Waltzes, Fireworks, and Four Musical Geniuses - House of Strauss
A Grand Opening in Vienna's Suburbs
Casino Zögernitz opened on June 21, 1837, as an entertainment venue in what was then the outer edge of Vienna. Johann Strauss I performed at the opening, and the house quickly became a well-known address for concerts, balls, and social gatherings.
Both Johann Strauss father and son performed regularly at Casino Zögernitz over the following decades. In the summer of 1850, Johann Strauss II hosted a spectacular folk festival here featuring illuminations and fireworks, composing the waltz Johannis-Käferln (Fireflies, Op. 82) specifically for the occasion. Joseph Lanner and Carl Michael Ziehrer - two other towering figures in Viennese dance music - also played the hall. The Strauss Hall, with its exceptional natural acoustics, became one of the city's premier performance spaces, and from 1967 onward, it was used for recordings of early and classical music, including sessions with conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt and his Concentus Musicus ensemble.
From Decline to Restoration
The building's fortunes declined through the 20th century. At its lowest point, a pharmacy occupied the ground floor while the upper rooms sat unused - a far cry from the ballroom evenings that once drew Vienna's elite. Property developer Hermann Rauter and his family undertook a comprehensive restoration beginning in 2017, carefully preserving the building's protected historical fabric while integrating modern technology. The renovation restored original paintwork, ceiling frescoes, wallpaper lithographs, and the distinctive marble floors.
The House of Strauss opened on October 25, 2023 - the 198th birthday of Johann Strauss II. The museum's exhibition design came from the internationally acclaimed Atelier Brückner, whose portfolio includes the Grand Museum of Egypt in Giza and the Museum of the Future in Dubai. Interior designer Denis Košutić provided the finishing touches, and the historical content was curated by Prof. Norbert Rubey of the Vienna Institute for Strauss Research, which now has its permanent headquarters in the building. The Institute is headed by Prof. Dr. Eduard Strauss, the great-grandnephew of Johann Strauss II, whose son Thomas narrates the museum's audio guide.
A Dynasty in Ten Rooms
The 2,000 m² exhibition spans the upper floor and tells the story of the entire Strauss dynasty - Johann I, Johann II, Josef, and Eduard - through ten thematic rooms covering their lives, compositions, and the broader social upheavals of 19th-century Vienna. Interactive stations let visitors compose their own waltzes, and even appear digitally in scenes from Strauss operettas. The ground floor Octagon is dedicated to the story of the Blue Danube Waltz, arguably the world's most famous piece of classical music and the permanent encore of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert, which reaches audiences in over 90 countries each year.
Since 2024, the restored Strauss Hall hosts regular concert evenings with a resident orchestra performing Strauss and Mozart works, accompanied by a synchronized light show. The New York Times has twice recommended the House of Strauss as a top Vienna attraction, and the combination of museum, concerts, and the on-site SIMON restaurant makes it one of the city's most complete cultural destinations.
