Abstract: The characteristics of hoist cables for suspended model were analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of different methods for detecting the tension force were compared. The theory for calculating the tension in hoist cables was developed based on the vibration method. Tension force in hoist cables for a large suspended model in a museum was detected using vibration analyzer. The results showed that the sum of the vertical tension force was close to the design value, and the vibration method could be used for the detection of the tension force in hoist cables for suspended models.