Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum

8.90 EUR

4.5

Rating

4.5/5

Flyctory.com Pros

Located in the original family home of the Schwarzeneggers
Amazing number of memories of the famous Austrian
Beautiful place

Businessman, actor, bodybuilder, producer and – last, but not least, politician – it is really hard to list all roles Arnold Schwarzenegger has been taken during his life. In Thal in Austria, you can visit the place where all this started. His family home is now the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum, supported by the celebrity himself. Visiting the nearby city Graz, I just had to have a look into that place.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum – Location & Admission

The Arnold Schwarzenegger home and museum is located at the Linakstrasse 9 in Thal, a Western suburb of Graz in Austria. The nearby Thalersee (Lake Thal) is very popular as a recreational place. I would recommend to have a car (or taxi) when visiting the place.

While the museum had some limited hours during my visit, it is back to daily opening at the time of writing. Times are 10:00 to 18:00 hrs. Adult admission is 8.90 EUR.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum – The Museum

Your visit at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum takes you through different places of the house. Roughly, you can say that each room is dedicated to one special topic or episode in life of the famous Austrian. The first room, for example, is Schwarzenegger’s room as a kid. There are books, memories, newspaper articles and a lot of pictures illustrating the people “Arnie” met and the things he achieved in early life. The next area features Schwarzenegger’s time in the military service.

One of the most impressing exhibits of the museum is Schwarzeneggers original desk, when he has been Governor of the State of California. You may also take a selfie at a wax figure of him, next to a speaker’s desk.

Upper Floor: Movies and Sports Career

Your visit to the upper floor starts with a a lot of references to Arnold Schwarzeneggers career s an actor. The most impressive item is very likely the original Harley Davidson used for the Terminator movie – but there are also a lot of pictures, movie requisites and original masks and similar items. Schwarzenegger fans will love that place. There are also spots which honor the sportive career of Arnold Schwarzenegger in bodybuilding. My favorite part was his original (initial) training equipment – but I have been also very impressed by all the titles the Styrian won in competitions.

After all titles and fame, one of the last rooms you visit within the house is the original kitchen of the Schwarzenegger family. This place also features a reference and praise to Aurelia Schwarzenegger, Arnold’s mother.

The Garden

I absolutely enjoyed visiting the garden of the house as well. One of the most interesting pieces in exhibition is the world largest wooden dumbbell, which Schwarzenegger received from a friend. Overall, the garden has a really nice atmosphere (at least on a sunny day, when I visited the place).

Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum – Outdoor Exhibits

There are some exhibits outside / in front of the museum, which can be visited even without a ticket. One of them is a memory stone – the most remarkable and most well-known one is a statue of the Austrian in a bodybuilding pose. The most entertaining one is like the “world smallest gym”, a training tool fixed inside a former phone booth. Funny thing.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum – Services

The staff was very attentive and helpful. At the reception, you could buy some Schwarzenegger souvenirs. I would have expected a larger selection of items though (I guess the size of the house is the limiting factor rather than the availability of “Arnie” items.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum – My View

I have to say that I am not a Schwarzenegger fan. My favorite Schwarzenegger movie is likely Kindergarten Cop – that tells a lot about my attitude towards his movies. I did really like the museum. I feel it was a very memorable feeling to be in this place, also because the surrounding area is a beauty. You see that Arnold’s local museum team drives this place with a lot of enthusiasm – you feel and enjoy it, when you visit the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum. I feel that the artist is worth to be put on your bucket list visting in the local summer heat.