded, most recently a hammerhead ray pool on the newly accessible 10th floor and an Amazon passage on the 9th floor. The “Australia” department opened in summer 2022.
Reptile lovers will find boa constrictors, iguanas, monitor lizards, agamas, mambas and others.
Another highlight is the Restaurant & Bar 360° Ocean Sky. The food and drinks are not cheap, but you don’t have to consume anything to enjoy the fantastic 360° view over Vienna! After all, it is the highest rooftop location in downtown Vienna.
The Haus des Meeres by floors:
Ground floor: Atlantic tunnel, koi tank, freshwater fish, Australian terrarium, cash desk, shop & cloakroom
1st floor: snakes, lizards, turtles, ant trail
2nd floor: Mediterranean: jellyfish, octopus, kibble tank, piranhas and other tropical freshwater fish. Access to the tropical house and Krokipark
3rd floor: live coral, tropical sea creatures
4th floor: Aquarium of the sea turtle “Puppi”, seahorses, tropical house and the Sharky café, toilets
5th Floor: Shark Tank, Deep Sea Aquarium, Restrooms
6th Floor: Native Fishes, Marine Conservation Exhibition
7th Floor: Desert Terrarium, New Guinea Paludarium, Pacific Eye, 360° Shark Tank
8th floor: chameleon, spider, scorpion & Co
9th floor: Amazon Jungle, Komodos, ring-tailed lemurs, Australia tour, meeting point for ring-tailed lemur encounters
9.1. Floor: Komodo balcony
10th floor: Caribbean hammerhead shark baking, “Remembering Inside”, Victor-Otte-Sall, Lighthouse 10 (events and Kulturwelle)
11th floor: 360° Ocean Sky Restaurant Bar, roof terrace, solar roof (access for guided groups only)