Museum of ethnography and arts crafts is one of the largest and oldest museums of the type not only in Ukraine, but also in Central-Eastern Europe countries. Its collection began to form at the end of ХІХ century on the base of two Lviv museums — Industrial city museum (founded in 1874) and Antiquities Museum of Scientific society named after T. Shevchenko (founded in 1895). In 1951 the State museum of ethnography and arts crafts was founded. Its exposition is housed now in the building of the former Galician Saving bank. The building is an architectural monument of administrative construction of ХІХ century, built according to Julian Zaharevych project in 1890-1891 years.

Its stocks today are the treasure house of traditional cultural folk masterpieces of Ukrainian art. It also contains unique samples of world arts and crafts. The found collections number about 90 thousand exhibits. The original collections can be divided into two large departments: ethnographical and that of arts crafts. The regular museum's exposition is located in the main building where European arts and crafts of XVI-XX centuries are presented.

The museum can be proud of its authentic exclusive interior. On the ground floor the visitors can be impressed by the decorations on the ceiling, the alabaster columns and banisters of the front staircase, stained-glass windows of the beginning of ХХ century, done in Innsbruck by "Tiroler Glasmalerei". On the first floor one can admire the Venetian candelabra of ХІХ сentury. Besides, the assembly hall, former meeting hall, is of great interest. It is decorated by the famous sculpturer of XIX century — Levandovsky. The visitors can enjoy the attractive putti symbolizing sciences and crafts, and the bank's coat of arms with the ant in the middle.

Arts and crafts collection (ІІ half of XVIII — I half of XIX centuries) is very popular. The visitors will enjoy exclusive exhibits — pianoforte (1791); English china produced at widely-known factory "Etruria"; the tailor-made bed for Catherine II; furniture collection of Empire style; and various collection of eclecticism and modern style (placards, clothes, arts wood, costume jewellery, textile).

The clock collection, the largest and the most valuable in Ukraine, occupies an important place in the museum's exposition. Almost 450 samples represent different countries, epochs, styles and masters. The clocks of XVI-ХХ сenturies were made in France, Germany, Austria and Italy etc.