Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum (Folk Art Museum)

The Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum, or Tyrolean Folk Art Museum, at Universitätsstraße 2 in the Innenstadt of Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria, stands next to the Hofkirche in a former Franciscan monastery building and is considered one of the finest folk art collections in Europe. The museum shows how people in the Tyrol lived, worshipped and celebrated from the late Middle Ages to the 19th century. Its best-known feature is a series of original farmhouse parlours (Stuben) taken from Tyrolean houses and rebuilt inside, with Gothic and Renaissance panelling, carved ceilings, tiled stoves, painted furniture and everyday tools. These rooms give visitors a close sense of domestic life in alpine valleys, from richly decorated rooms of prosperous farmers to simpler interiors. Other sections hold costumes and regional dress, religious folk art, painted chests and cradles, masks used in carnival customs such as the Fasnacht traditions, and an extensive collection of carved Nativity scenes, which are particularly popular around Advent and Christmas. Toys, Alpine devotional objects and craft work add variety and show regional differences across the valleys. A visit takes one to one and a half hours, and the collection is arranged so that visitors can pass through the rooms at an unhurried pace. The museum shares its entrance area with the Hofkirche, and a combined ticket is available, so many visitors see both in one outing of about two hours. Admission is about EUR 12, and the combined ticket reduces the cost. The museum is usually open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, but visitors should verify hours. Midday is a comfortable time to visit, though the Advent season brings extra attention to the Nativity collection and more crowding. The location is three minutes' walk from the Hofburg, which makes it easy to include in a walk through the centre.