Arnold Schwarzenegger museum opens in his Austrian home

Arnold Schwarzenegger's childhood home in Austria has opened as a museum. The former Mr Universe, who went on to be a Hollywood star and governor of California, turns 64 today. On display at the museum are his childhood bed, a motorbike from one of the Terminator films, some of his first dumb-bells, and a copy of the desk he used as governor of California. Schwarzenegger left the village of Thal, near the city of Graz, in 1966, but has given the project his blessing. "It was exciting for him to see all the things and movie props and so on," said Helga Forstner from the museum. "He always comes back when he's in Austria. He always visits Thal." 'Farm boy' Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently been in the headlines because of his stormy private life, but now Austria is paying him a special tribute for his birthday, says the BBC's Bethany Bell, who visited the converted house in Thal. It was a humble beginning, our correspondent says, as the family's first floor flat had no electricity or running water. The museum charts the body-builder's obsessive training routine and describes how his success led him eventually to Hollywood. It shows several photos of his wife of 25 years, Maria Shriver, but does not touch on her recent filing for divorce, the German news agency DPA reports. Mr Schwarzenegger recently admitted fathering a child with the couple's long-time housekeeper. Helga Forstner says even critical Austrians are fascinated by Arnie's exploits. "The people like him because he was a little farm boy and his career was so exciting. I think the Austrian people are really proud to have him as an Austrian citizen," she told the BBC.