The 28th of December 1895 marks the beginning of cinema in Europe. It was on this day the Lumière brothers showed the first film in Paris and charged an entry fee for the showing. Eleven months later it was Klagenfurt's turn. Following extensive announcements of the forthcoming event in the daily newspapers, which was on the 29th of November 1896 the "Showing of living pictures" first took place, screened by the cinemato­graphy model "Edisons Ideal".

Dating back to the early 20th century, the box office from Prechtl's touring cinema counts among the highlights of the early days of Klagenfurt's cinemas. It has been preserved and is on show in the museum. It was at this box office where the tickets for the oldest film ever filmed in Klagenfurt were sold. The four-minute film about the "Carinthian Craftsmanship Exhibition" shows Archduke Karl Franz Joseph, the later Kaiser Karl I., the last monarch of Austria. Newspaper cuttings, artifacts and photos document the beginnings of cinemato­graphy in Carinthia.

The museum traces the history of all the cinemas in Klagenfurt and also provides information on the school cinema, as well as an overview of all international film productions filmed in or around Klagenfurt.

No other medium captured the charm of the 1970s as authentically as the Super8. This explains why the amateur film has been devoted a separate room in the museum, tracing the history back to the beginning of the 1920s.

An Ernemann VIIIb, a fully functional cinema projector in 35mm format, dating back to the 1950s rounds off the collection. This acts as a reminder of the many cinemas that once existed in Carinthia.

The Klagenfurt Cinema Museum, which documents the history of cinema, has been in existence since 2007 and is part of the "Nostalgia Railways in Carinthia". The archives of the museum house an extensive collection of photos, newspaper cuttings, and literature.

The Cinema Museum on the Lendkanal, located at Wilsonstraße 37, is open over the summer months and is happy to welcome groups on request all year round.