It opened on 11 May 1907,[1] and is dedicated to all aspects of (mostly rural) daily life in pre-industrial and early industrial Alsace.

It contains over 5000 exhibits and is notable for the reconstruction of the interiors of several traditional houses.

[2] It also features a rich collection of artifacts documenting the everyday life of Alsatian Jews.

The museum is located in several Renaissance timber framed houses on the Quai Saint-Nicolas, on the banks of the Ill river.

[citation needed] Another, smaller, Musée alsacien exists in the city of Haguenau, 30 kilometers north of Strasbourg.