In the early 1970s, at the mountain Kulm in the Steiermark, traces of Celtic habitation were found which were excavated in 1977 and 1987. The association “Gesellschaft für Vor- und Frühgeschichte Kulm” was founded by teachers fond of local cultural heritage, in order to protect the archaeological remains and communicate about them.
The association contains 9 municipalities of which the mayors are part of the association. There are contacts with the Landesmuseum Joanneum (Graz) and the universities at Graz and Vienna.
When in 1999 the open air museum was newly designed, the municipalities bought the land. The Steiermarm government paid most of the dwellings, their interior, showcases et cetera. By now, the Kulmkelten open air museum is mainly run by volunteers and financially independent showing reconstructed dwellings of several periods. Goal of the present day museum is to show the archaeological finds and information derived from them by means of the reconstructed dwellings, which contain mannequin dolls, furniture, tools and anything that goes in a house. The museum is brought alive with for example a nightly “Full Moon Concert” with Celtic live music and a night market.
