Musée archéologique de Strasbourg

About the museum

The museum is the oldest of Strasbourg's museums. It was founded at the end of the 18th century from the bequest of historian Jean-Daniel Schœpflin to the city, and was supplemented by excavations and collections of the Société pour la conservation des monuments historiques d’Alsace, founded in 1855. Both collections were lost in the fire at the Strasbourg library on the night of August 24, 1870.

After 1871, the Society rebuilt the collections through excavations carried out during the city's major construction projects, for example near the railway station. In 1896, the collections moved to the Palais Rohan, where they remain today. The archaeologist Robert Forrer enriched them from 1909 to 1939, particularly for the Neolithic and the Middle Ages. In 1946, the Society gave its entire collection to the city, and the museum joined the municipal network. It is also one of the museums classified by the State.

The galleries, fully redesigned from 1988 to 1992, present the history of all the civilisations that succeeded one another in Alsace, from the Palaeolithic to the first centuries of the Middle Ages, with no gaps in the chronology. The museum showcases regional archaeological research and organises exhibitions every year.

Highlights

• Collections from prehistory to the early Middle Ages
• Objects from funerary rites, from prehistory to the Middle Ages
• Jewellery and adornments worn in the region
• Ancient craft techniques: stone working, bronze, glass
• Housed in the basements of the Palais Rohan

Permanent exhibition

• Parcours permanent du Musée Archéologique – The route follows the history of Alsace from prehistory to the first centuries of the Middle Ages, with objects from all the civilisations that lived in the region.

Operated by

Ville de Strasbourg

Visitors per year

approx. 57,973

Admission & discounts

The ticket gives access to the permanent collections, the temporary exhibitions and the guided visits. It can only be bought at the museum ticket desks. Passes are sold at the desks (day pass, Palais Rohan pass covering the Musées des Beaux-Arts and des Arts décoratifs, and annual passes for one person, two people or a family “tribu”). Admission is also free for job seekers, journalists, members of ICOM and several museum friends’ associations, holders of the Museums-PassMusées, a Pass Alsace and other cards, and for many students and teachers.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

The museum is among those not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility; an access ramp and folding stools are available. Wheelchairs and strollers can be requested at the network’s ticket desk. Visit aid kits (sacoches): raised-relief reproductions and Braille descriptions, illuminated magnifiers, gloves, a magnetic neck loop, a large-print transcription of the audio guide, noise-cancelling headphones and a document in easy-to-read language.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Youth leaflets “Des animaux au musée” (from age 4) and “Quel·le Romain·e êtes-vous ?” (from age 10) are available for self-service. Workshops and family visits from age 4, at the ticket price or with a €2 supplement depending on the activity.

Getting there & parking

Drop-off zone at the Ancienne Douane; access to the courtyard of the Palais Rohan on request. The museum occupies the basements of the Palais Rohan, alongside the Musées des Beaux-Arts and des Arts décoratifs.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check
• Lockers

Cloakrooms and lockers subject to available space; suitcases and large bags are prohibited (Vigipirate security plan). Eating is not permitted in the building.

Events & venue rental

Requests to rent spaces in Strasbourg's museums should be sent to Musees-LocationEspaces@strasbourg.eu.

Plan your visit