Maria Theresa Monument Monument

Address: Maria-Theresien-Platz, Vienna, Austria

The Maria Theresa Monument is a large sculptural memorial to Empress Maria Theresa located on Maria-Theresien-Platz in Vienna. It occupies the central space between the city’s two major museums - the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Naturhistorisches Museum.

The monument features a seated figure of the Empress surrounded by statues of military leaders, advisors and allegorical figures, and functions as a focal point of the square. It was erected in the late 19th century as part of the major museum and urban projects of that era.

The square and monument lie in central Vienna, on Vienna’s Ringstrasse cultural axis, and are a short walk from the Hofburg and other central landmarks. The plaza is a regular destination for visitors moving between the museum pair.

• Setting: Sited on Maria-Theresien-Platz between the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Naturhistorisches Museum in central Vienna.

Maria-Theresien-Platz is in central Vienna between the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Naturhistorisches Museum. Take U-Bahn line U2 to MuseumsQuartier or Volkstheater and walk 5-10 minutes. Multiple tram lines stop along Ringstraße.

• See the square at dusk when the museums' façades soften; the area is best experienced between the Kunsthistorisches and Naturhistorisches museums.
• Avoid the guided tours that only stop for selfies - walk the perimeter to find plaques and lesser-seen reliefs detailing Maria Theresa's reforms.
• Combine a visit with a look inside either museum; the square is most powerful when seen from the lower steps of the museums opposite each other.