Open all year round. Low season: Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, 2pm to 5:30pm; Wednesdays, 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 5:30pm. High season: Mondays and Wednesdays to Fridays, 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 5:30pm; weekends, 2pm to 5:30pm. From October to the end of April, open on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month from 2pm to 5:30pm. Free for children under 18. Adults: €4. Member of the MUSEUM PASS MUSEES network. Children's welcome (play booklet "C'est Mon carnet de musée!" to visit the museum). Guided tours (every Wednesday afternoon at 2.30pm and for groups on request).
Housed in one of the finest examples of 16th-century architecture in Alsace, the Palais de la Régence and Musée de
la
Régence appeal to visitors not only for their Renaissance setting, but also for the surprising collections housed there
.
The centerpiece of this collection, a meteorite, has aroused the interest of the world's greatest earth scientists for centuries... since its fall was first observed in 1492! Over the years, the Ensisheim meteorite has also proved to be a veritable source of artistic and literary inspiration, attracting the attention of such exceptional figures as Albrecht Dürer, Sébastien Brant, Goethe and Jules Verne, each of whom in their own way has reflected on this phenomenon.
The second section, entitled "Miner's Museum", introduces visitors to the underground world of the potash mine. Through its familiar objects, it reveals daily life and the extreme difficulty of working conditions: crushing heat, constant noise from tools, isolation in a confined and dangerous space lit only by the light... of miners' lamps. From fear to hope, from anger to solidarity... strong feelings and beliefs animated the miners, who venerated the Virgin Mary and Saint Barbara, while questioning the "gnomes" to find out their fate.
Finally, the third section, archaeology, bears witness to a human presence extending over several millennia, materialized by objects mainly from local excavations. Among these are necropolises whose tombs have yielded some astonishing secrets, such as a skull showing traces of double trepanning, certainly the oldest surgical procedure of this type performed in prehistoric times
...
Multimedia elements help visitors discover the town's rich history. A free game/discovery booklet is available for younger visitors.