Each year, its temporary exhibition spaces showcase diverse displays, creating an important centre for regional culture in Grenoble.

On 13 October 1905, the regional newspaper, La Dépêche dauphinoise, reported that a commission had met to study the creation of a history museum in Grenoble.

On 27 January 1906, a report authored by the municipal architect was sent to the mayor of Grenoble, Charles Rivail, proposing the construction of an ethnographic museum in the former chapel of Sainte-Marie d’en-Bas.

[4] The museum was first located in the chapel of Sainte-Marie d’en-Bas, Rue Très-Cloîtres, which originally belonged to the sisters of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary.

However, in 1647, the sisters constructed a new, more spacious convent and chapel on the left bank of the Isère River, retaining the original name of Sainte-Marie d’en-Bas.

The artifacts included prehistorical items, decorative arts dating from the Gallo-Roman period through the 19th century, and objects depicting the region's industrial history.

[6] An expert on local heritage, Müller helped construct a life-sized replica of the alpine village Saint-Véran in 1925, during the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism in Grenoble.

Gilman, however, was displeased with the expositions organized for the grand opening, and would personally recruit a new curator for the museum: Jean-Pierre Laurent, then employed at the Musée-château d'Annecy.

Already supporting various local museums, the council administered the safekeeping of specially reserved collections as well as the renovation or creation of establishments in over a dozen different municipalities, notably La Mure, Mens, Aoste, Bressieux, Charavines, Allevard, Saint-Chef, and Hières-sur-Amby.

Adopting an ecomuseological framework (see: Ecomuseum), the Musée dauphinois became a hub for public service, initially serving municipalities and their elected officials, but later extending its support to cultural organizations in the region.

The Musée Dauphinois would later become the headquarters for an even more ambitious mission: preserving and showcasing the cultural heritage of the entire Isère region.

Seeking to decentralize cultural preservation efforts and work more closely with local communities, the CPI would oversee regional projects for the next twelve years.

[10] On 6 February 2018, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, the museum welcomed reputed athletes from the era such as Jean-Claude Killy, Marielle Goitschel, Alain Calmat, Léo Lacroix, Patrick Péra, Guy Périllat and Franco Nones.

[11] In October 2019, Jean-Pierre Barbier, the President of the Department of Isère, unveiled plans to redevelop the museum's gardens ahead of the 400th anniversary of the Convent of Sainte-Marie d'en-Haut.

In 2023, the Direction of Culture and Heritage, associated with the Department of Isère, spearheaded a collaboration between twelve regional museums—including the Musée dauphinois—organizing a communal storage space for their collections.

In 1804, nuns of the Order of the Holy Heart, led by Rose Philippine Duchesne, settled in the convent and devoted their time to educating young girls until their departure in 1832.

Most of the convent has been preserved, including the cloister; the choir where Visitandine nuns attended masses from behind a metal grating; and the richly-decorated baroque chapel.

Alfred Berruyer, architect of the renowned La Salette Basilica, was commissioned to build a 30-metre tower topped with a 3.6-metre golden statue of the Virgin Mary, fabricated from cast-iron and weighing 1.8 tonnes.

Eighty centimetres high and sculpted from rock during the Gallo-Roman period, this sundial represents the heavenly vault and divides the day into twelve hours.

[18] Another object is also displayed within the cloister: a stone grain measurer, originally commissioned by the audit chamber of Dauphiné for placement in the market town of Voreppe.

Alpins 7000 ans d'histoires first opened in 1998 and was remodelled in 2006; it displays hundreds of ethnographic items from the daily life of people living in the mountains.

It concerns settlement of the region since the Neolithic Era and also sheds light on daily life in the 19th and 20th centuries, including topics such as pastoralism, field labor, education, family structures, and community interactions, particularly within the religious sphere.

Incorporating the latest research on the Alps as well as modern scenographic techniques, this exhibition explores how inhabitants have adapted to geographic, political, and socioeconomic challenges.

Accessible to a wide audience, the exhibition promises an educational and engaging experience, integrating the designs of Flore Hénocque, as well as the Incoll'Alps trivia quiz, available in both French and English.

Through a series of filmed testimonies, it offers varied perspectives and possible solutions to sustain the region's sporting tradition in light of contemporary challenges.

Below is a chronological list of the museum's temporary expositions:1980—1990: 1990—2000: 2000—2010: 2010—2020: 2020—present: A regional journal on ethnology, Le Monde alpin et rhodanien published two to four issues per year from 1973 to 2006.

It featured studies and articles on Southeastern France, especially on important geographical landmarks such as the Alps, the Rhône, the historical Lyonnais province, the Po Valley, Lake Geneva, and the Camargue region.

Founded in 1973 by Charles Joisten, the journal was edited by le Centre alpin et rhodanien d'ethnologie (CARE), an association closely affiliated with the Musée dauphinois.

It concerns "those men who from Provence to Austria, from the Swiss Alps to Slovenia, have adapted to an exceptional environment and have taken advantage of the mountain, writing history composed of exchanges, migrations, and opportunities."

The collection's distribution perfectly compliments the mission of an institution such as the Musée dauphinois, dedicated to preserving and celebrating regional heritage and history.