It is located in the Renaissance building of the former slaughterhouse (Grande boucherie) and is dedicated to the tumultuous history of the city from the early Middle Ages until the contemporary period.

Founded in 1920, the museum occupies the building of the former Great Butchery of Strasbourg (built in 1586–1588), classified as a historical monument.

[1] On June 30, 2007, after twenty years of closure for works, the museum reopened its doors under the direction of Monique Fuchs to present a first slice of the history of Strasbourg, ranging from the first traces of civilization to the year 1800; the second section opened on 16 November 2013,[2] it corresponds to the first floor of the building and covers the Napoleonic period up to the present day.

Only 1,650 of the 200,000 objects in the museum's possession are presented, including a remarkable piece: a relief map dating from 1727.

The museum houses numerous exhibits and collections, mostly donated by the citizens of Strasbourg, but also from the rest of Alsace.