In Crete’s folklore museums, a loom, a packsaddle or a festive garment can show how people lived and worked on the island. The exhibits connect life at home, in the fields and in the workshop with local customs and celebrations. Sometimes the building itself is part of the experience, as in the traditional house with a stone arch in Gavalochori or the Venetian mansion that houses the Historical and Folklore Museum of Rethymnon.

In Hersonissos, the Lychnostatis Open-Air Museum features examples of rural and urban Cretan homes, workshops for traditional trades and gardens with aromatic plants. At the Museum of Cretan Ethnology in Voroi, food, weaving and customs are presented together to give a fuller picture of life in the Cretan countryside.

Local collections also highlight crafts with a particular place in their communities. The Historical and Folklore Museum of Gavalochori features kopaneli, lace made with wooden bobbins. At the Folklore Museum of Sitia, woven textiles, embroidery and traditional clothing show how people dressed and decorated their homes.

Other collections focus on a particular aspect of everyday life. The Vouves Olive Museum brings together traditional tools used in olive cultivation. The School Life Museum, housed in the old primary school of Nerokourou, explores everyday life in the classroom. In Houdetsi, the instrument collection at the Labyrinth Musical Workshop introduces visitors to musical traditions from Crete and beyond.