Sound of Music museum opens in Salzburg, Austria

The Sound of Music Salzburg museum has opened in Austria, marking the first venue dedicated to the 1965 film starring Julie Andrews. Located in the 17th-century Hellbrunn Palace, the museum aims to distinguish the real-life history of the von Trapp family from the fictionalized versions presented in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical and Hollywood film.

Elisabeth von Trapp, granddaughter of Georg and Agathe von Trapp, attended the opening. She noted that the museum provides an intimate sense of the storyline involving both the film and her relatives, the Trapp Family Singers. The exhibition features nearly 450 items, including film props, costumes, cinema posters, and musical recordings.

The museum also addresses historical inaccuracies, noting that the real Georg von Trapp was a submarine commander in the Austro-Hungarian navy and was described by officials as a “considerate, albeit much-burdened, father” rather than the strict paternalist depicted in the movie.