Alsatian Museum (Musée alsacien)
The Alsatian Museum tells the story of everyday life in old Alsace, from the 18th to the 20th century, in half-timbered houses on Quai Saint-Nicolas by the Ill. Furniture, costumes, toys and reconstructed interiors bring the region's traditions back to life. Please note: according to the Strasbourg museums' website, it is closed for works until 2028.
Half-timbered houses on the quay
The museum moved into half-timbered houses typical of the 1600s, whose façades look onto the quays of the Ill at 23-25 Quai Saint-Nicolas. The visit spreads across three linked buildings, with their staircases, wooden galleries and connecting rooms. Opened in 1907, it is one of the city's long-established museums, and the setting itself is part of the experience.
A stub, a kitchen, an apothecary
Housing, furniture, everyday objects, ceramics, costumes, religious items, toys and crafts bear witness to traditional Alsatian life. Several rooms are shown as reconstructions: a stub, the living room warmed by the stove, a kitchen and an apothecary's shop. The museum also covers customs such as the Christmas tree, baptism wishes and the Schiweschlawe, the throwing of burning discs.
The memory of Alsace's Jews
From the outset the Alsatian Museum has held a major collection entrusted by the Société d'histoire des Israélites d'Alsace et de Lorraine, now the Société d'étude du judaïsme d'Alsace-Lorraine. Alongside the museum's own holdings, it presents the cultural heritage of the Jews of Alsace, long widely present in the region's countryside. It is an often overlooked side of Alsatian history, next to the more familiar folklore.
While waiting for the reopening
The Strasbourg museums' website announces a closure for works until 2028. The objects can still be browsed online on the museums' collections portal. On the spot, a walk along Quai Saint-Nicolas is still worth it for the façades, and the Historical Museum, across the Ill near the Pont du Corbeau, takes over for a dive into the city's past. Check the reopening date before planning your visit.
Practical information
Address: 23-25 quai Saint-Nicolas, 67000 Strasbourg
Frequently asked questions
Is the Alsatian Museum open?
No: the Strasbourg museums' website says it is closed for works until 2028. The collections can still be viewed online.
Where is it?
At 23-25 Quai Saint-Nicolas, on the Ill, opposite the Grande Île and not far from the Pont du Corbeau.
What does the museum show?
Traditional Alsatian life from the 18th to the 20th century: furniture, costumes, toys, religious objects, reconstructed interiors and the heritage of Alsace's Jews.
Wikimedia Commons — Ji-Elle
