The history of daily life
Water, lighting and the tram — what actually changed people's lives.
Gzen92 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Unknown authorUnknown author — Public domain · Seattle Municipal Archives from Seattle, WA — CC BY 2.0 · José Rosael/Hélio Nobre/Museu Paulista da USP — Public domain
No. Colmar is a one- or two-day city, and what deserves your time is the old centre, La Petite Venise on the canal, and the Unterlinden museum with the Isenheim altarpiece. This museum is for a resident or someone specifically interested in infrastructure history.
Most likely yes. It is small and attached to a working depot, and its hours may be limited to a few days or require an appointment. Call or check before going, as turning up unarranged may end at a closed door.
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A museum explaining the history of public utilities in Colmar — water, gas, electricity and transport — at the municipal utilities depot east of the city. The subject sounds dry but is in fact the history of daily life: how clean water reached houses, when the streets were first lit, how the tram began, and what changed for people when electricity arrived. These things alter cities more than wars and kings do. The displays are meters, pumps, street lamps, measuring instruments and old service vehicles, arranged by utility. It should be clear that this is a small specialist technical museum and not an ordinary visitor's destination in Colmar — the city is known for its old centre of coloured timber houses, its canals and the Unterlinden museum. Hours are very limited and the visit may be by appointment or on a few days only, with labelling primarily in French. Check before going.
Water, lighting and the tram — what actually changed people's lives.
A century of public service equipment, arranged by utility.
Municipal utility vehicles from different decades.
East Colmar, the municipal utilities depot