Écomusée d'Alsace — Attraction in Mulhouse

This is a very large and very beautiful open air museum depicting the Alsace region throughout its history, mainly making use of buildings transplanted here for preservation. I came here on a very hot August 2022 weekday afternoon with my three kids ages 6, 4, and 2 years. I put this exact location in as my Google Maps GPS destination and had no trouble getting here. There is a very large shaded parking lot as you approach the museum. I didn't find signs to be very clear on where the entrance to the museum was, but we followed others in on a path veering towards the right when walking FROM the parking lot, and found the Kasse, which was a large indoor area with several cashiers who spoke English. We were given a map and started on our way. I had worn the toddler and had the other two walking, which was my first mistake, as there was no way my 4 year old could walk the entirety of this park on such a hot day. The downside to having a stroller here is that you'd have to leave it in front of the buildings when you enter them or go up to their higher levels, and I'm not sure what I woul have done with it on the canal boat ride (other than just not do the boat ride), but it would certainly make seeing the entire place much easier if you have multiple young children. The buildings are all beautifully decorated with tons of educational and informational signs. There are plenty of activities for the kids to enjoy, as well as live animals spread throughout the museum and performances in the town square. There are several restaurants; we happened to eat at the one at the very far edge of the museum where the boat ride had dropped us off, and it was possibly one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had with my kids. The line was incredibly long (we waited over 30 minutes just to order) with only one cashier handling everyone, who didn't speak any English whatsoever, though she was kind and helpful, and the food took another 15-20 minutes to arrive. There was no indoor seating at that time, so I had to keep my kids entertained on line or in a corner of the room for almost an hour before we even started eating, and then had to eat at an outdoor table in the sun with a tremendous amount of bees, and I hate to say that the food was nothing special. Obviously I wasn't there for a gourmet meal, and I always expect long lines at places like this at lunchtime, but this process could have been much more efficient instead of painful on an already long hot day, especially when it subtracted substantially from the amount of time we could actually enjoy the park. The canal boat ride was by far my favorite part of the park; about a 30 minute peaceful ride along the river - kids had to wear life vests, which mine didn't appreciate. Be aware that if you want to do the boat ride, you should go there first and see what the times were, as it basically only comes to each end of the river every hour, excepting one hour at lunch time. The atmosphere of the whole park is overall beautiful and charming, and it does feel like you've been transporetd back in time. Overall, I definitely recommend you come here if you or your children enjoy looking back into history and are in the area, but consider a stroller if your kids don't have much endurance, especially if it is a hot day, as the park is VERY big, though know you might not be able to bring it everywhere you go within the park. Bring your own snacks as we did, and try not to eat lunch AT lunchtime if you want to...

What a wonderful place! We went there expecting to stay an hour or two, and ended up leaving because our feet and paws were so tired we just couldn't walk anymore. There were storks' nests on every roof, some still being renovated, some with up to 3 little stork babies rearing their heads to take some first looks at the world. There were also piglets, lambs, bunny babies and ducklings of all colours. The insides of the lovingly decorated houses looked like the owners had only just stepped out for a moment and would be back any minute to cook the meal for the family or mend the kids' clothing on their sewing machines. The explanations about the buildings and their history were in French, English and German, and when I tried to thank one of the shepherds for our wonderful experience in my poor and rusty French, he immediately answered in German, just like the lovely lady at the reception. The best part was that our dog Vincent was allowed entry as well, and all 3 of us had a wonderful day travelling back in time in this lovingly preserved, clean, peaceful place with so much to see and so little time. We will definitely be back....

(Advice for wheelchair en aid-users)

All in all a nice day! We had a great day! Nice welcome and a very friendly lady at the reception. It was clearly stated what could be expected with regard to the use of a wheelchair / mobility scooter. Unfortunately, not all houses can be visited, but that makes sense considering the age of the houses.

We did have some problems with the thresholds and slopes. There are also many roads with only loose gravel and no wheelchair lane.

We do think that some profit can still be achieved in terms of accessibility. In the park we saw many elderly / strollers / aids so I think it is a welcome addition. Threshold aids (from wood, for example) can make a big difference!

After all, it is important and nice to also 'serve' people with disabilities.

Added pictures situations where some improvement is welcome.

Maybe an accessibility consultant can help you. Or a day out with someone with a...