ZOOM Children’s Museum, Vienna

Founded as a private association, the ZOOM Children’s Museum is a pioneering institution dedicated to playful, sensory engagement with art, science, and culture. Its mission is to provide children and young people with spaces to experiment, discover, and create at their own pace, fostering curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking through hands-on exhibitions, interactive play zones, artistic workshops, and media labs.

Placing children and young people at the centre, ZOOM recognises them as autonomous individuals whose ideas, abilities, and perspectives shape the museum’s programmes. With a strong commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and diversity, the museum welcomes all audiences regardless of background, language, or ability, while offering free access to educational institutions, Kulturpass-holders, and socially disadvantaged families. Flexible solutions are available to ensure participation for children with disabilities, and the outreach initiative ZOOM Mobile brings cultural learning directly into the city.

Innovative in its museological approach, ZOOM maintains a unique digital collection created by its young visitors: since 2001, children and young people have produced animated films and sounds in the Animation Studio, archived according to professional standards and made publicly accessible. This participatory model highlights ZOOM’s role as a centre of excellence in children’s and youth culture, where artistic collaboration, cultural education, and research come together in dialogue with society.

As a 2023 DASA Award candidate, the ZOOM Children’s Museum exemplifies how museums can act as open, inclusive platforms for intergenerational exchange, nurturing imagination, creativity, and lifelong learning in a contemporary, child-focused framework.

http://kindermuseum.at/en