Musée du pays de Hanau
Municipal museum in Bouxwiller, housed in a former castle chapel and a grain hall, devoted to the history, culture and nature of the Pays de Hanau.
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About the museum
The museum was founded in 1933 by an association under the name Musée de Bouxwiller. It first occupied the town hall, with Gauthier Thieling as its first curator. Under Alfred Matt, curator until 1995, it built up a major collection of popular arts and traditions.
In 1994 the commune joined the shared conservation scheme of the Vosges du Nord Regional Nature Park and hired a professional curator. The project then widened to cover the whole territory, beyond popular arts. The museum received the Musée de France label and became municipal. After two years of works, the renovated museum reopened on June 29, 2013.
It occupies two buildings protected as historic monuments on the place du Château. The chapel of the former castle, dating from the 14th century, housed the tombs of the lords of Lichtenberg; looted in the 16th century during the Peasants' War, it was later used as an archive store, a prison and housing. The grain hall, dating from the 16th century, leans against the medieval town wall.
The collections include historical, archaeological and technical objects, paintings and a large collection of popular arts and traditions. The route covers rural and bourgeois life in the 19th century, the history of Bouxwiller and the former County of Hanau-Lichtenberg, and the nature of the Bastberg.
Highlights
- 14th-century castle chapel and 16th-century grain hall
- History of Bouxwiller and the County of Hanau-Lichtenberg
- Rural and bourgeois daily life in the 19th century
- Nature of the Bastberg
- Restored 18th-century polychrome sleigh
Permanent exhibition
- Collections permanentes – The route covers rural and bourgeois life in the 19th century, the history of Bouxwiller and the former County of Hanau-Lichtenberg, the nature of the Bastberg, and objects from the Hesse-Darmstadt period in the former castle chapel.
- Founded
- 1933
- Operated by
- Ville de Bouxwiller
- Visitors per year
- approx. 7,449
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4.50Children aged 13 to 17, students, job seekers, people with disabilities, and holders of the Cezam card or the Moisson card |
| Children & teens | €4.50free up to age 12 · Free admission up to age 12. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €4.50 |
| Students & apprentices | €4.50 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €5 per personAdult groups of more than 10 and up to 25 people. School and youth groups: €2 per pupil, charged from secondary school onwards. |
| One-hour guided tour (groups, by booking) | €50 |
| One-and-a-half-hour guided tour (groups, by booking) | €75 |
| School workshop (by booking) | €50 |
| Children's birthday | €60Includes an activity of your choice and a room for the birthday tea (goûter); book at least 15 days in advance. |
Free admission for primary schools and all schools in the Communauté de communes Hanau – La Petite Pierre, for day-care groups and the EHPAD in Bouxwiller, for teachers, accompanying adults and coach drivers, for members of the Association des Amis du musée and the Tôt ou T'Art association, and for holders of the Museums-Pass, Pass'Alsace, Pro-tourisme card, press card, ICOM card, Ministry of Culture card and tour guide card. The Passeport gourmand entitles the holder to one admission per passport. Payment by bank card, cheque, transfer, administrative order (mandat administratif) or cash.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description: no information
The museum is fully accessible to visitors with reduced mobility, with a lift and benches along the route. A reserved space is about 40 m from the main entrance. Braille and large-print booklets and illuminated magnifiers are available at reception. For groups, a tactile and sensory tour with a “touch kit” (kit à toucher: objects, raised-line drawings, a model of the former castle) can be arranged. Two documents in easy-read language and a visit preparation guide are available. Sensory tours, workshops and storytelling sessions are offered all year.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 75 min |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 12 |
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
Games, hands-on activities, films and sound points make the visit playful. The museum also organises children's birthday parties and visits for school groups from preschool to lycée.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Train to Saverne or Obermodern SNCF station (TER line Strasbourg – Sarreguemines – Saarbrücken), then a shuttle bus to the centre of Bouxwiller.
By car
Parking available
Car park near the museum, with spaces reserved for people with reduced mobility.
- Accessible parking
The museum is about 300 m from the bus stop, in the town centre near the town hall, about 40 minutes' drive from Strasbourg.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
A shop and a seed library (grainothèque) are available. A tourist information point of the Hanau – La Petite Pierre tourist office is in the entrance hall. The museum is air-conditioned.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The visit lasts on average 1 hr to 1 hr 30 min. Guided tours for all ages, adapted to the group's interests, by booking. The booklet “Le Musée pas à pas” is available on site. Three 17th-century paintings, considered the museum's masterpieces, are kept in the town hall council chamber and can only be seen by appointment during the town hall's opening hours. |
