The Musée Alsacien: Alsace's museum of folk arts and traditions

Planning a short stay in the Alsatian capital? Make a stop at the Alsatian Museum! It is an essential visit to immerse yourself in the regional culture. A real journey through time awaits you with authentic reconstructions of the 18th century, more than 5,000 period works and objects as well as sumptuous visual scenographies. We tell you more right away!

The Alsatian Museum: an immersion in Alsatian culture

The Alsatian Museum was founded by the Société du musée alsacien in 1902. It opened to the public in 1907. At that time, Strasbourg was under German annexation. To preserve its heritage and protect its traditions, the city decided to create this museum.

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Housed in three charming historic half-timbered buildings, the museum bears witness to daily life, customs and traditions of Alsace since the 18th century and up to the present day. Located on the banks of the Ill, the museum presents thousands of period objects over an area of 1,600 m²: costumes, toys, furniture, ceramics.

Visitors are invited to stroll through 4 levels via stairs and wooden walkways for an authentic experience. The museum unveils many faithful reconstructions and scenographies of typical interiors as well as artisan workshops. In addition, it recounts the rites, festivals and beliefs that have shaped the identity of the region: Schiweschlawe rites, 'hamets hunting, baptism wishes, etc.

The Alsatian Museum aims to offer a better understanding of its territory, its geographical diversity and its historical complexity. It also offers exhibitions and events throughout the year linking tradition and modernity.

The museum's permanent collections

The Alsatian Museum houses nearly 50,000 works. Currently, 5,000 works are on display. These cultural treasures are classified into major themes.

The majority of the pieces making up the original collections come from the contributions of the founders. These contributions have been enriched by donations and deposits (Judaica collection) as well as collections and acquisitions.
Most of the collections date from the Golden Age of Alsace, a period ranging from 1750 to 1860.

Among the most fascinating collections and reproductions of the museum, find:

• faithful replicas of rural interiors, such as the Stùb of a farm in Wintzenheim dating from 1810;
• reconstructions of kitchens, pharmacy-herbalism or craft workshops;
• rooms dedicated to the Alsatian wine world (certainly less impressive than those of the Historical Cellar of the Civil Hospices);
• unusual objects such as the mill disgorger, a carved wooden gargoyle, used to evacuate sound or flour, as well as the delivery chair for pregnant women.

These collections offer a captivating glimpse into Alsatian history and also make it possible to dispel preconceived ideas about culture or customs.

The themes of this renowned museum in Strasbourg

The Alsatian Museum in Strasbourg explores a multitude of themes related to Alsace.

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1. The first is dedicated to domestic space. It highlights traditional Alsatian architecture, characterized by half-timbered houses. The museum transports its visitors through reconstructions of typical interiors.
2. The second focuses on Alsatian appearance and costumes. The museum presents the diversity of regional fashions, but also the challenges of social representation.
3. The third looks at rites of passage that punctuate life in society. Several pieces (baptism wishes, mappot, wedding crowns or funeral souvenirs) highlight rituals and their differences with today's communities.
4. The fourth apprehends belief and cults present in the territory: from monotheistic currents to older pagan rituals.
5. The fifth studies festive or more solemn events that punctuate Alsatian life: festivities linked to beliefs, seasons and agricultural traditions, but also to historical facts testifying to the unique history of Alsace-Moselle.
6. The sixth explores trades, know-how as well as agricultural, artisanal, industrial and artistic techniques that have shaped Alsace.
7. The seventh is interested in medicine and protective rites by highlighting the remedies and medical progress of the great figures of Alsace.
8. The eighth reveals the men and women who lived in Alsace, their history, their object, their destiny.

The Alsatian Museum thus offers an educational and immersive visit to Alsatian folklore.

Practical information on the Alsatian Museum

The museum is ideally located in the heart of the city of Strasbourg, near the Covered Bridges and the Vauban dam, at the address: 23 - 25 Quai St-Nicolas, 67076, Strasbourg France.

Access via public transport is easy:

• tram A and D, Porte de l'Hôpital station;
• bus 10, Saint-Nicolas stop;
• bus 14 and 24 stops Ancienne Douane or Porte de l'Hôpital.

If you plan to go to the museum by car, a paid public car park is available less than 200 meters away.

We invite you to consult the opening hours as well as the entrance fees on the museum's website directly.

You can browse the museum freely with or without a guide.

To discover other riches of Alsatian culture, do not hesitate to visit the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Once you have completed all these fascinating visits, relax in our comfortable B&B HOTEL Strasbourg Sud Geispolsheim.